Birth Story of Jesse Seth - Part Two

The next several hours were very uneventful. Well, for everyone but me! The children all went to bed; midwife and assistant took turns resting and checking heartbeat; even Dale was able to lay down and sleep for about an hour.  Me? I switched positions between the pool, the bed edge, the stool, and the bathroom in my little space...

I did rest and almost sleep for a bit on the bed around midnight I think.  Then there were many times in the tub I dozed off between contractions.  Overall, it was just hard contraction after hard contraction almost on top of each other for hours and hours.  It was exhausting and yet I never felt discouraged or anxious.  My midwife was so supportive and encouraging- Telling me I was doing amazing when I sure didn't feel it!  

I need to check on these times but somewhere around 6am Sunday morning, I asked to be checked again. I was having slight bearing down urges during some of the contractions but it still was not to where my body was ready to fully push.  I was relieved to hear fully effaced but confused to hear there was an anterior lip of the cervix that was not dilating.  I had no idea what that really meant and had never experienced it before.  They explained that basically the baby's head position was not allowing pressure against that part of the cervix and therefore it was not dilating out of the way and allowing the baby to slide into the birth canal.  Oookaayyy... Now what?!

Well, the answer was to physically hold the lip out of the way while I pushed his head past the cervix and down the birth canal.  Um. It is important to interject here that I had never actively pushed for any of my other births.  I had always waited until my body did it on its own and all my babies were born within just an involuntary push or two.  I had intended to let the same happen this time as that is the ideal way to birth.   So when I was told to push when I didn't feel that overwhelming bearing down urge, I had no idea what to do!

And that sets up the next four hours of labor...

My midwife lay on the bed or floor near me, manually holding the cervix aside waiting for a contraction so I could push with it.  I remember her having to switch arms because her arms and hands were falling asleep on several occasions but she had to be quick as every time she let go, the cervix would go back again! She continually encouraged me through contractions, helping to feel where to focus my efforts.  She and her assistant coached me on how to push this way. Things like putting my chin on my chest and relaxing my bottom into the bed/ground as I pushed.  I felt like I had no idea what I was doing and at this point I was so exhausted I needed to be reminded of most everything I know as a multi-birthed Mama and Doula.  Thankfully controlled breathing continued to come easy and I didn't cry! I knew if I started crying I would give up and not be able to regain my control.  

Somewhere around the middle of this time frame my water (finally) broke.  All over my poor midwife who was of course laying in just the right place to be almost bathed in it! The fluid was blessedly clear and there was no cord in the way.  All the important things to pay attention to were still right where they should be.  Baby's heart beat never dropped below the 120-130's to my knowledge which means he was managing labor just fine and oblivious to all I was going through to bring him into the world.

(Note to interject... I had been taking large doses of Vitamin C -about 8,000mg daily- to help strengthen my amniotic sac and prevent premature breakage. In truth I was hoping for a baby born in the Caul (water sac).  There were several times during the night that I was very upset with myself for doing so as it obviously made a difference.  In my head I thought 'if my water would break it would help to speed things along!'.  It wasnt until much later that I realized how even this small detail was Gods hand of protection on my baby.  Had my water broken earlier, it likely would have stressed the baby and who knows what that would have led to.  I remember my midwife reminding me that it was all happening as it was for a reason.  She was so right!)  

I am guessing it was around 9am when I began to notice longer pauses between contractions and a bit more clarity to my surroundings and thoughts.  I still don't know if something had changed or if my body was just so exhausted that it was slowing down.  I do remember the passing concern that if the contractions weakened, it would not be a good thing.  They were giving me 'energizing' tinctures and homeopathy pistules which had been helping but I was just plain tired.  I know I have never sweat so much in my entire life!

Everyone else could see my exhaustion as well and I remember Dale asking the midwife if there was a point where we would just have to go to the hospital.  My midwife said that was totally our call and she would never question our decision to go.  Dale or I simply had to say the word and she would make that happen.  No one asked me what I thought but in my head I was totally torn for the first time.  I felt discouragement entering.  It was then I realized that both my midwife and her assistant were praying for me and the baby.  Then I heard Dale in my own ear telling me I could do this.  At that moment, I knew again that I wanted to do it and could do it if God gave me the strength.  I prayed desperately that Gods will alone would prevail in however the birth ended and I was prepared for whatever direction He took me.  

To be continued... (just one more time, I promise!)...