Olivia's Birth Story

(Warning, if you don't like "the details," you won't want to read this post. Also, the "hard" facts in this birth story could be wrong... it happened 7 years ago & a lot has happened since then! smiles!)

Well, Olivia's due date came... and went! Five days after her due date in August 2001, I went for my check up. I was "almost" dilated 1 cm! What? That is basically a midwife being nice! LOL! Almost 1 cm... do you know how small 1 cm is? THEN Amy said we should make an appointment for next week & schedule an ultrasound to check on the baby. I almost died! I never thought I could possibly make it to my due date... much less two weeks AFTER my due date! I left that appointment thinking I would be pregnant forever!

Well, that night I went to bed feeling the same as always... pregnant! Then around 3 a.m. I woke up to use the bathroom (nothing new), but I seemed to lose my plug and had a little bit of a "bloody show." Of course this meant I might go into labor soon... or within days! I woke up Dano to tell him anyway! There shortly after, I KNEW I was in labor. My contractions were HARD and pretty close. We called Amy, from what I remember she told us we could come in or stay at home for a while. I decided to go in around 5:30 a.m., I believe. When we got there I was about 3 cm. Labor progressed pretty quickly. It wasn't horrible. I did have a lot of back labor. Thankfully, Dano was able to push on my back & relieve a lot of that pain. I tried the tub, but with the back labor, it just wasn't comfortable. I found leaning over a slightly deflated birthing ball (AKA exercise ball; balance ball) was most comfortable.

By 11 a.m. I was fully dilated and "ready" to push. Well, I didn't get the overwhelming urge to push you should have. I had the overwhelming urge to be finished! BUT I began pushing! I can't remember if I started on the bed or on the "birthing stool," but I was pushing, and pushing, and pushing... I was pushing so hard I thought my head would explode! When this pain hit, I had the realization that I was trying to push her out on my own instead of letting the contractions do most of the work. I changed what I was doing. I remember after pushing for about an hour, I asked Amy how much longer til she would be born... Amy said she would probably be born within the hour! I remember thinking that was HORRIBLE that I could possibly be doing this for another hour! UGH!

Well, I think it was about 1 more hour before she was born!

When her head was born, Amy was checking for the cord. The cord was not around her neck, but her little hand was up by her neck! The little booger! This was the reason most likely that it took 2 hours to push her out!! Also, this caused a lot of soreness that would last for a while after birth! BUT it was sooooooooooo wonderful to have her out! What an amazing experience! I was able to reach down and pull her out on my own! What an amazing experience. How wonderful to have her on me, to see her! I was so thankful for the experience!

In the end... she was born 6 days after her due date, but my labor was only about 10 hours, start to finish... so that wasn't bad!

The midwives made us an herbal bath and Olivia & I took this nice warm bath after some bonding time and newborn procedures. Then we packed up and went home! I don't remember what time we got home, but we were trying to get there before my father & little brother & sister coming from TN to visit. They didn't even know that Olivia had been born! Just as we pulled up in our garage, they pulled up behind us! Too funny! They were so shocked & overjoyed!

This experience was so wonderful. Amy & the apprentices were so quiet and unobtrusive. Everything was so calm. They'd come & pray over me. They'd check on the baby with a stethescope, so I wasn't "hooked" up to a monitor with cords, etc. I was allowed to move around as I wanted. I was allowed to eat & drink to maintain my energy. The room was just like being in a home. I was so thankful the Lord had led us to this option. The birth was treated like a NORMAL, natural event... not an illness to be cured! In the end, we decided that the only thing that would have been better would be... STAYING AT HOME! So maybe next time... we'd plan a homebirth!!

6 days overdue
Olivia
8# 12 oz