Just Another Birth Story: Lennox Major

I can't say that I know with certainty when a birth story starts.  Does it start the day of the birth?  Or maybe when the contractions started.  I suppose I will start mine the day before his birth.

Thursday, October 17, 2013. I was 40 weeks 1 day pregnant.   I had an appointment with my Doula, Amy.  We listened to his heartbeat and discussed what to do in early labor.  It was rather uneventful.

I went home that day, we ate dinner and then went to Paxton's last soccer game of the year.  I was talking to my friend Mary and told her that I wanted to have the baby the next day or Saturday.  It just felt right.  But, there were no signs of labor and to be honest, I felt great.  I wasn't "done" being pregnant.  I could be pregnant forever and never have an issue with it.  My pregnancy had been remarkably textbook, like usual, and if we were both happy and healthy then he was welcome to stay where he was as long as necessary.  

After the game we made it home and put the big boys to bed.  Joe and I retreated to the bedroom and I sat on my birth ball while watching 19 Kids and Counting on Netflix.  Joe massaged a pressure point on my ankles and occasionally I had a small contraction.  Around 11 pm we decided to go to sleep.  It was evident I would not be having a baby that day.

Friday, October 18, 2013.  I really haven't been able to fall asleep but around 1 am I started feeling these long twinges of pain.  I looked on Facebook on my phone and noticed Tanya had been online recently so I decided to text and call her.  Thankfully, she was around to talk.  I asked what contractions felt like and wondered if I should call Amy.  We talked for a bit and I decided that calling Amy wouldn't hurt.  I felt bad calling her as it was the middle of the night but really, that's why we wanted and had a Doula.  When I talked to her she reminded me of what we talked about that morning and needing to get some sleep in early labor as I could have many many more hours of work ahead of me.  Not only did I feel bad for calling but I also felt bad for not following instructions.  Oops! So, I then tried to relax and lay down and fall back asleep.  Even with some sleep aids (possibly wine and Benadryl), I was unable to get any real rest.  Contractions were coming and woke me up every time I had one.  I didn't know how much time was in between them because I was laying down in a dark room with no real sense of time.  Eventually, around 2 or 2:30 am, I made my way back to my birth ball.  I sat and swayed and moaned through quite a bit of pressure in my lower back.  I thought "Seriously, back labor AGAIN?? I did everything right this time!!!"  Little did I know it wasn't back labor but very likely I was already in transition.  

Finally at 4:30 I called Amy.  She listened to me through contractions and asked if I was ready for her to come over.  I really didn't know.  I hadn't done this before.  I mean I had given birth twice but both were very different.  I finally said yes.  She then asked if I wanted her to come to the house or meet us at the hospital.  Again, I didn't know.  They say you just know...but I didn't.  She was going to grab a quick shower and call us back in ten minutes.  I went ahead and called Allison to come watch the boys.  I remember talking to Allison and asking her to come over and all I remember her saying was "yes" and "Wesley".  Allison arrived with lightning speed.  She lives about 2 miles from us and when she got to the house I was going in and out of the garage having to stop and moan through contractions.  I am sure I had a few before she even made it in the house.  We finally grabbed everything we needed and got in the car around 5:20am.  

The hospital is about 20ish miles away.  My sweet husband may or may not have driven faster than he should have been.  He was genuinely afraid of having a baby on the side of the road.  I was sure I had plenty of time left but I will say being in the car was NOT fun.  We finally arrived at the hospital.  We parked in special maternity spaces and left absolutely everything in the car.  Between the car and making it to Labor and Delivery I had 4 contractions that I had to stop, drape myself over Joe and moan through.  People kept stopping us and asking if we wanted a wheel chair but sitting was the last thing I wanted to do.  I remember seeing the clock when we got to our room.  It said 6:06.  We managed to beat Amy (again, I'll leave out how fast my husband was driving) although she called ahead and they were ready for us when we arrived.  Since my ball was in the car, I sat on theirs draped over the side of the bed.  I was so sure my water had broken twice while I was on the ball.  

They were able to hook up the monitor to check the baby's heart beat with me on the ball and I was thrilled with that.  Amy arrived when I was on the ball at some point and after a contraction or two I agreed to getting on the bed to check how far I was.  Hello, surprise!  I was already at 9 cm.  I was at a NINE.  I was not expecting that in the least.  I was so sure I had hours left.  Boy was I wrong.

While on the bed they tried to hook up my hep lock.  I had okayed this in my birth plan.  Unfortunately attempts 1-5 were no good.  Someone finally got it, though.  Apparently when I'm laboring a few needle sticks were the least of my worries.

After I got checked they were okay with any and all movement from me.  Amy encouraged me to get in another position more favorable for birth and for my pain but for some reason I actually wanted to be completely reclined on my back.  Something about laying down gave me the full urge to push.  I knew pushing=baby so I preferred to do that!  I kept needing to push and no one stopped me.  They checked me again, 15 minutes later, and I was ready to go!  So, I pushed any time I had the urge.  That urge came often.  Pushing was not painful, but almost a relief.  When I pushed, I was loud.  Sweet Joe said I was singing opera.  I remember being loud through some of them but I do not remember caring.  I guess I now understand what people say when they describe the sounds they were making as primal.  Pushing was going well and with a push towards the end his little heart rated dropped to about 50 bpm. They asked me, surprisingly without a sense of urgency, to push my baby out.  So, I did.  He immediately came to my chest and all I could think was "I have my baby and I did it".  I got my natural, unmedicated childbirth that I was hoping and preparing for!

Lennox Major came very peacefully and quietly in to the world at 7:07 am on October 18, 2013.  He weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 20.5" long.

This is our third birth and each experience has been unique.  My recovery with Lennox was by far the easiest. I'm sure there are many factors playing in to that and for all of them, I am grateful.   I didn't want an unmedicated birth to "win an award" or try to be a superhero...I wanted it to prove something to myself.  It was a personal challenge for me and I am so very fortunate Lennox and I were able to conquer that goal! It was a wonderful experience and the addition of him to our family has been a beautiful transition.

Big brothers love him.  Mommy and Daddy are still enamored by his laid back personality. He loves nothing more than to snuggle with us and ride around in the Ergo all day.  He only cries if he is tired or hungry and he eats amazingly well and is growing like a weed.  Sweet boy, you have only been in our lives for six short weeks but I can't even remember how my life was before you were here.

We love you sweet boy.  Welcome to our family!