The Birth Story of Michael-Kestrel Malachite
I had an impending feeling on the evening of February 1, 2016 that the baby would be coming soon. 2/1 was the official due date and the longest duration of pregnancy I had gone so far in any of my pregnancies. I also lost my mucus plug that night, didn't mention it to my husband though (it's kind of gross) and we had a lovely final family meal of hearty pasta at Olive Garden. Pasta is good stamina food :)
Around 2:30am on 2/2 I woke up with steady rhythmic contractions. I got up for a little while to time them and move about while the surges came and went and by 4 or so figured that this was the real deal but I might as well go back to bed and get my rest. I wasn't as interested in showering or hanging out in the bathtub as I thought and was more content to sway through them. Around 4:30am I crawled myself back into bed, quietly waking my husband in process of and just letting him know today was baby day. My contractions continued even as I slept.
My body is always one of no-nonsense when the time comes. I had already endured my weeks of prodromal labor and my weekend of false-start labor from the momentous morning of 1/22 when my waters HAD broken but it turns out my son is an anomaly and had an extra sac and that was what had broken. He had no intentions on coming until he was truly ready. This time, as signified by the mucus plug and my 'Whatever' attitude, also by the surges which kept on coming, was no practice round.
I was in no hurry to notify the midwives but I did at some point. I would have to consult old text messages on an older phone to check the times and what was said, but it wasn't explained in any hurry of a process.
As the day progressed forward the contractions continued on. My only activity was hobbling to and from my bed to the en suite bathroom to pee and then returning to bed where I could lie on my left side in the dark and keep myself calm and peaceful during the regular contractions and pressures that I was feeling. Back and forth. Back and forth. Repeat.
Soon enough it was time for the children to get to school, so husband readied them and as quietly and calmly as they could, they came downstairs to my darkened lair and said their well-wishes and goodbyes to me. They were well aware when they came home there would be a new baby to meet. They were very sweet and excited.
To get through the pains I kept myself in the dark (as to not overstimulate the production of cortisol which will definitely inhibit the whole process but also makes us more likely to feel pain) and I kept myself calm and breathed to a count of 12. Then back again. It was slightly entertaining to me that this was my mantra of choice, counting to 12, I don't know why 12, but for my last labor with Mallory I had breathed through repetitive ABCs, so there is something familiar to these patterns we ingrain into our beings. Something calming.
Once the children left I found myself in a position of awful agony to or fro one of my many trips into the bathroom. A contraction had hit and I was on my hands and knees in front of my washing machine, on my back and forth trek, but caught in a web of pain, thinking to myself, THIS IS WHY WOMEN GET PAIN MEDICATION, I UNDERSTAND. I also couldn't move and was afraid I would be stuck there. I couldn't even fathom getting into any type of vehicle to go to the hospital at that point EVEN IF I WANTED TO (which I didn't). I wasn't stuck, but the power of those surges can really make your mind wander and they aren't comfortable to move around through them. I remember my husband standing there watching me on the floor, almost in a state of helplessness. He didn't know what to do other than hold the peace and keep the calm collected. I was able to move shortly after. We decided we should let the midwives know. That was my transition phase it turns out. If you look at the diagrams of exactly where the baby gets to in your pelvis, OMG yes, it doesn't feel good. A lot of aching weight in your nether regions. Your pelvis is actually splitting in half. You can look at a woman's skeleton and see the actual scars on the bones. No pain, no gain!
Husband ran upstairs to do something in the kitchen at that point and to contact the midwives. I sat on the toilet because at that point the only time it felt good to do anything was to pee. And pee. And pee. OMG the sweet reprieve of peeing.
When all of a sudden my husband heard my counting take on a whole new tenor of urgency. He ran downstairs (mind you this is also less than 15/20 minutes after having dropped off the children at school, so it was all in a tidy timely manner) to see me perched on top of the toilet and indeed, a baby's head was crowning. In the nick of time he was there and once he told me it was the head I had him help me to prop up my leg as high back on a pipe (to widen pelvis but if you're at the hospital they have the partner and the nurse hold your legs back super highs)
Jonathan caught him and I will never forget, as the caul broke as he was being born (a true en caul birth!!!) the stream of amniotic fluids that gushed out over Jonn's shoulder like a fountain. He was born! We gently unlooped his cord from around his neck, the placenta delivered easily within 5 minutes, and I will never forget holding this calm child who just stared at me with his deep deep eyes so calmly. It was unnerving and I felt the need to get him to cry to clear his lungs, so I suctioned his mouth and then got the cry I awaited, but he was so calm, I will never forget that.
He was born 9 pounds at ___time to be filled in soon enough when I recall with more accuracy
The midwives arrived about 20 minutes later and quickly swooped in to assist with the cleanup and checkup and to examine the placenta. I didn't tear or have any complications, it was a very beautiful and laid back delivery, less than 6 hours of labor from start of active to completion. Truly a beautiful memory. My son with his extra sac of waters also had been born with a rare true knot in his cord and a pale heart shaped birthmark on his chest. He had a mass of golden hair and deep blue eyes. He had an extra long cord and a placenta thick enough to rival any prized steak. My boy.
We knew he was sensitive from that first night with his quiver chin and that he made way more sounds than most babies make. We had figured ahead of time with him inheriting two massive different sets of sensitivities that he would be susceptible to also having such things and the last two years have been many lessons in learning how to parent such a strong willed and determined being. He is exactly who he came here to be and was very aware of how frustrating it was to be a cognizant being trapped in the helpless body of a baby.
That is the story of his birth that I can recall on the 2nd anniversary of such. I am so blessed to have him in my life and for such an enlightening experience.
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