Birthing story - long and probably a little TMI for the normal crowd...

A little over a year ago I had the distinct impression that there was a little girl waiting to come to our family. I thought, "okay, that will be great!" Then I had the thought, "And she is going to be born naturally." Alright, good with that, too. And then, "It doesn't need to be immediately, just be thinking about it." Okay. And finally, "You should go and tell Stephen." Oh yeah. :o)

So I did, and then discovered Bella Natal, a midwife-run birthing center just up the road. Just what I was looking for! Next was Hypnobabies, and then I got pregnant. I have been so excited about this birth - even on child #4 I've learned so much about my amazing body and what it is capable of. I was so excited to have a medication-free delivery in a home-like setting. I'm also so glad to know that it was inspiration to have Lincoln the way I did - it wasn't a walk in the park! But I'm jumping ahead...

My guess date was Dec. 11th, but I wasn't expecting him to come then - all of the others have been late. With Elise my water broke and she was born 7 days after her guess date. With both Mason and Sammy I was induced 2 and 3 days after their guess dates. So I was going into this not having any idea what my body would experience. Also, all 3 kids were born in hospitals with epidurals and pitocin. Not exactly naturally! Another reason I wasn't expecting him near the 11th was because Stephen would be finished with finals/project on the 15th, so all along I'd been planning on the 15th or 16th.

Well, the 11th came and went and my body was doing nothing. The 15th came and went and I still wasn't having any consistent birthing waves (hypnobaby term for contractions). The 16th...nada...the 17th...where are you, baby?...the 18th...a little something - I wasn't in complete despair of him never coming!

At 1am on the 19th I was awakened by pressure waves that I could no longer sleep through, although I kept trying for a little while. Then I realized that I needed to really focus on my hypnosis technics that I'd learned - these waves were getting pretty intense! I woke Stephen up around 3am to have him time the waves, which we did for about 45 minutes. They were consistent and strong. Hooray! About 4am I let him go back to sleep and focused on my hypnosis. At 6am I woke him up again and we both showered and got ready to go in to Bella Natal. However, I still wasn't feeling like I needed to be there, so we stayed at home until 8:30am, when we met my midwife, Brigette, at the center.

My hypnosis was going fantastic - both Stephen and I were expecting a fast, easy birthing time (hypnobabies for labor & delivery). Brigette showed Stephen some fantastic pressure points for during a birthing wave, and I got in the tub and relaxed. I was pretty sure that I was about ready to push, only to discover that I was only dilated to 6cm. I think it was at that point that I realized it wasn't going to be quite as easy as I had thought.

That said, I was still totally and completely relaxed between waves - even during them I was able to breathe (and make funny guttural noises) through them. I was getting tired, so moved to the bed so I could lie down for awhile. I have no concept of how the timing of all of this went. I was completely focused inside of myself - in fact, I don't think I opened my eyes the entire birthing time, unless they were walking me to the toilet.

Once on the bed things really started picking up. I don't know where my mind was, it certainly wasn't paying any attention to anything going on around me! One thing that helped me through the incredibly intense waves was my breathing with funny noises, turning my head back and forth, and counting backwards from 30. It kept me focused on something - although I'm sure I skipped a few numbers now and then! Another wonderful thing was the pressure points that Brigette, her assistant, Sarah, and Stephen used. When a wave would come on I would murmur, "Push", and they would all take two positions - my knee & hip, my feet, and two points on my back.

Brigette checked me again and I was at 8-9cm. My bag of waters still hadn't broken, and she offered to break it, since doing so would put the baby's head directly on my cervix, thus helping it fully dilate. She said I was progressing great on my own, but this would speed up dilation and intensify the pressure waves, making the whole process speed up. I was still in the zone, and honestly, in some pretty good pain (the whole "I can't do this!" and "Help me, God!" kind), but I was also tired.

I had her break my water. BAM! About 4 waves later I started pushing. Oh my. I kind of lost my hypnosis at that point, tho I was still able to relax between pushes (since there is so much time, you know). I think I screamed once, and I know my guttural noises increased in volume! As he was crowning, Brigette had me pant and slowly push him out (it is so weird to type that so calmly) so that I wouldn't tear. I got tingly all over from hyperventilating - that was a very, very strange feeling.

I was pushing for 17 minutes (again, I had no concept of time, but that's what I was told), and then, whoosh! He was out and they put him on my chest and I didn't hurt, but got to love him and cuddle him and talk to him and hear his little newborn cry. That was at 2:40pm. I pushed out the placenta, had my uterus kneaded a bit, but he was there! I honestly didn't feel any pain after he came out - and I could move and wiggle my toes and I felt like me - not like a drugged up woman who couldn't do anything.

We kept him attached to the placenta for an hour or so - he was wide awake and nursed wonderfully and was so calm and quiet and alert. After an hour we clipped his cord, weighed & measured him (8 lb, 12 oz, 21" long) and then checked out the placenta. I have to say, it is pretty darn cool. We brought it home and showed the kids how it works. :o)

I had the tiniest of tears - Brigette used super glue on it so I wouldn't have to be poked, and I just have to lay low for the next couple of days so that it will heal correctly. I couldn't believe that I didn't really tear - I did with all of the others! I guess not feeling anything (with an epidural), I had no idea what I was doing to myself! I was able to get up and use the bathroom - on my own - which is also something I was never able to do for quite awhile after having the other babies.

Back to the baby...he was so calm and alert through all the weighing and such, and then he slept. Then we needed to decide on a name! The names we took with us to the center were Allen Xavier, Lincoln Xavier, and Trevor David. Allen is Stephen's dad's dad, Xavier is my grandma's dad (and a super-cool name!), and Trevor and David are Stephen's and my oldest brothers. My brother Trevor's middle name is Dean, so he went by TD a lot of his life. Lincoln is a name we have loved since before we found out Elise was a girl. We tossed it around with both Mason and Sammy, but it just hasn't fit any of the kids until now!

We nursed again before coming home at about 8pm. The kids and Mom had decorated the door to welcome him home, and they were all SOSOSOSOSO excited to see him and hold him and give him kisses! I couldn't believe that he wasn't even 6 hours old and we were already home and I was feeling so great. We were to the birthing center and home again in less than 12 hours.

I must say that going naturally sure has its advantages! I loved how awake and alert Lincoln was - not drugged up like my other babies have been. I loved how awake and alert I was! Able to move and be happy and completely with it. And I LOVE having my baby to hold and love and cuddle. I am amazed and humbled that Stephen and I have been given another perfect little spirit to raise.

p.s. He has red fuzz and at least one dimple!!!

p.p.s. We're probably going to have 8 more boys before I get my girl...:o)