Birthing My Son
Birth Story by Christy
Finding the Baby's Position
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I really wanted to try for a VBAC but having just moved to the area, I didn't know what birthing options I would have. I was thrilled to find a number of midwives and after talking with a few, I fell in love with Lucinda and was so thankful she was available to do VBACs. I planned to birth at home as long as I remained low-risk but was relieved to know that Lucinda would accompany me at the hospital if tht is what I chose or needed. I loved my prenatal care with Lucinda and having done a few concurrent visits with an OB/GYN group, I was reminded of how differently and wonderfully Lucinda was providing care for me and this miracle growing inside me. She was getting to know my unique self, family, and pregnancy, she was personable and easy to be with, her home office was warm and inviting and her skill and experience put me at ease. I had plenty of time to ask all my questions, process some fears from my last birthing experience and grow in my own confidence as birth drew near. I had full trust in her ability and I knew she believed in me and my body's ability to birth.
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Mother Listens to Baby's Heartbeat with Fetoscope
Although active labor picked up for me right around my due date, I thought it would never come. The contractions finally picked up and were every ten minutes, then every seven minutes, then three minutes apart, then nine minutes again, for nearly an hour and a half. I figured that was close enough and called Lucinda- she said she would be right over! I was so happy; real labor was finally here and I would soon hold my baby! She called right back and suggested I get into a certain position because the irregular spacing of contractions could mean the baby was not in the best position for birthing. I did what she suggested and right away could feel the baby move and the contractions become a steady three minutes apart. That intervention alone probably saved me a tremendous amount of trouble and pain.
It was so good to see her when she arrived along with a doula, who was a God-send. They set up their things and she checked me. I had been having contractions all month, and the last two nights I had been up with strong contractions every fifteen minutes. I thought for sure I was already effaced and dilated a few centimeters before this day even started, and I had now been having active labor for a few hours but when she checked me, I was only 70% effaced and 3 cm - which was a big disappointment to me. I was ready to get in a warm bath, but instead she suggested I head outside for a walk for thirty to forty minutes and walk through the contractions. I had read about that in Ina May's book, laboring women taking walks to help things along, but I didn't imagine it would be like this. The contractions were coming strong every three minutes and it was taking my total concentration to handle them. How was I going to walk through them? But I told myself I would try anything she suggested because that was the very reason I wanted her with me, to help me manage this birth! I survived the thirty minute walk, accompanied by my husband and a lady friend. God was so good to me - it was dark, cool, and foggy outside. I felt covered and my birthing sounds muffled as I made it round the block twice. (Although I was having thoughts of never having kids again :-).
It was so good to see her when she arrived along with a doula, who was a God-send. They set up their things and she checked me. I had been having contractions all month, and the last two nights I had been up with strong contractions every fifteen minutes. I thought for sure I was already effaced and dilated a few centimeters before this day even started, and I had now been having active labor for a few hours but when she checked me, I was only 70% effaced and 3 cm - which was a big disappointment to me. I was ready to get in a warm bath, but instead she suggested I head outside for a walk for thirty to forty minutes and walk through the contractions. I had read about that in Ina May's book, laboring women taking walks to help things along, but I didn't imagine it would be like this. The contractions were coming strong every three minutes and it was taking my total concentration to handle them. How was I going to walk through them? But I told myself I would try anything she suggested because that was the very reason I wanted her with me, to help me manage this birth! I survived the thirty minute walk, accompanied by my husband and a lady friend. God was so good to me - it was dark, cool, and foggy outside. I felt covered and my birthing sounds muffled as I made it round the block twice. (Although I was having thoughts of never having kids again :-).
As soon as I got back to my house I went straight to the bedroom to handle the next contraction and the pain in my hips was unbearable. The doula Lucinda brought pushed at the back of my hips and brought incredible relief. She did that for every contraction and thirty minutes later, I was 9 cm dilated and headed for the warm tub! "Thank you, Jesus" is all I was thinking.
