So, where were we?
Oh yeah. The making out.
Turns out my husband must be a really good kisser (but I already knew that) because mere minutes after he gleefully followed my midwife’s parting instructions, I experienced a 4 minute long, intense contraction. Like, as he was timing it, he kept looking at me expectantly and saying, “Done, right?” And I was all: “Um, yeah…oh! Nope! There it goes again.”
Thanks a lot, Husband.
Anyhoo, once that one finally released its vice grip, I went right back to matching socks. We had turned Fixer Upper off, since I can only do so many competing distractions in labor, but the sock folding was just the ticket to give me something that occupied my hands and at least a little of my mind.
In fact, assuming there’s a next time, I think I’ll keep a basket of unmatched socks around for labor. In fact, I think I’ll start now just to make sure I’ve got enough to work with. #sigh
There was now no doubt in my mind that, unless these suckers just stalled out for no good reason (entirely possible), I really was in labor. After the 4 minute whopper, my contractions kept coming, only instead of 10 minutes apart, as they’d consistently been for the previous hour and 1/2, they suddenly dropped to 6 minutes, and–after only a few of those–to 3 minutes.
The intensity had also ramped up at a rather alarming rate.
It certainly seemed that the safety brake on my slow body had been suddenly released, and we were careening down a rather steep hill toward an inevitable crash (car wreck as a metaphor for delivery? not too far-fetched, I say).
I mentioned that I might need to text Melena to hurry, but Shaun said, “She’s bound to be headed back our way soon, and you’ve got to do this for hours before it does any good.”
Thing is, normally he’d be right, but these were different, and I was certainly hoping he wasn’t.
Just like the contractions had felt different/sharper than usual earlier in the day, these felt even more so now. And not just sharper than earlier but sharper than I’d ever felt. I had described them as feeling like a knife being stuck inside me to Shaun earlier, and the comparison grew even more apt as they progressed.
I’ve heard that contractions after your water has broken are worse, and I can now personally attest that it’s true. As Melena put it, there’s just no cushion from the water bag to act as a buffer between the baby’s head and your bones.
By the time Melena got back around 11:30 PM, they were down to 2 1/2 minutes apart, and I was breathing and plie squatting through them. I know that sounds like the pits since squatting seems like it would put more pressure on the cervix as you go down. But, even though that’s somewhat true, there’s a certain point near the bottom of the squat at which the pressure is relieved almost entirely, and the act of moving/doing something during the swell/peak/release tends to distract, at least my mind, from the pain.
In between contractions, Melena set up the antibiotic drip and hooked me up via IV. I wasn’t thrilled about my decreased mobility, but I could still reach the socks, so I kept the dread of each new contraction at bay by returning to folding–almost compulsively–as soon as the last one was done.
{I laughed out loud when I saw this picture; that was the biggest/most genuine smile I could muster at this point}
Tangent: By this point, with 6 natural labors under my belt, I’d say that I’m decent at pain management. But the thing that I find most interesting is that–had I had these kind of contractions this close together with hours to go 4 labors ago–I think I would have been panicked. I can remember literally being loopy and hazy with pain during transition with Simon. My midwife was snapping her fingers in front of my face and trying to get my eyes uncrossed, I was that out of it. But even though I’ve experienced that kind of pain since, I’ve never reached that level of grogginess again. It’s fascinating to me how our mental expectations of pain can literally determine our physical ability to handle it because this time (and with the last two), until the very end when it became one blur of constant pain, I was completely present and lucid between each contraction, conversing and doing everything possible to distract myself from worry about “the end.” God really has given us amazing physical resources, and I am never more aware of that than when I am in labor.
ANYhoo, once the antibiotic drip finished, Melena released me from the line, and I began doing laps around the kitchen and living room, fighting to walk through the worst of the contractions, which had bumped up in intensity yet again.
Melena, who was an assistant at the twins’ birth and the primary midwife at Theo’s, had never seen this version of active labor for me, since the twins’ labor progressed steadily but very calmly (once it finally kicked in after 4 days of stop-start nonsense), and Theo’s was all over the place, to put it mildly.
I don’t tend to make too much noise during labor, but when my breathing took on a wheezing sound during some of the contractions, she definitely started watching me more closely.
On my part, I had lost all track of time, mostly because of intense focus, but also because our power had flickered at some point, and the oven clock was just blinking instead of displaying the accurate time.
But I knew one thing: these couldn’t go on too much longer, and I wanted to at least try laboring in the water. I had assumed, since the water had killed my hiccupy contractions with Theo’s labor, that I wouldn’t be able to labor there during this one.
Given the level of contractions I was experiencing, though, I wasn’t worried about that anymore, and, when Melena gave me the go-ahead, I had Shaun start prepping the water.
By this point, I could feel my legs turning to Jell-o, and even as painful as the contractions were, knew it was time to let them do their dirty work.
