| Joanie's birth Alot of things contributed to my decision to have a home birth this time. Some of them were from previous birth experiences and some were more philosophical. I had changed my whole way of looking at the world to a more holistic and home-oriented lifestyle. Home Birth seemed to fit me now as did midwifery and that whole style of care. I was 27 when I got pregnant with my 5th child. I hired a midwife whom I had recommended to me, I knew of her because several people I know go to her. I liked her and it was important to me that she was a Christian as well. My pregnancy proceeded well as usual and I was due in late April of 1994, the 21st to be exact. A couple of days after my due date I started having contractions one afternoon. I called my midwife, she was at another birth and so sent her assistant over to see if I would need her that night. I had dilated some, 3 or 4 cm, so she stuck around. In the mean time the other lady had to be transported to the hospital and my midwife said she would come as soon as she could. By the time she got there, however my labor was starting to peter out. We didn't have a baby that night after all. Six days after my due date, by the way this was the first time I went over due, I stared having contractions again about 10:00p.m. I stayed awake walking around the house because I was determined I was going to have a baby or else! I decided to call the midwife at about 2:00 a.m. A couple hours later the contractions started to die down again! Everyone was sleeping except for me so I decided to go to bed myself as it was about 4:00 a.m. I had a good cry before finally falling asleep. I was woken up by contractions that really made me take notice of them at about 6:30 or so. I think they were about 3 minutes apart by then. It was Jerry's 28th birthday(April 28,1994) and I said to him "I hope you like your birthday present" At first he looked puzzled till I had a contraction. He went down where my midwife was sleeping to make some coffee. She was getting ready to go home until Jerry told her she had better come and see me because I was having some good contractions again. She came in and I was having a contraction at the time and said "That's what I like to hear". I guess I was sounding during it. She went down and got her equipment and started setting up. Jerry called a friend who had agreed to take the girls to her house during the birth. She got there about 8:30 or so. By then my neighbor had also come over to assist the midwife, she is an R.N. and had been a L&D nurse as well as a NICU nurse. She is also a dear friend and was at my last birth in a doula sort of capacity. Well, about 10:00a.m. the midwife asked if she could check my dilation because she wanted to see if the baby had descended yet, she had still been high earlier that night. I consented and was thrilled to hear I was already 10 cm! I couldn't believe I had got through transistion already and also that I wasn't feeling "pushy". With the first 4 the feeling at this point was overwhelming to push. I know now it's because my water was broken at 3-5 cm with all my previous labors and it was intact this time. Not only does this make a much more gentle transistion to 2nd stage, it also made the transistion labor contractions much easier to handle. She told me I could push whenever I felt ready. I just enjoyed the relative calm for a few minutes and waited for a contraction to push with. When one started I pushed through it but it just didn't feel like the baby was going anywhere. She asked if I wanted her to break the water and I said "Yes". That worked and with the next contraction the head was crowning. One more and the head was on it's way out. My midwife was trying to slow down the delivery of the head to keep my from tearing, and at the time I hated that! I just wanted it out at that point! After what seemed like an eternity to me, and the baby must have thought so as well because she started squirming around, her head was finally delivered. The cord was around her neck but was loose enough to be just pulled over her head. The next contraction brought out the shoulders and the rest of her slid out. I pulled her up to my chest and held her there, she was pretty dusky and no making any noise yet. The midwife told me to talk to her and I just started saying "hello there little baby" and she started to come around and pink up. I nursed her while the placenta was delivered and was so relieved it was over! So, we welcomed to our family our 5th daughter on her daddy's birthday at 10:25a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 19-3/4". Her name is Joan Marie, which my mother had asked us if we would do if the baby was a girl. This was the name of her(my mother)twin who died shortly after birth. I told everyone who would listen, including the medical students and resident doctors at church, how wonderful home birth was! I knew I never wanted to have a baby in a hospital with an OB again! This was so much better. It was such an easier labor all around and a gentle birth. I didn't have a problem with breast engorgement either because I had my baby with me 24 hours a day and nursed her alot more in those first two days than I knew was necessary and needed with my previous hospital births. My milk came in much sooner as well. I ended up nursing Joanie longer, 18 months, and as usual had no periods. I conceived during the time I was weaning her, and that brings me to my next birth story. |
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