personal3

Hannah's Birth Story
We moved to Michigan when I was about 6
weeks away from giving birth. As crazy at that
may sound, it was mostly my idea! We've been
talking about moving back to my husband's hometown for years and years and I finally had
had enough of watching time pass by and not actually seizing the moment. So, we packed
and off we went! After 5 1/2 very long days on the road we arrived in Marshall, MI. Thank
Goodness!! I think we were all very glad to get out of that truck!
We found this big old farmhouse to rent out in the country. It's a great place to be for a few
years, until we find the "perfect" place to buy. Hannah was born here, in this big old
farmhouse. My labor was smooth, easy and everything I'd worked so hard to envision while I
was pregnant. Easy is a relative term, of course. I worked hard during my labor to stay with
it, stay in the moment and not be overcome by the hard work ahead. I trudged up each hill
of contractions and gratefully slid down. Staying in the moment and working hard not to
anticipate or fear the contractions to come was a big help in getting through it. Breathing
correctly is so very important too, in through the nose, out through the mouth, just as you
do when jogging for long periods of time... controlled breathing and conscious relaxation of
the body.
Labor started on Friday afternoon, about 12:30 or so. I had a few very strong contractions
about 15-20 minutes apart and I thought to myself, well, this may be it. I had very strong
and long prodromal labor for the last few weeks prior to active labor, and I waited a bit to
see if these contractions would fade too. But they didn't, and I was glad! Time to get this
baby OUT and get on with life! I love babies, and the birthing process is lovely to me, but
being pregnant, after 4 babies, just takes too long! I get impatient and want to get on with
things and get my body back to myself! I told my husband that it was time, and that he
should cancel a visit that was scheduled for that afternoon. I used the bathroom, checked
my cervix, not a lot happening there, same as before (about 3cm and maybe 40%) and went
to lay down on our bed. I had labored on my side for Jewel's birth (#3) and it was a
comfortable position for me, for precipitous labors. Precipitous for me, anyway, as Jewel's
birth was slightly less than 6 hours, and the previous two were more than 15 hours each. I
began to consciously relax my body, my jaw and neck and head and arms, breathing in and
out, listening listening to my body as it warmed up to push this baby out. I found that the
contractions were more like hills this time, rather than waves, hills that I had to climb up
and slide down. The first hills were easy, muscles warming up, body beginning to breathe in
a more rhythmic pattern, concentration starting to focus inward. Then as time went on the
hills were steeper and took more effort to climb... a fast paced march up and a relief to go
down again. I called my husband in to the bedroom to sit with me on the bed and hold my
hand. We did this for a few hours, while he was in and out, taking care of the other kids and
calling his sister and parents. I asked him to fill up the bathtub around 3:30 or so and we
climbed a few more hills after that. The hills were very steep and my breathing was still
going well, when I remembered that I should urinate to make sure the bladder wasn't
getting in the way of her head decending. I said, lets go, and my husband helped me to the
bathroom and I had a few more contractions while on the toilet. It was pretty comfortable. I
had heard lots of women say that they felt very comfortable on the toilet while laboring and
secretly, I'd always thought that was a little weird. Well, joke on me, it IS comfortable! I
felt like things were going along pretty smoothly and I decided that it was time to get in the
tub. I couldn't fit in it comfortably, like I wanted, but the relief of the feel of the warm water
was worth being cramped. It felt so good on my belly and rear and everywhere the water
touched, I felt more relaxed and softer and less tense and more in control. As my breathing
quickened and the death grip I had on my husband's hand increased, he asked me if the
baby was coming soon. I told him yes, and very soon after that, I was yelling, BABY
HEAD, BABY HEAD. I wasn't able to be coherent enough to speak in full sentences. I'm
never good at being really communicative at the end of labor. It kinda sneaks up and then,
bang, here's the baby! I let out a great yell... it felt so good to yell and yell. Very primal! To
Be Continued......