BirthWise Maternity Care, LC

Gentle Births Happen at Home    

The Birth of Parker

I went into labor around 4:30 pm Sunday the 29th.  I wasn’t for sure that it was “real” labor though I suspected that it was, so we went to dinner at a friend’s house.  We were there a couple of hours and my contractions continued to intensify, so we decided to go home and call Heather.  Once at home I began to feel nauseated and contractions really intensified.  We had called Heather but hadn’t told her to come up yet.  About the time I threw up for the second time, I decided I wanted her here.  So Greg called her and then set up the birthing pool, while I took a hot shower.  That really helped and I stayed in there for a long time.  When I got out my mother and sister had arrived and Heather arrived a little bit after that.  I was in active labor by now and really into my contractions.  They were more intense than I thought they would be, labor was harder than I had thought.  I really wanted to get into the birth pool, but I’d used up all the hot water in my shower and now the hot water heater wasn’t working.  This almost seemed like the end of the world to me because I had my mind so set on it.  Finally our friends who fed us dinner brought over 40 gallons of hot water.  This saved me!  I got in and spent the rest of the time in the pool. Not long after I got in I started pushing.  By then I was impatient and just wanted him out and to be done.  I really started pushing with each contraction, but as I would reach down to feel him it seemed he would never fit!  I was impatient that he wasn’t coming out faster and by that time exhausted.  Finally he came and it almost seemed as though he crowned and shot out, head and body, all at once.  My husband caught him and then I brought him up to my chest.  He started wailing as soon as he came out of the water.  He was so beautiful and I held him close until everyone said “You forgot to look, is it a boy or girl?”  He was a boy!  We got out of the pool right away because it was too cool for him.  We then went and relaxed in our bed as a family..  What a joyful experience.  An hour or two later they weighed him, 8lbs 2oz, 21 inches long and Daddy cut the cord.  We had a great experience and will have our next baby in the same way.