So I slogged upstairs and did the last thing in the world I wanted to do: straddled the toilet. I don’t know why this position is so effective in letting the baby descend, but it’s worked its “magic” (kind of feels like the “black” variety at the time) every time I’ve been willing to do it.
I didn’t feel a sudden huge shift in pressure like I did right before the twins came, but the contractions ratcheted up yet another notch, and I was relieved, to put it mildly, when Shaun came and told me the tub water was ready.
I climbed in on wobbly legs, but, unfortunately, because we had had to run the hot water through the pipes until it was cold to eliminate any lingering sediment or other ickiness, the water was barely up to my belly, even after Shaun boiled two big pots of water on the stove (and no, the irony of having “boiling water” on hand for a modern home birth is not lost on me…there were clean towels too, believe it or not).
So, the first “tub contraction” wasn’t nearly as much of a relief as I’d hoped. In fact, by this point, the contractions were coming so close together that I barely had time to catch my breath before the next one started. And since I was on my tailbone in the tub, without enough water to offset gravity nearly as much as it needed to to really help, the back labor that I’d been experiencing the whole time but managing to mostly ignore because the front labor was so intense, became acutely more noticeable.
Thankfully, Shaun had another round of water ready before too many contractions went by, and he came and replenished the tub, adding cold water to balance it out until I could slide down into it.
Again, I had no sense of time by this point. I just knew that these were the most intense contractions of my life, and that, if I hadn’t been in the water, I might have been a bit out of my mind with the pain.
Lindsay, who had been checking in with me via text for days as this whole in labor/not in labor situation progressed, had sent me a list of verses to pray, and I’d been cobbling together fragments of them in my mind for hours.
“Lord you are the stronghold of my life, an ever present help in times of trouble.”
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.”
“You are my strength and my salvation. Let me not be put to shame.”
“Whom shall I fear, for you are with me.”
As the contractions progressed in the water, and the pressure built, I added this to my prayers: “Lord, this next one is yours. It’s not mine. I can’t do it. Only you can.”
And you know what? He did. Every time I thought: no more, NO more…I realized that the last one had ended, and I had a few seconds to start over again on my jumbled up prayers.
Finally, there was a shift. Not nearly as noticeable as it would have been out of the water, but undeniable nonetheless.
Melena heard the change in my breathing and volume levels and came running upstairs to check on me (up to this point, I hadn’t been making any noise that could be heard downstairs, and she was trying to give me and Shaun space; not too surprisingly, she hadn’t expected me to progress so rapidly).
I was in so much pain that I just wanted the baby out, regardless of how much MORE pain that entailed. I kept asking the Lord for the courage to relax my body when everything in me wanted to tense my muscles up to control the pain.
By this point, the contractions were so close together that I couldn’t really tell when one started and ended, so when Melena–who needed to grab her oxygen machine for the baby, just in case–asked me whether I had a break yet or not, I just shook my head and clenched my eyes shut even tighter.
I have a distinct impression of my body simply taking over like it never had before. I wasn’t pushing so much as surrendering. To that end, I sank lower and lower in the water until my mouth and nose were covered. Because who needs to breath when you’re pushing?
I remember Shaun’s grasping my arm and trying to lift me up a bit. I’m sure the poor man thought his wife was drowning herself, but all I could think was, “Leave me alone! I am far from fine, but neither one of us is going to be fine if you don’t stop touching me!!” (P.S. Shaun is ah-mazing during labor; I wouldn’t trade him for anyone, even if he does do silly things like try to save his wife from drowning durng labor ; )).
When I finally got a tiny break, Melena ran for her car, but as soon as she was gone, a strong pushing contraction started, and I felt the baby crowning. His head came out with that push, and I heard Shaun shouting, “Head! His head’s out. We have a head!”
She was back in no time, but I hadn’t had another contraction yet. Again, though, I was just so ready for this to be over that I started pushing anyway.
I could feel his shoulders coming and Melena’s helping guide him, until–suddenly–he was out!
She lifted him out of the water and placed him on my chest, and he immediately began squawling like–well–like a big, healthy newborn.
{Just FYI: the grayish streaks on my face are mascara–aka: what I get for laboring in the water without taking my makeup off from the day before…wasn’t exactly high on my priority list}
And you know what I did?
I went from being in agonizing pain to sitting up straight as an arrow in the tub, clutching my baby to my chest and gasping: “He’s out! He’s here! Praise Jesus, I’m not pregnant anymore!”
Which…is pretty much what I say every time.
But seriously. The shift was that sudden.
When all was said and done, I’d been in “real” labor for 6 1/2 hours–4 1/2 of that at rather intense levels and almost 2 hours of that at super-intense levels in the tub (if you’d asked me how long I was in there, I probably would have said 45 minutes; it all ran together).
I think that might be a record for speed for me…if you discount all of the lead up mess. Which…I sort of do and sort of don’t.