The warm water was less relieving than I hoped, but I decided to be thankful anyway. We were in the bathroom for awhile, an hour or more, with the doula pushing at my hips, my husband at the side of the tub, Lucinda right there, calm and cheerful, checking the baby's heart beat and making suggestions for my position and breathing (all of which were very effective). My four year-old came in and out with her babysitter checking on Mommy. It was so precious to have my daughter there. At one point she was breathing through a contraction with me and wiping my sweaty forehead with a cool cloth. She knew she was a big help to Mommy and was proud of it. My husband told me later how much Lucinda's presence and expertise put him at ease and enabled him to be such a steady help to me.
After a little while I was up on my feet in the bath tub, squatting because it felt better. I could feel the baby's head coming down a little and sliding back up. I didn't know how I would go on but these loving encouraging people kept telling me how great I was doing, how much progress I was making, that it was o.k. to cry and o.k. to hate it, and that gave me the emotional boost to get through the next contraction and then the next and the next was like food to my soul.
Lucinda offered to get me in a more restful but effective position on the bed because I was very tired. (They made sure I was taking in water and electrolytes, which helped a lot.) Another midwife came about that time, to assist Lucinda, and brought another beautiful and encouraging presence into my birthing. Thirty more minutes or so, pushing hard, and the baby was not moving down any further. Lucinda pulled up on my pubic bone, and with one last intense, long push, I felt my baby's head be born and then his body! In seconds he was up on my tummy, slimy and warm, with a healthy cry. All I could say was "thank you, thank you, thank you..." to God, to my husband and daughter, to my helpers, and to this amazing midwife and her team that just demonstrated a beautiful art form, the skillful and sensitive management of labor and birth.
Of course Lucinda stayed to do a newborn check up and didn't rush a thing. She took care of a few stitches I needed and made sure I was fine. Everything was cleaned up and laundry from the birthing was nearly all done. Within 24 hours she was back at our home for our first postpartum check-up and remained very present and available throughout my postpartum recovery.
The warm water was less relieving than I hoped, but I decided to be thankful anyway. We were in the bathroom for awhile, an hour or more, with the doula pushing at my hips, my husband at the side of the tub, Lucinda right there, calm and cheerful, checking the baby's heart beat and making suggestions for my position and breathing (all of which were very effective). My four year-old came in and out with her babysitter checking on Mommy. It was so precious to have my daughter there. At one point she was breathing through a contraction with me and wiping my sweaty forehead with a cool cloth. She knew she was a big help to Mommy and was proud of it. My husband told me later how much Lucinda's presence and expertise put him at ease and enabled him to be such a steady help to me.
After a little while I was up on my feet in the bath tub, squatting because it felt better. I could feel the baby's head coming down a little and sliding back up. I didn't know how I would go on but these loving encouraging people kept telling me how great I was doing, how much progress I was making, that it was o.k. to cry and o.k. to hate it, and that gave me the emotional boost to get through the next contraction and then the next and the next was like food to my soul.
Lucinda offered to get me in a more restful but effective position on the bed because I was very tired. (They made sure I was taking in water and electrolytes, which helped a lot.) Another midwife came about that time, to assist Lucinda, and brought another beautiful and encouraging presence into my birthing. Thirty more minutes or so, pushing hard, and the baby was not moving down any further. Lucinda pulled up on my pubic bone, and with one last intense, long push, I felt my baby's head be born and then his body! In seconds he was up on my tummy, slimy and warm, with a healthy cry. All I could say was "thank you, thank you, thank you..." to God, to my husband and daughter, to my helpers, and to this amazing midwife and her team that just demonstrated a beautiful art form, the skillful and sensitive management of labor and birth.
Of course Lucinda stayed to do a newborn check up and didn't rush a thing. She took care of a few stitches I needed and made sure I was fine. Everything was cleaned up and laundry from the birthing was nearly all done. Within 24 hours she was back at our home for our first postpartum check-up and remained very present and available throughout my postpartum recovery.