As I sit here and type and watch my little one nurse I marvel that it has only been six short weeks since he joined our family. It feels like I have always known him and I can't imagine what my life was like before he was born. As a tribute to him I thought I would share his birth story.
It was a record short birth for me. I had prodromal labour for more then a week, but those contractions were painless, and nonprogressive. On Thursday morning I woke up and had a contraction that was distinctly different. Subconsciously I knew that was it but as I had been having contractions for so long already I didn't want to cry wolf. Plus Sanjay had just recieved 2 free tickets to the Aerosmith/Lenny Kravitz concert for that night and I really didn't want him to miss it on my account, so I kept quiet. I had contractions all morning that were neither painful nor disruptive , but they were intense and they were consistent. They also progressed in a timely fashion which was a new development for my labours. I puttered around the house most of the morning doing more unpacking and general everyday things. The girls had lunch and then were shooed downstairs to play. at 2PM I decided that this was happening for certain. The contractions were about 7 minutes apart, still not painful, but definately caught my breath when they happened. I called my Dad and told him he should come get the girls, they required more attention then I could now afford to give them. I also called Marla and told her that I was in labour. She decided to skip out of the last 45 minutes of her meeting and come to the house to drop off some birthing supplies (read..the birthing pool!). I packed over night bags for the girls and both Marla and Dad showed up at 2:45. The contractions were now about 5 minutes apart and were increasing in intensity only, I could still talk through them mostly. After observing me for awhile Marla said I was coping well and she was going to run home to change and grab the rest of her stuff (she only lives about 10 minutes away). Left in the house alone I was able to start really concentrating on the contractions. Sanjay as per usual, started nesting. Cleaning up random areas and just leaving me to my thing. At 3:30 we made a few phone calls to friends and family telling them that this was it..we were having a baby and please don't phone. We would call them later that evening after baby was born. At ten minutes to four I told Sanjay that his cleaning period was over, I needed him with me. The contractions had changed quickly and were now 2-3 minutes apart and painful. I spent the next 10 minutes leaned up against him, moaning low through each contraction talking softly to him in between. Marla arrived at some point and offered to check my progress. I declined the internal, not wanting to disrupt my mental state. ( I couldn't bear the thought of being told I was only at x number of cms with x amount to go) I didn't care to know, I knew my body was progressing and didn't need numbers to tell me that.
I had a very intense contraction at 4:03 that broke my water. I knew the birthing pool was still frozen (it had been in Marla's trunk!) but I needed to get into water. So I announced I was going up to the shower. Sanjay got the shower on and helped me get in and then went to change to get in with me. While he was gone I had a coherent thought. Our hot water tank was not big enough to support my hot shower and then fill the birthing pool. So with one foot I managed to knock the stopper off the side of the tub and wedge it in to place. Sanjay joined me and applied pressure to my low back. Marla followed him and told me she needed to check to see how far I was. She checked me, while I stood there with the shower curtain open, getting rained on and announced that I was fully dilated with only a slight anterior rim. I was still in denial that it was happening that fast and was thinking that if it was this painful now I was never going to make it to that night!! LOL Marla told me that her second attendant was 20 minutes away and was not going to make it, she had to phone 911. I agreed, whatever at that point, as long as they didn't make me leave the comfort of my shower. She ran down stairs, still on the phone, to unlock the door for whenever EMS would show up. I dropped to my knees in the shower and allowed the hot bath water to envelop me. I had my 4th contraction since my water broke and felt the baby drop, the pressure was surprising, this baby was going to come with no help from me at all. I screamed for Marla "This baby is coming NOW" and as I said it I flipped over to a seated position. Sanjay sitting on the opposite side of the tub remarked "Holy Crap...There's the head" I looked down and sure enough I could see the top of my baby's head, mounds of thick dark chicken fluff..hair like my girls had! Marla came running back to the bathroom and with the next contraction the rest of his head was birthed. (I think she turned off the shower at one point too!) I was seated with my back in the corner between the wall and the taps, my body twisted length wise down the tub. We waited for the next contraction...but nothing happened.
"Marla this isn't so comfortable get him out", "He's never coming, get him out", "Something's wrong get him out", and to each of my comments she would smile and say "He's coming, He's fine" Finally what seemed like an eternity later, but probably only about 40 seconds, Marla suggested I stand up. I remember specifically looking at her as though she were insane, and then realizing that the baby probably was stuck because my body was twisted. Sanjay was over me with his arms around my shoulders trying to haul me to my feet. I had barely gotten my feet underneath me when without a contraction at all the baby literally fell out. I sat down again instantly and Marla put him on my chest. He was limp and purple and I started rubbing his back quite vigorously and talking quietly in his ear. Marla disapeared around the corner to turn the suction on and brought the tube over to suction his mouth. It was several seconds before he made a squawk, and that was all there was, one little squawk, and he started breathing. She suctioned him again because he seemed to be straining for breath.
It was 4:16!!! I had been in the shower for just over 10 minutes.
The paramedics showed up! And stayed around long enough to make sure I didn't hemmorage, take a peak at the new baby, and wish me congratulations. I was comfortable and in my own bed by 4:30, calling family and friends with the wonderful news.
Sebastian Lee weighed in at 8lbs4oz. and was 21 inches long!
Sanjay made it to the concert after all, and I had guests to keep me company until he returned.
