BirthWise Maternity Care, LC

Gentle Births Happen at Home    

The Birth of Eli

Mother—Eli’s birth was so very different from our first.  We labored at home with Michael then went to the hospital for the actual birth.  I wasn’t what we had hoped so we decided to have Eli at home.  I had strong pre-labor contractions for two weeks.  Then on Friday things finally got more regular and “real”.  We called Heather to let her know we thought things were under way.  Around 1 am things got harder.  We called Heather but decided not to have her come over and I would try to sleep.  Around 3 I got up to use the restroom and took a shower.  Things got harder and harder until the contractions were basically ceaseless—more than just on to of each other, there was no resting.  Thankfully Shane was here and he applied counter pressure and did everything he could to help me relax.  I finally got centered enough that Shane could call Heather and start filling the pool..  While he was doing that, I got in hands and knees position.  It was very intense and painful—more so than with Michael.  Eli kept wiggling and kicking through the contractions, pushing his head and corkscrewing into place.  Then I got the urge to stand.  The contractions got more pushy.  Shane came over around that time and I grabbed him around the neck and hung.  Then I had a overwhelming urge to bear down and my water broke.  We started inching our way to the tub, but we didn’t make it!  I had an intense burning sensation and realized the baby’s head was coming.  I told Shane it was a baby head and he dropped down to catch him.  Then we all sat on the floor together by the tub.  The placenta came out about 20 minutes later, then Heather arrived and helped me into the tub and started cleaning up.  When everyone was here, they cleaned and made my bed and helped me in the shower when I got faint and were so supportive and kind.  They checked Eli out and me out and made sure everything was OK.  We are so happy to have our Eli.  He’s a very, quiet, sleepy little guy and a champion nurser!  Thankyou for believing in us and helping us with our “wait and hurry-up” boy.

 

Father—It was a very rough night, knowing the baby was coming but not having any idea just how long it was going to take.  I tried to rest, but Amanda needed me to be present.  Once we had decided to call Heather, I got the tub inflated and a few more last-minute things.  Then I tried to help Amanda relax.  It wasn’t easy.  It was just so different from how it was with Michael.  And it continued to got more different.  Amanda would ask for back pressure and I’d give it to her, trying to help her through the contractions.  I got frustrated because she wouldn’t tell me when her contraction ended, just told me to push harder when the next one started.  I was loosing feeling in my hands.  It took me a while to figure out that she never told me I could stop because the contractions weren’t stopping.  She hadn’t had contractions one on top of the other until just before Michael was born, but these went on for over an hour and Eli struggled against them.  Finally, Amanda was able to get enough focus to let me call Heather back and fill the tub.  We still hadn’t realized how close we were.  I started filling the tub with hot water, figuring there would be time for it to cool off.  Silly me.  Amanda called me back asking for help standing up.  She did so and her water broke quite dramatically.  We started toward the tub, going very slowly.  We didn't make it.  Half way there, in the doorway, Amanda told me “It’s burning!  It’s burning!”  I didn’t get it even then.  Then she said “HEAD!” so I squatted down and that was when I first saw Eli.  Amanda stood like Sampson, hands against the doorway, and pushed him out with a groan.  I was amazed at how big he seemed.  Every possible thing that could go wrong flashed through my head, but I have never felt calmer.  My body knew what I was there for.  I caught my son and told Amanda that he was breathing and he was a boy.  He soon confirmed the first quite vocally.  We awkwardly managed to get seated by the tub and let each of us know that the others were OK.  Eli seemed to be deeply relieved that the whole experience was over.  The midwives arrived soon after and were wonderful.  They helped Amanda recover and let me just spend time with Eli, letting him know how proud I am of him and his mother.