And, of course, Honor was perfect, and I felt so much better immediately afterwards that the words “worth it” don’t even begin to describe it.
{Honor, having a contemplative moment after getting run through all of the usual newborn rigmarole. P.S. I’ve got lots more photos from my big girl camera that are considerably better quality, but considering how long it’s taken me to get this posted with fuzzy pictures, I figured you wouldn’t want to wait for the crisper ones; I’ll post them later…maybe…no promises}
Funny side note: we’d been telling ourselves all along to completely ignore my January 2 “due date” and use the 15th instead. Surely, he’d be out by then. Anything before that was a bonus.
Of course, when the contractions started seeming real–ON the 15th–we rolled our eyes at each other for speaking this date into existence.
But then, true to its pokey nature, my uterus STILL missed our “outside due date” by…2 1/2 hours. Go figure.
Not that any of our speculation mattered one bit. As is always the case, our sweet baby came in the Lord’s perfect timing, and we are just beyond thrilled that he’s here.
I LOVE reading your birth stories. You are such a strong, courageous woman! Congratulations on your bundle of Honor! I’ve been reading your blog for awhile and always come back because of how authentic you are! I wish I could attempt a more natural birth but I’m high risk now (after experiencing post-partum pre-eclampsia and eclampsia with my first baby and also recently experiencing a very complicated miscarriage). I’m hoping to write about my experiences soon. I find it therapeutic! Keep trucking, mama!
I came over from Grace Pattons blog… I loved this birth story! It sounded so similar to mine with my 5th who was born in Dec…. Tons of prodromal labor, almost two weeks late, a quickly ramped up “real part,” a smooth home birth and then the sentiment of “thank God I’m not pregnant any more!” 🙂 I love reading birth stories and remembering my own … I’m always amazed at how that blissful slippery-baby-finally-in-arms moment makes all the I-want-to-die contractions fade into the worth it category. I also loved those great bible passages that you shared. The one that kept going in my head was “The Lord God, who has girded me with strength and made my way safe”! Wow, the strength of birth!
God bless you!
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful birth story, Abbie! I’m so glad you write before the labor/delivery amnesia kicks in, because it is so true to the experience. It made me laugh and cry, and praise God when he answered your prayers for relief! It definitely brought back memories from my own 6 labors/deliveries.
You are such a strong woman! And baby Honor could not be any cuter!
Amanda C
Wonderful story. 1/16/17 sounds fun to say and easy to remember too. Congratulations!
Congrats, Abbie! You are so strong!
Will you tell us how you picked his name? I love it and would love to hear your process in name selection 🙂
Congratulations! I’ve considered home birthing but don’t know of anyone in my area who has had one. All 6 of mine have been in the hospital. He is beautiful and you are one tough momma!
So sweet! I absolutely adore his name. I have been 4ish weeks behind you with all 3 of my pregnancies. . . I am REALLY hopeful this does not mean I have another 4 weeks before I deliver. Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing your birth story- it was actually therapeutic for me to read. my water broke with my first baby about 10 hours before contractions actually started and it was the worst tortuous pain. I was losing my mind and my labor lasted 30 hours with me ending up in the hospital (after a planned home birth). With my second child I was extremely fearful of that kind of pain again and it kept me from progressing and having the kind of birth that I wanted. like you, I also have a ton of prodromal labor and lots of painful starts and stops, so reading that this also happened to you and what you did to combat the pain gives me strength and hope during this third pregnancy of mine. Your description of the pain after your water breaking completely validates how I felt so many years ago – something that was always hard to relate to with other people. Congratulations on your sweet, sweet boy and thank you again for sharing your beautiful story.
Thank you so much for writing this. I’m 32 weeks with our 5th baby. I’ve had two 9 pounders myself!
I have developed such anxiety at the thought of another natural labor. I have sworn off birth message boards and birth stories because it’s become such a source of panic for me. Honor’s birth story however has been a great source of encouragement to me. I think I’ve carried too much pride at my “ability” to have natural deliveries as if I am the source of my own strength. Well, I’ve definitely come back down to earth and realized how vulnerable I really am.
A friend shared a prayer with me that has been really helpful and has done a lot to reduce my anxiety. I love how you said “Lord, this next one is yours. It’s not mine. I can’t do it. Only you can.” I will definitely be remembering and using that! I am starting to feel more encouraged that yes I CAN do this, because Christ and His mother will see me through it like He has every time before. I am not, and never will be, the source of my own strength. It all flows through Him. Thank you for helping to remind me of this!
Congratulations on your sweet little guy!
I love this Carolyn because I’m like that too. I try and stay away from birthing stories because it sends my anxiety thru the roof.
Oh my! Beautiful but wow. So glad Honor is here. My longest labor was 3hr 50 min and my other two were 1 hr 40 and 1hr 30 and relatively pain free (all natural). You’re amazing.
JUST wow and congratulations !