After having 3 days of contractions I woke up Thursday morning on my Due date with NO contractions. They had completely stopped! I was very dissapointed. I also woke up with a cold sore on my tounge and felt like I was getting the flu, my gland on the right side of my throat was swollen from the chin down. I couldn't swallow and felt hoorible. I thought there is no way I am going into labor feeling this bad. So after Walter took the girls too school I found the energy to get up and get dressed and go to Urgent Care. I knew I needed a priscription refill on my Acyclovior (for cold sores) but I had to have a Dr. do it. So I waited for 2 hours feeling horrible! Ironically the baby story was being played in the waiting room and I REALLY did not want to watch it. So I sat in a corner where I couldn't see the T.V. when I finally got called back the Dr. took a glance at me and prescribed amoxillion. I said" Is this okay being pregnant?" He said "Oh Yeah" and walked out. I then began to think about how much I have learned through out this pregnancy and how annoyed I am at Doctors that make quick judgments and prescribe medications without a second thought. I knew leaving the office I was NOT getting that prescription filled. Why would I go through the entire pregnancy drug free then take a drug that I knew I didnt even need to begin with on the day I am due!? I left frustrated and realized I need to get something to eat, considering I couldn't swallow I stopped and got a Large strawberry and Bannana Protein Shake with extra Protein! It was awesome and made me feel soo... much better! (another thing that I had learned through this pregnancy is how important protein is)
When I got home Walter and I left for my Prenatal Appointment. I made the appointment on my due date hoping that I would have already had him by now. This was one of the three visits that I had at Dr.bowen's office. I enjoyed driving out to the appointments with Walter. They were an hour drive there usually took about and hour, and then an hour drive back. That was 3 hours that I got to spend with my Baluga all by myself. And just like every other time we drove out there we again got lost! Walter put the wrong address in the GPS and we were a couple miles away from the girls dentist in Mason insted of being in Springfeild! I was so furious! I thought there is no way we are missing this appointment! And how in the world could he have gotten the addresses mixed up!? Once I realized he was going to get us there in time, we laughed about the mistake. Thats what is so wonderful about us, we can be so mad about stressful situations but can turn it around and in a second and laugh.
At the visit we didn't wait long until they took is back. My blood pressure was again a little high for me. 122/88, this usually means labor is somewhere soon, but considering I had NO contractions I figured no way. We had to wait a minute for Dr. Bowen because he was in a delivery. They started us on a stress test machine to check the baby. The nurses there were so nice! She brought me a pillow, a glass of water, and a few pieces of licorice (sugar to help the baby move). Walter cracked me up looking at diagrams of STD's on vaginias. He was always causing trouble at prenatals even with the girls, but it always made the visits better. Dr.Wahl came in to ask some questions before Dr. Bowen showed up. He then said "Do you have any questions for me?" Walter said "yeah, can you ahh strip her membranes?" I just laughed because I didn't really think it was an option. Dr. Wahl said"Is that something you want?" I said "I think Ineed to wait and talk to Sora and Dr. Bowen first." He said "Okay, call her" I was shocked! So I did, by this time Dr. Bowen walked in, So I have Dr. Bowen, Dr.Wahl, and Walter staring at me on the phone with Sora, while I was laying on the table. Sora said" Polly you have had a rough week and I would completely undrstand if this was something you wanted to do." She also explained what might happen like the water could break and I would be on a time limit of how long I had to have the baby, or that my contractions coulld be REALLY bad. So of corse I decided to strip the membranes. Dr. Wahl said not to scare the other patients don't the hall, I thought he was joking, but he wasn't! I held Walter's hand and closed my eyes and squealed loud!!! It hurt so bad! I thought "Oh my if I can't handle this, how in the world am I going to be able to handle Labor?" We left the office that day hoping it would be the last appointment. Everyone in the office was so nice. We only had 3 visits and they all knew exactly who we were. I kept thinking of how the drive was well worth it.
We left the office and even though I had no contractions God was telling me it was coming soon. We had Lindsay have all the kids picked up early and Lindsay cleared all the toys out of the Playroom by herself and ready for Walter to set up the birth tub. I knew I needed rest so I tried to sleep when I got home, but the girls were all over the place. Walter fed them and bathed them and sent them out with Julia for the eveing. She took them to see my Parents in New Richmond and feed the ducks. They came back past their bedtime and went straight to sleep. We tried to sleep, but couldn't fall asleep until 12:00am. Before we went to bed I had Walter move the glider in our bedroom because I thought I could get him to rock down with the cramping that I was feeling.
2:00am I woke up with 2-3 strong contractions, they had to be at least 23 minutues apart, but I still wasn't 100% for sure this was it. I got up and rocked on the glider to see if it would help. At 2:50am I decided to wake up Walter. Josslin had heard me wimpering and woke up crying. I said "Walter please get up, help Josslin, and go set up the pool" After he took care of Josslin he came back in and said "Are you sure because it takes me 3 hours to set the playroom up!" I began to get really frustrated and said " I don't know if this is it, but I don't know what else to do! I have to get in the tub and try to move him down." Earlier that day the Doctor had said his head was in front of my cervix. Sora explained to me that meant he needed to shift and be lined up with the birth canal before he could come out. So that is what I was determined to help him with. I tried helping Walter get the room ready, but just taking a few steps made me have another contraction. I soon began to have contractions every 2-5 minutes, then they began to run together where I couldn't even tell when they stopped and began. I called Maddie and asked her to come. I then had Walter call Sora because I had no idea how to time my contractions. I tried to talk to her, but it hurt to bad so I gave the phone to Walter. She explained to Walter that my uterus was working overtime and taking up all my calcuim so therefore I needed to take 2 tablespoons of Calcuim Magneisum to slow down the contractions... well as soon as I heard 'Slow Down Contractions' I thought NO WAY! I was not even about to slow down what could FINALLY be labor. She also said that by getting in the tub it would help the contractions become more steady. I remember sitting in the glider that Walter moved into the Playroom with the tub, I loved smelling the disinficatant spray that he had just sprayed the room down with. I said one last serious prayer to God. I asked for strength to get me through what was about to come.
