Around 2 AM
I am yet again being woken up by contractions and figure I might as well get up and see how things go. I leave my husband upstairs to sleep, no point waking him if I’m just going to be in bed in a few hours anyway. The contractions are about seven minutes apart.
At three thirty we decide to wake up my husband as they have quickly moved from five minutes apart to three minutes……..this seems to be it. I call my Doula and get everyone going on setup for the pool and just keeping me company. My friend starts insisting we call my midwife, I am reluctant as I don’t want to call her over for another false alarm. Another half an hour will take care of that as they become more intense even if the timing remains the same. She of course is at another birth. My second is off for the weekend so our third will be attending. Lucky for us we met her in the hallway once, at least I have a face. We decide to be safe and have her come assess me. (timing becomes a blur after this) A little while later we get a call from the midwife on her way, now, I am sure this is it. Wonder if we are having a girl or a boy.
When the midwife shows up and assesses I am seven CM. Good thing we called. A little while later the contractions get a little more intense and I know I am in transition, this is when the second midwife is called. For the first time I am having back labour and this is one of those times I am thankful for the Doula, she rubs my back with every contraction leaving my husband free to take care of other things. They had started to fill up the pool and the original plan was to fill it halfway and then do the rest when I am ready, I let them know they better just fill it up.
I head upstairs to pee and have three or four contractions on the way there and back. Stand at the table for three or four more and then feel things are changing and soon I will need to push. I get into the pool and the water calms everything down but I can feel my body starting to change to a need to push. Within three contractions I need to push. My back is awful, it feels like someone has taken a rolling pin and is rolling it on my spine from the inside out. For the first time when a contraction starts I am thinking “Oh God, not yet I need more time.” The Doula tries to rub my back but it makes things worse so she immediately backs off. I have a few seconds rest between contractions, we joke about the state of my unshaven legs. Fortunate for me the baby arrives within a few pushes. They are placed on my belly and I get a few minutes to rest.
I am informed that I am bleeing a little too much so they need me out of the pool fairly soon. OK but is it a boy or girl? Quick check and we have our third boy. The cord is cut by my husband and then they again start encouraging me to get out of the pool. I get to the couch and they assess me again, still a little too muchblood so they ask permission to give me some oxytocin. I am reluctant but when they ask again shortly after I know it must be serious enough to require something so I give th OK. The needle is in quickly after that. It does the trick and the bleeding is controlled quickly.
Baby is checked for breathing and heartbeat. All five fingers and toes are there (that is my check) and they do an overall check of him to ensure he is healthy. I never even see cleanup but know it happened. I have my bloodpressure checked a couple times and bleeding assessed a few times. Within a few hours they are headed out the door. Going to another birth, I hope they manage to get some rest sometime today, but the chances are low.
My son was born at 7:05 AM weighing 9 lbs 5 oz. Our family is complete. I will see my midwife tomorrow. She will see me at home three times this week. I lay on the couch all day talking wiht my husband and children and resting. OK so several phone calls are made to grandparents, aunt/uncles, and friends. Good news is hard to keep quiet.