Max's Birth Story

A few months before Max's due date, I started researching natural childbirth to see if it was something I was interested in trying.  I have many friends who have done it naturally and been very happy with their experiences.  The more I read and researched, the more a natural birth experience was what I wanted.  I know it is not for everyone, but I really wanted to try.  To prepare, I had Jason and I take a "Birthing From Within" class, and I hired a doula, to assist with the birth.

I tried all the natural labor inducing techniques to get this baby to come early since my biggest fear was having to be induced, which I worried would put a kink in my natural birth plan, and from my reading and classes I knew that babies come when they are good and ready and while I was very anxious I trusted my body to know the right time.  He was just content in there though and looking back I am glad.  After my Tuesday (40 week) appt my Dr said she felt "comfortable" with me going until Saturday, but they would want to induce then.  I really pushed for them to just break my water and see if I progressed on my own, which she agreed to.  I wasn't thrilled about it but it was better then getting started on pitocin and I was hopeful I wouldn't make it that long.  

When I say I tried everything this included a lot of spicy foods, maternity massages, 2 walks a day, herbal supplements, things you don't want details on, and it culminated with acupuncture on Wednesday morning. I started having regular 6-8 minute contractions by that evening.  They weren't painful but they were the most consistent thing I had experienced so I was excited, but they fizzled out overnight. 

We got up the next morning and I was determined to get things going again, so we took a long walk that morning and got home around 10am.  That helped get some contractions going but nothing too promising.  By noon they were pretty regular 8-10 min contractions that were getting more uncomfortable.  I was also bleeding quite a bit, which I took as a good sign that my cervix was thinning.  I called my doula around 2:15pm, and of course one of her other clients was in labor, 3 weeks early :)  She gave me the number of her backup and so I called her and she came over around 3:45.  At this point I was pretty uncomfortable through the contractions.  I LOVED the shower and bath and spent a lot of time in there.  My contractions varied from 1 1/2 minutes to 3 minutes apart, and they varied in intensity.  

Finally around 7:30pm we decided to head to the hospital to see how I had progressed.  I was at 6cm when we got there between 7:45-8pm.  I had a great nurse who monitored the baby very quickly and didn't make me have an IV hep block, which I was expecting to have since my Dr was worried about the seizures after Ollie's birth.  I got right into the shower and labored there for a while.  She checked me a little later and I was at 7cm, this is when things were starting to get pretty intense. They couldn't get a hold of my Dr, so the on-call doctor came and checked me after a while and said I was 8-9cm.  She said my water sack was hardly full (they thought I had been leaking) so she suggested breaking it.  I was ok with that since I was so close.  Well I'm pretty sure my bag was fully intact because I gushed, and gushed, and gushed with every contraction.  When she checked me again at 9pm and I guess the cervix was only at about 8cm...what I went backwards???!??!  I felt very discouraged at that point since I was in a lot of pain, and I was tired, and I wanted to be done.  Things still progressed quickly though and I was pushing by around 10pm.  

Max was born at 10:14pm, 8lbs 2oz, 19 1/2 inches long.  I got him out after only 2 long pushes. The Dr. barely made it into the room in time to catch the baby.  The urge to push was so strong this time and I was SO much more effective than I was with Ollie because I wasn't numb with an epidural. I was able to breast feed him fairly quickly after the birth and he latched right on. Overall it was a great experience.  The nurses and doula said it really couldn't have gone better (besides having my actual Dr deliver).  I never once had a desire for an epidural. Although I did wonder if I would be able to do it at one point, but I knew those feelings were normal and that I must be getting close.   

I am so glad I hired a doula.  Even though she was the back up and we had never met, she was AWESOME. Having someone who knew what they were doing was very helpful.  I know that if it had just been us we would have gone to the hospital MUCH earlier and I would not have been as comfortable there as I was at home.

Wow, I have been long winded.  I just want to remember details.  Here are some pictures.  

Thursday morning before our walk, ready to get things moving.

Between contractions, leaving for the hospital.

Between contractions, getting close.

Max right after being born, he looks a lot like Ollie did right at first, but almost a whole pound bigger.

So relieved to have my little guy in my arms finally.  Jason was awesome by the way, couldn't have done it without him.

My doula, Tracie.  REALLY couldn't have done it without her.

Brothers meeting for the first time.  Ollie was interested for about 10 seconds and then he just wanted to play with the toys Max brought him :)

First family picture.  Probably pretty foretelling of our next year or so...hectic.

Ollie was pretty interested in Max's hearing test. 

Hello, my name is Max, I'm new here.

Mmmmm...dark chocolate nuts and chews.  Jason got these for me, for all my hard work. 

This hat fit a lot better two years ago.