I woke up early on January 8. Over the period of weeks I had been having night contractions. This was nothing new. I slept between them, estimating them to be about 15 minutes apart. Around 8:30 I decided to get up and get around. I halfheartedly started timing them, just to see if my guess was right. Yep, 10-15 minutes apart.
After an hour, I began to think this might finally be it. I was afraid to really allow myself to believe it. I was 42 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I was "due" on December 20, 2012. Which was also big brother Brigham's 6th birthday. Unfortunately, on that day all of us, except Brigham, ended up with a violent stomach bug that day. It took another 2 days to get my energy back from that. I had very little contractions after that bug. I think that really set the birth back, as we were also around family after that with the same bug.
I had been waiting so long that I began to doubt my dates. I knew my LMP was correct. I knew just a day or two after my GMIL passed in May that I was pregnant. It wasn't from a test. I 'felt' a spirit child enter me. Yes, I now sound crazy. However, I had felt that once before with our 6th baby, Rebekah. I knew that feeling instantly. I felt strongly it was a girl. I wanted her named after my GMIL, Joyce. Brent thought of Joy Christine, and that was the name. It was perfect.
Back to January 8. I told Brent that I was having contractions about 10-15 minutes apart. They were low. Not like the ones I had been having.
As the day progressed, I began to think it might be a long slow labor. It had been hours, and still 10-15 minutes apart. I then made a funny discovery. I found that when I went into the bathroom, my contractions were 2-5 minutes apart. When I went out with the family, they went back to 10-15 minutes. I labored in the bathroom for a while, and took a nice shower. Then went back out to the living room when I needed a break.
The kids wanted to play a new board game (Beat The Parents), so we spent an hour playing and laughing. I only had 2 or 3 contractions that whole time. After the game, I went to lay on the couch. I put on my headphones and dozed on the couch, and Brent sent the kids outside to play. As I dozed, my contractions began to pick up and get stronger. I had to breathe through several. I then went back to the bathroom.
At 3:30 I texted Brent (who was in the living room) that I was going to get in the tub to relax. That things were hurting. I spent a while in the tub, but moved to the toilet to labor easier. I began to get louder. Moaning to the point where Brent came in to check on me.
He asked if I was ok. I said yes, then no. Then I had another contraction. They were not giving me much time between them. Some just doubling over the other. Brent then joked about how if I have the baby in the toilet, he's not going to hold it for a while. That made me laugh, and I responded that it would be a water birth. I always love his humor when laboring. It pulls me through so much. He asked if I needed a blessing. I said yes. He went out to find the oil, and I heard Rebekah (1 month shy of 3) keep asking him if mommy was going to throw up. She was very concerned about me throwing up. He told her the new baby was coming, and she got so excited.
He came back in, and held me as i had another contraction. when it was over, her gave me a blessing. As he anointed my head, and blessed me and the baby, all contractions stopped. I was able to focus on his words, and feel the comfort of them. Then, as he sealed the blessing and ended it, the contractions returned.
I then moved off the toilet and just stood in front of the sink, holding onto it and rocking my hips back and forth through the contractions. I had managed to move from moaning to crying out and yelling through the contractions. I was trying to stay focused, but it was fast and hard. I was not able to keep hold of my ability to relax. All I could do was yell.
I moved back into the tub, getting a little comfort from the water. I labored on my hands and knees and also sitting with one leg in front of me, the other more behind. After getting in the water, I was able to focus more, stopping the yelling and more swaying through the contractions. I put my hands out, skimming the water. Feeling the water pushing on my hands helped distract me. However, things began moving again.
I got really hot, and Brent opened the window. It helped, as I was feeling nauseous. I kept checking myself, and hadn't felt anything. I then told myself that in a couple hours I would be holding my baby in my arms. I checked myself again, and felt the sac. I told Brent, who updated the kids in the other room that it would be very soon.
I pushed, and checked again. Still a lot of bulging sac, but no baby to be felt. I waited a few minutes, but then made a decision that as cool as it would be to try for a baby born in the caul, I was wanting baby out. I wanted to break my water now. I pushed on the sac with my finger. It was very strong, but it finally gave and burst. No meconium.
Brent said how that would speed things up. He was right. A few more contractions and pushes. I said I felt the head. I pushed again. Time blurs. I could feel her head. I had her to where she was crowning. Still leaning over the edge of the tub, I pushed. I was reaching back and could feel her head crowning. Getting bigger and bigger. I had to stop and rest a few times. Taking it slow. Oh she hurt.
I finally began pushing again, determined to get her out. As her head was emerging, I was running my finger around her head to stretch the skin. It hurt too much to go on. At that point I stopped, but her head kept coming. Knowing I wasn't ready, I did something I still find amusing. I held her head in my hand, and I pushed her back in. I needed more time. I was afraid of the pain. I was afraid of tearing.
I pushed again. This time slowly guiding her out. Time seemed to slow down. Her head just kept coming and coming. I had to break and push slowly again. I finally thought it was out. I felt, but no face. Just smooth. I then started to feel a slight panic rise up. I asked Brent, "What IS that!? Is it a head, or a butt?!". I couldn't see. I couldn't tell by feel.
Brent laughed and said, "I see hair. It's either a head, or a really hairy butt.".
I pushed again, and her head was out. Oh my goodness!!! That was the absolute hardest single things I have ever done. She had a huge head! I felt her head. I felt an ear, and said out loud how I felt it.
Brent then gave me some mistletoe tincture, to help prevent bleeding.
I thought then how the hardest was over. The body is the easy part. I then felt her wiggling. What a crazy feeling. Her head was moving back and forth. Her body was wiggling back and forth inside of me, as if she was trying to crawl out. I told Brent she was wiggling, then asked him if he could feel it. I wasn't really thinking about how she was inside of me. That he couldn't feel her. So funny. You can tell I was caught up it it all.
I pushed again, then realized she wasn't budging. I tried again, but nothing. I told Brent I needed his help. That I needed him to help pull, because I couldn't push her out. I reached back and pulled gently as I pushed. Brent took over, as he had a better ability to be more guided in where baby was going. He kept telling me to be careful of her head. I guess I was close to sitting on her a few times.
As she slowly, oh so very slowly, came out I felt arms fly out. Brent said later she came out with her hands up by her face. Instead of a single push to get the body out, she took 3 or so pushes. It was not easy like the other babies. Finally, she was born. What a relief!
I turned and sat down. Brent handed her to me. I noticed two things. Her cord was shorter. It was wrapped around the outside of my right leg, instead of coming up from between my legs, due to how I birthed her behind me and then flipped around. I could hold her on my lap, but struggled to get her to reach my breast. She was also covered in vernix. It was thick, sticking to my hands and fingers in globs. How great that was.
I held her, and had Sadie get a towel to wrap her in to stay warm. I pulled the plug in the tub and drained a lot of the water as Sadie got the water running to fill it up with fresh, warmer water. The kids all came in and got to see our new bundle of Joy. After a while, the cord was limp and ready to cut. Brent tied it off in two places with hemp twine and cut it. I then said good bye to Joy as he took her to weigh her and to let me wait for the placenta and then shower.
As I was in the tub, I heard them say something about 10 pounds! Then I heard 1 ounce. I was shocked. Brent came in again and I asked, "10 pounds 1 ounce?". He said no.
10 pounds 11 ounces!!! THAT explained A LOT! My baby piggy!
What a precious baby! She was so worth all the work! The cutest cheeks! They stick out past her head! She's so snugly and came out loving to eat. I love her so much!
Jan 8, 2013
Born at 5:17pm
10 lb 11oz
21 1/2 inches
15 inch head