3:45am I then moved to the tub. Maddie helped me get in and I doubted myself for a minute that I was goiong to be able to get my leg over the tub. I got in the water and I could feel the contractions becoming more clearer. I had Maddie and Walter time my contractions for me on a website on the computer. I also decided at this time that the labor was not going away so Calcium Magnesium sounded nice.
4:00am-5:30am I have no clue how I got through those two hours, nor where they went. The candles were so soothing in the window. Maddie read scriptures and prayers that my Blessingway friends had given me. In and out of contractions it kept reminding me why I chose to give birth this way and gave me strength to do so. As th contractions got closer Maddie started reading less and less.
5:45am- The contractions had been 4 min. apart for sometime and lasting 2 min. I made Walter call back Sora. She had us go on speaaker phone and listened to my next contractions. She told me to relax, and take 2 more tablespoons of Calcuim Magnesium. She said she would come and try to help me relax with the contractions, but there was a chance my labor may delay and she will have to go and come back. From that point on I felt the need to pray every time I had a contraction. I was so afraid that he was going to come out when Sora wasn't there. I had to trust God to not worry and allow my body to relax. All I kept thinking about was "Don't worry...don't worry..." I kept making myself remember that I was puting my body in his hands.
5:45am-7:15am Between these hours, I have no clue where the time went. I remember hanging over the tub getting close with Walter, it was the only thing that helped. Maddie continued to play meditation music and of corse Holly Spears :) I seemed to be in another world. My main goal was to remember to breath and if I got that down I tried to relax my body. At this time Maddie made phone calls to everyone to let them know labor had begun. It was a huge relied to know I was about to receive even more strength, because all the ladies from the Blessingway would be praying for me. I waited for Sora to arrive. I decided also that I wanted my Dad to come with my Mom. Everytime I am really sick I think about how when I was little my Dad would comfort me, he would have me think of different stuff to make me feel better. I could hear my Dad's voice as I was going through the pain even though he wasn't even there yet. So I knew I wanted him to come. When my Mom showed up she comforted me like she did was I was little girl and sick. She really surprised me how she went out of character by not trying to talk me through the pain, but just did exactly what I needed her to do. Courtney was also called and seemed silently shocked the entire time. It was so wonderful to have my Mom and Dad there, Courtney to hod my hand and my sister knowing exactly what to do for me. I think its a sister thing, but I can communicate with her without even saying anything and that is a really good thing when you are in so much pain you can not even communicate. Oh and Walter!...
7:15am The sun was coming up and Sora arrived. I decided I wanted Walter in the pool right away. As soon as he got in he was not getting out. And even though he had just used the restroom before he got in, somewhow he ended up having to pee really bad towards the end of the labor, but I wasn't letting him go anywhere! It was so nice to be able to cuddle with him and be comforted by him in ways I would not have been able to in the hospital. The contrctions got stronger and closer, but by this point I didn't even realize the sun had come up. The music had stopped playing and I was in another world.
8:00am Sora said she wanted to check and see what the contractions were doing. I was in so much pain I had to have someone hold my legs up so Sora could check. I was 8 cm! That really didn't mean anything to me, I had no idea hoe much longer I had to go and I didn't want to think about it. Sora said I could push when I was ready. I was a little scared but was desperate to try anything. I started pushing on the next contractions and didn't stop for the next almost hour.
Close to 8:40am I don't know any other way to put it besides, I felt like I was pushing the inside of my butt out! Sora kept telling me thats what it was suppose to feel like, but I still doubted her. I even had her and Walter check because I thought a freaak accident was about to happen. I had moved forward to a squatting position then to my knees. Sora had shown Walter how to rub my back. Maddie and Courtney were getting their hands smashed, and my Mom was wetting me down with a cold rag. I had great support! Since I had moved to my knees my rear end was practically right in Walter's face. So I decided to trust him and Sora when they said my insides were not coming out. So I gave it all my might and pushed! I put my hand s down and felt a little bit of his head. I continued to push and felt the ring of fire!! That was the sign it was torwards the end and that was the part I was scared of the most. I didn't get him out on that push. Sora kept saying "Put your hand down there and feel his head Polly." I kept saying "No" I didn't want to move. But I changed my mind...
8:40am Friday, September 24 I decided to put my hand down and I felt his beautiful head. It fit perfectly in my hand. I kept pushing and in seconds he slithered on out into my arms! I pulled him up out of the water and my first relaxed words were "Thank God!" Now most people say that phrase not really meaning what they are saying, but I did!
I soon realized it was light out! It was such a beautiful morning, a wonderful temperature and wonderful sunrise. I moved to the glider with Walter and Sora's help. I held Jameson until it was time to deliver the Placenta. I stood up and delivered it into a large mixing bowl. I continued to hold Jameson and after sitting up for a minute we went to the bathroom where I sat on the toliet with Jameson until our herbal bath was ready. While we were in the bathroom we had people running every which way cleaning up the house and preparing for us to get out of the tub. it was so wonderful!!! If you think you have good care in the hospital it is nothing like having three woman in your house caring for you, talking to you, supporting you, and celebrating with you.
come back and read more about my experiance...
