March 4, 2009 I woke very early in the morning thanks to a contraction. I think it was around 4am. I laid there through a few and then got up because I was too uncomfortable. This was to be my first home birth and while I was very comfortable doing this, I was also nervous. We called our midwives pretty early on as my contractions were less than 10 minutes apart.
I know they came before breakfast, but exactly what time I don't remember. They didn't stay long as they could tell I had a long ways to go still. They encouraged me to eat, drink lots of water, and go for walks. And then they left for a while.
We were living in Oregon at the time, so it was wet, cold, and rainy. And I was in pain. Even in between contractions, the pain didn't really let up.
They came back after lunch I think and knew it was true labor so they checked on Baby and I several times and encouraged me to get some movement in. With the amount of pain I was in, I didn't want to move. They finally used a mama voice on me so off I went on a walk.
Our house was a split level house so I had to go down a flight of stairs to get outside. That was fun. HA! We lived at the top of the road and while it wasn't a big hill, when in labor it was a mountain. I got down to the end of our part of the street, a whopping two houses, and said I was done. Turned around and made the long, arduous trek back up the mountain and up the flight of stairs to get to my house. My midwives weren't too thrilled that I was gone all of ten minutes. If that. Upon talking to me they realized I just couldn't handle walking so that was the end of that. 😄
I watched a *lot* of Road to Avonlea that day. Abigail spent the day with my momma and youngest sister who had flown out for the birth. They were flying home in just a few days so they were very pleased I finally "decided" to go into labor. Felicity sure took her time in coming and almost made them miss meeting her! Lil SnickerPickle. Oy.
As evening approached things started to pick up. With Abigail my water "had" to be broken around 7pm so "that Baby would come". I asked about when that was going to happen and to my total shock I was told it wasn't needed. That babies are born all the time without your water breaking. I had no idea!! I was basically told that if we hadn't broken my water with Abigail, baby wasn't going to come. *rolls eyes*
With Abigail my water was broken at 7pm and she was born at 9:07pm.
With Felicity, they didn't intervene at all and she was born at 9:09pm. 😊
It felt like a forever-long-labor, but really it was just 16 hours. (felt like 52!) Right after she was born she was placed in my arms and the midwives kept an eye on me and Felicity, but they didn't do much. Very hands off so I could just bond with my baby. My placenta was born just few minutes after Felicity and once my bleeding was stable, they left the room. We got to enjoy our new baby in peace. No poking, prodding, demanding I do anything or don't do things with Baby, just enjoying our baby and letting her nurse whenever she was ready.
A couple hours after she was born the midwives got me up, helped me shower while another put clean bedding down and spruced the bedroom up. Once I was all comfortable they offered both Dad and I food and drink, then once again left us. They headed home about 4 hours after Felicity was born and we slept. Well, dad slept. I was still on a high and mostly just laid there staring at my baby. I did sleep some.
I couldn't wait for Abigail to meet her baby sister!! Pretty sure we woke her early because I couldn't wait any longer.
It was so wonderful having my momma be there for my birth. In all of my labors I get to a point where I just want my momma. My last birth was #11 and I was almost 41 and I still did that. I think I called her or was just texting. Either way, she was there for me. 💕
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