Natural Birthcenter Birth

by Nicole
(Athens, TN, USA)

I was 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant, and feeling very depressed and anxious! My first son had came at 38+6 and I thought this baby should be here by now! Little did I know, I was going to get my wish!

At about 11:30pm on the 7th - just after laying down to go to sleep - I began having pains in my lower stomach. I thought that I needed to use the bathroom, so I climbed out of bed and headed to the toilet.

While in the bathroom, my legs began having sharp pains shoot through my thighs along with the cramps. Since my legs had been cramping a lot lately, I never thought anything of it.

I got into the bath to try to ease my stomach and legs. It seemed to work and since the pains were irregular, I never thought that I was in labor.

Considering it was going on midnight, I didn't want to call and wake the midwife for a false alarm, so I headed back to bed.

After tossing and turning for about 5 minutes, I decided that I couldn't just lay there, so I got up and began walking in the dark around my bedroom so as not to wake my husband.

I was having to moan through the contractions.

I went through 10 - 15 minutes of contractions before going into the living room where my cousin was on the couch.

She jumped up and said that we needed to call the midwife. I squatted by the couch and said that I wanted my mom!

I felt that since my mom had been there when I had my first baby that she would know what I would want and how to help me through this labor as well.

I called her at my grandma's house - where my mom stays - and asked if I could talk with her. My grandmother started yelling at my mom and I could tell that she was nervous.

My mom got on the phone and I told her I needed her.

About the time she had began to understand what I was saying, I got another contractions and began moaning. I handed the phone to my cousin, but I could hear my mom say: "I'm on my way!" She knew what that sound was!

Next, we had to call the midwife! She asked a few questions and then told me to come straight to the birth center and that she would meet us there in 30 minutes.

I got David out of bed and my cousin said that she would stay with our toddler.

My mom arrived as we were loading things into the truck. I was having contractions outside and having to lean over the car hood to deal with them.

We barely left the house when the midwife called and asked where we were. She told my husband to tell me not to push and to get there as soon as possible!

When we arrived at 2:00am, Jill checked me and said that I was between 5-6 cm. I was so excited that it was going by so fast!

She told me to pick a room and that she would fill the labor pool.

After about an hour of labor, things started to really pick up!

I asked to be checked again and was disapointed to hear that I was only at 7cm.

I began taking deep breaths and trying to keep my body calm and relax as much as possible. The pains in my back and legs were so strong that I couldn't feel anything in my stomach anymore!

I kept yelling at my husband and mom to rub harder. One was rubbing my back, and the other was trying to rub my legs.

I could feel the baby dropping lower and really putting pressure on my cervix, but I was so tired that I couldn't think of anything except trying to get some rest. So I laid onto the bed on my right side and closed my eyes.

My mom was rubbing my back, the midwife was rubbing lotion on my legs, and my husband was rubbing my neck and shoulders.

I would have a long period without a contraction, followed by several contractions in a row. I had about 3 of these before I jumped up and said "I can't lay here anymore!"

I was squatting on the bed leaning on a birthing ball at that time.

I had a contraction or two and decided that I had to push. The midwife checked and said my cervix wasn't ready, but all I could say is that it burnt so good! :)

I pushed through 3 or 4 contractions when I felt my water burst.

A few more pushes and the baby was crowning. I began feeling a burning in the front and the midwife told me to lay back on the bed and it would stop.

I fell backward and reached between my legs to feel my baby's head! That gave me everything I needed to finish the job! Three more pushes and my husband caught our second son and placed him on my chest!

When the cord stopped pulsating it was clamped and cut.

Baby Zaydon was born at 4:35am on April 8th 2009. He weighed in at 8lbs 1oz and was 21 inches long. My labor was only 5 hours and 5 minutes, start to finish.

Zaydon took right up with breast-feeding and is still doing great with it!