Sebastian Xavier- Our Birth Story - PART ONE

"Sometimes babies have their own plan" 

- Melissa Keil, Doula,(http://www.littlepapoosebirthdoula.com/). 

If it weren't for Melissa's constant support I may have been disappointed that things didn't go 100% according to my plan. At the end of the day, my main goal was to have a healthy happy baby and I did just that!

Last Belly Shot- The day before I went into labor

I had been preparing for my "perfect" birth since before I was pregnant. I was always been fascinated by birth and after watching the well know documentary, "Business of Being Born" I began to research natural birth options for my future babies. The more research I had done, the more opinionated I became about what I believed birth ought to be like ( DISCLAIMER- everyone has their own opinion of what it should be and I am in no way saying one or the other is the RIGHT way, just that I have a preference). Women's bodies have been designed to deliver babies. I wanted to let my body do what it was built to do and avoid a Cesarean section at all costs.

Ok, enough background story. Lets get to the fun stuff...my ridiculously long labor and the delivery of our gorgeous baby boy Sebastian!

Waterfalls

June 12th - I was 39 weeks pregnant according to my estimated due date.  I was getting back into bed after one of my many nightly trips to the restroom when I felt a "pop" sensation in my pelvis. I thought the baby had punched me or something. I got back out of bed and instantly realized my water had broken. It was an odd sensation. I gasped, then laughed, then shouted "oh my god!" Dave looked at me like I was crazy and I told him that my water had broken and the baby was coming. His response- "What?,...now?... Really?"

Remembering what I had learned in my childbirth classes with Melissa, I knew there was PLENTY of time before I needed to get to the hospital. I told Dave to go ahead and get ready for work because I was going to go about my day as normal until the contractions were close enough and strong enough. My goal was to be in the hospital for as little time as possible to prevent any unnecessary interventions.

I attempted to go back to sleep, but I was so excited for the arrival of our baby that it was nearly impossible to even relax! Instead of sleep, I got out of bed and had some breakfast. Then I took a shower, shaved, and fixed my hair. You know, all the grooming a woman does to prepare for her labor photos. I later  realized those preparations did NOTHING to help me achieve the super model look I was going for. 

Then I remembered I hadn't finished baby's quilt! I told baby to stay put for a while so I could work on finishing my project. What a story to tell him when he gets older! As I sat at the sewing machine working away, I began to time my contractions. They were still mild, 20 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds. Plenty of time!! I continued to sew away even more excited about the quilt than I was the day before. 

Now This Is Labor

About 6 hours had passed and the contractions were now 10 minutes apart. They started to slow me down at the sewing machine and I was unable to concentrate. I needed to be up and moving around. I made myself some lunch, which I ended up not being able to eat. Thats when I decided to call Dave. I told him I needed him home to help me keep focused during the labor. It was starting to get more intense and I needed some support and maybe a massage.

Dave was fantastic! He rushed right home, changed into some shorts and hopped into bed with me. He used all the relaxation techniques we learned in our class to keep me focused and calm. He also made sure to keep me super hydrated ( I did NOT want an IV in the hospital so that I could move around.) All the while, Dave was timing contractions (with an I-phone App!!), and kept Melissa in the loop so she knew when to come. I was feeling fantastic. I was breathing through each contraction and closing my eyes to rest in between. 

When the contractions reached 5 minutes apart for over an hour it was time to call Melissa. She would be at my house in about an hour. When she arrived, I was in good spirits still joking around and smiling often. Melissa took over helping me through contractions to give Dave a break. He brought me a bowl of fresh berries to give me a little energy, but I still was not really able to eat much. 

Dude, Where's My Doula?!

About the time Melissa arrived is when the contractions had started to become more difficult. We tried to get me on the birth ball, but I was just not comfortable, attempted to get in the shower... that lasted 5 minutes. I was most comfortable in my "nest" - in our bed with all 500 pillows surrounding me, bedroom lit by candles, and soft music playing. I lay on my side while having my belly lightly massaged. Every so often I would get out of bed to walk around for a change of scenery and to labor in other positions/ places, but I alway ended back in my bed. This went on for a couple of hours. 

Now, I need to flash back a little bit. When I first hired Melissa as my doula, She let me know of a few conflicts in June. Her youngest son was to be celebrating his 1st birthday VERY close to my due date. The 15th was his actual birthday and the 13th she would be having a family day to celebrate. She assured me that if she was not able to make it to my birth, she would supply an awesome back up doula to assist Dave and I.   

As you know, Sebastian was born on the 13th, so sadly Melissa was not there for the entire labor or the birth. She needed to leave early because the next morning was her son's birthday in Sea World. Before she even arrived, she contacted a back up who she believed would be a great fit for Dave and my personality. Danielle was to arrive at 9:30 to spend some time getting know our situation (and us!) before Melissa had to leave at 10. 

While awaiting the arrival of Danielle, I began to have some back pain ( a sign that the baby may be in an unconventional position such as posterior or "sunny side up") Melissa instructed me to get onto my hands and knees. This can help to coax the baby into the preferred position. I asked for counter pressure to be put on the ball of my back during a contraction. This helped curb the back labor and I was back to "normal" labor. Around this time, I was less inclined to have the long conversations I had been having all day. I was still "in the game" and able to talk, just not as bubbly as normal. 

Danielle arrived and I instantly knew she would be a great back up. She was cool, calm, and collected...the total opposite of Dave and I. We needed that balance as things began to intensify. We were sad to say goodbye to Melissa for the night (and I know she was just as sad, but happy for us!), but the time had come.  We were in good hands and she made sure to let us know that once more before leaving. The next couple of hours are a blur. I'm pretty sure it was more of the same labor, rest, labor, rest. Finally, the contractions had gone down to every 3 minutes and we decided it was time to get to the hospital.