What a day!
Little baby Clark, whom I like to call Sweet-Apple Baby Pie,
came rushing into the world with no time to spare! I awoke around 5 am to use
the bathroom. I laid back down and just laid awake thinking about whatever. I
couldn’t fall back asleep very quickly. At 5:45 am, I got my phone out and read
and responded to a message from my sister, Tennille. I noted that my abdomen
felt a little sore.
Thinking that I was hungry, and not falling back asleep, I
might as well get up and get some breakfast. I got up and went down stairs. I
was in no hurry. I made myself a bean, egg and cheese burrito and sat down in
the dining room and ate it. I still felt wide awake, so I got out some fabric
and the pattern Emily Hoem had helped me tweak the night before, laid it out
and contemplated cutting it.
Meanwhile, I had noted that I had started to feel
contractions, though very lightly, every time I stood up to get something. Many
of the contractions I had had over the last 3 months were infinitely stronger
than these, so I couldn’t imagine they were actually early labor—even though
they seemed to be somewhat regular. I decided, just out of curiosity, to track
them on an online tracker while I was working on my sewing. I started timing
them at 6:17 am, but again, they were minor, so I didn’t think that much of the
first couple. I did, however, think about calling the midwives at the Birth
Center, however, I know they like you to have regular contractions for an
hour. By the time I thought to call
them, it had only been 15 minutes of regular, light contractions and it was in
the 6 am hour. I didn’t want to wake anyone unnecessarily and have them tell me
to call back in an hour, so, I decided not to call.
Back to sewing… I couldn’t quite decide how I wanted to cut
out the fabric without checking measurements on Xavier first. On one hand, I
said, “Oh! Just cut it. If it doesn’t come out perfectly, I will blame it on
being in labor (I think). On the other hand, I didn’t want to screw it up.
I kept thinking Spencer would awake soon to go to work. I
wanted him to get up at this point, but he wasn’t. As I had had a couple
stronger contractions I debated about waking him up. I decided to head up the
stairs to wake him, but knew that contractions seemed much stronger if I was
moving, then if I was just sitting still. So, I decided to just go as fast as I
could, and let him take care of calling the birth center. When reaching the top
of the stairs I felt a strong contraction coming on; I made it to the door way
and held myself up in it. It was the strongest contraction yet. I tapped
lightly on the door through the whole thing, though Spencer never awoke. After
the contraction finished, I came into the room and said firmly, “Spencer! It’s
time to get up! We are going to have a baby today.”
I had a contraction at the bedside and used the mantra, “My
body is so powerful! My body is so powerful!”. I had another contraction on the
toilet and thought to myself, “I should weigh myself.” Then I had another
contraction on the rocking chair (that was so painful, I couldn’t stay there). Meanwhile,
Spencer put Hypnobabies, “Birthday Day affirmations” on on his iPOD and put the
headphones on me. I laid on the floor (because the bed was covered in birth
center bag stuff). I had 2 more contractions. I laid there thinking, “wow. This
is intense so quickly. I don’t know that I can do several more hours of this. I
think I am going to throw up. I don’t know that I want to OPEN, we aren’t at
the birth center yet.” I stroked the carpet gently through each of the 2
contractions as well as blowing through my lips. I felt like a bird making low
chirping sounds. Clementine hung her head over the edge of our bed, and watched
me labor with an intrigued smile on her face.
After these two contractions I knew I had to get to the
bathroom. I had to go! Spencer helped me up and get to the bathroom. I sat
down. This is where I was the most comfortable. He told me he was going to the
car to switch out the car seats and get Emily from downstairs. I knew it needed
to be done, and was fine with it, but as he turned to leave and them looked
back at me I said in desperation, “Please don’t leave me.”
He came back and held me with one arm while he held
Clementine on his hip with the other (I think?) while I had another contraction.
This one thundered through my body with such force, I could not stop from
pushing. I stood up from the toilet, leaning back a little, and exclaimed, “I
can’t stop pushing! I can’t stop pushing!” It was a huge push that lasted the
length of the contraction. I was a bit in disbelief that I could actually be
ready to push. I felt down for the baby, but didn’t really know. I expected
Spencer to look and say all was fine, we will get into the car and all will be
fine. –But that was not the conversation. Spencer looked down and then back at
me with soothing, confident, direct eye contact and said, “We are going to have
this baby here. Everything will be fine.” I didn’t have time to fear. I pushed
again and out came the head, and another quick push helped the rest of the baby
slide out into Spencer’s hands and right onto my chest.
Spencer was instructed by the mid-wives at Special Beginnings
to find a string to tie off the umbilical cord and call 911 to transport us to
the hospital to check that all is okay with baby and me. Spencer called the paramedics and while he
was on the phone with them, I delivered the placenta. I cuddled Sweet Apple to
my body with a towel over his back to keep him warm. He cried and cried. He
looked and sounded so great! His lungs were clear, his color was great. He was “pink”
from the beginning. Clementine came in and saw me holding the baby and pointed
out, “The baby’s crying. Maybe he wants mama milk?” It was so so sweet! Xavier
also woke up and came to see what was going on. He saw the baby on my chest and
both kids showed excitement about the baby being here. It was a sweet moment. I
only wish that Spencer could have been more a part of the moment rather than
being on the phone with the paramedics—but I understand that the dispatcher
wants to keep you on the phone until paramedics arrive.
Anyway, the paramedics came, Xavier got the door. They came
upstairs and clamped the cord. Spencer, with their help, cut the umbilical
cord.
He is pure sweetness—all 8lbs 13.4ozs of him!
Timeline log, taken from emails sent to Spencer when he was sleeping:
5:43 am – Been laying for 30 minutes. Can’t go back to
sleep.
5:45 am – respond to txt from Tennille
5:59 am – I’m considering if the light pain in my abdomen
will go away with food.
6:02 am – Email Spencer, “It's like, one mild contraction
after another.”
6:10 am – Email, “Ok. More intensity. This may be it.”
6:23 am – Email, “K. Time for you to get up.
This is it.”
6:33 am – Email, “I need you NOW!” (and I came upstairs to
get him.”
7:11 Baby born.
7:55 Ambulance leaves. Traffic sucks.
8:06 First latch ( at Four Corners)
7:55 Ambulance leaves. Traffic sucks.
8:06 First latch ( at Four Corners)
Simply perfect! Now to pick out the perfect name…
