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| our birth team: Karen Dobbins(midwife assisting), Denise Perez (my doula), Quincy Bates (my midwife) |
A month before Joseph was due I had an awful appointment with my OB consisting mainly of them trying to convince me to schedule a c-section. It was very disturbing and yet I was weeks away from giving birth. I felt strongly impressed that I shouldn't have the baby with this doctor (the only one my insurance covers) Looking for other options we called a licensed midwife I had talked to earlier on in my pregnancy, Quincy Bates. I really liked her and her respect for letting us have the birth experience we wanted (and for taking us on so late in the pregnancy).
On Thursday Oct. 27th I was 39 weeks pregnant. I knew I was at least 80% effaced and 4 cm dilated as I had been 2 weeks prior (the last time I'd been checked). We had a full day planned. Julia and I went to the library and then to school to lunch with the kiddos and drop off bean bags I'd made the night before for the Fall Carnival. At 11:20am while at school Stan called to see if he could go running without his phone. I gave him the all clear since nothing was happening and then left school at noon.
When I got home I was feeling awful-no contractions, but really crampy, tons of pressure, loose bowels, and I had bloody show. I called my midwife and doula and they got ready to come over. Meanwhile Stan was still away from his phone. I did not want to have this baby alone and was grateful when Denise Perez (my doula) arrived. She started prepping the pool for the water birth and it was just a comfort to have an adult in the house. (My friend came and picked up Julia).
Soon the contractions were coming and really powerful and hard to handle which was frustrating since Julia's birth had been pain free. I can't say that about Joseph's. Finally Stan arrived about 1:20 and Quincy shortly afterwards. I labored on a birthing ball with Denise using oils and a vibrating massager on my low back and I held onto Stan or Quincy's shirt and rested the crown of my head onto their bellies.
Finally the pool was ready (Quincy thought the whole time we wouldn't have time for it). When I stood up to walk to the pool I lost the rest of my mucus plug AND my water broke. Quincy had set up a birthing stool just in case that I quickly sat down on. It was 2:00 pm, only 1 hour and forty minutes into the labor, and I felt a desire to immediately start pushing. Stan kept asking if I wanted to get in the tub. "No." I said, "we're having this baby right now. Stop talking."
The pushing phase was really quick (7 min), the hardest part was not pushing as his head was crowning, necessary to avoid perineal tearing. I rested once his head was out, waiting for another urge to push; his body naturally turned allowing his shoulders to fit and with the next contraction Joseph Teancum was born at 2:07 pm.
The labor was so fast that he hadn't fully cleared his lungs, so Quincy and her assistant Karen Dobbins, after letting me hold him briefly, cleared his lungs so he could breathe better. We waited for the cord to stop pulsing then Stan cut the cord. Then I delivered the placenta. They assisted me to my own bed where I rested with my Joseph Teancum and Stan by my side. It was so fast I was still amazed that we'd already had him. He was so big and had that wonderful dark hair my babies are born with. He didn't want to open his eyes or nurse at first, he was still adjusting to our world.
Eventually the midwives and Denise assisted me to get a shower and then we weighed and measured Joseph- 8lb 9 oz; 22 in long.
It was a wonderful, special time and we felt so close to our Heavenly Father. That He was watching over and loving us. I'm grateful to have had the experience of a home birth even if it wasn't the water birth we had thought we were going to have. Doing something natural and beautiful as birth is in my own home was empowering and special. I'm so grateful that Joseph Teancum joined our family and that he is healthy and strong. We love our boy and the labor that brought him into our home and family.
