My water broke on Monday Dec. 14th. I was getting up to go to Target to finish shopping for the baby's room and as I was walking to the bathroom, my water broke! I called my midwife and was told it could take up to 24 hours for labor to start. I was also told to stay home and wait, no more trips to Target. Little did I know what I was in for.
It would take 60 hrs for my daughter to be born.
I had many stops and starts to my labor. It wasn't until Dec 17th at like 1am that active labor really started. Boy did it start. I had horrible back labor! I could feel the pain in my back and it seemed that nothing would make it feel better. Because I had so many stops and starts, I had Ray wait until about 3am to call the midwife. She came to our house around 4am and had Ray get the birth pool to the right temperature. Once I had approval, I ran to the pool! It was instant relief! I had been contracting about every 2 minutes and was quickly losing my resolve to do this drug and hospital free.
As I relaxed in the pool, I felt my contractions speed up again. I was no longer having long relaxing breaks, it felt like all I was doing was contracting. I was told to breath deeply and to make cow sounds. Ray got in my ear and helped me 'moo.' It's funny. I do remember at one point telling Ray that I could not do this. I just kept saying it again and again. I think that must have been my transitioning. At one point Ray just whispered in my ear, "You can do this. This baby will come out."
I remember the whole room was nice and dark and warm. I really felt loved and supported. It was a little surreal. It was just me in the pool surrendering to the pain and the process. I don't remember the exact moment I started to push. I do remember that I had to push. No one had to say anything, I just knew. That's when Debbie, our midwife, and Ray both came to the poolside. They were both there ready to catch the baby. After 20 minutes of pushing, my baby Audrey was born. Ray caught her and after what seemed like forever, she was placed in my arms. I was so in love and wanting to hold the baby tight that it was 10 minutes before I would pull the baby back off my chest to see the sex. I held Audrey! I also had to, of course, birth the placenta. That actually took 25 minutes. I wasn't sure what to do and kept missing the contractions. I had a hard time focusing because all I wanted to focus on was Audrey.
Birth Audrey was an amazing experience. No drugs, no doctors, no one checking my progress. It was me in a room of love giving birth to my baby. I think the number one lesson that I can take from giving birth is surrender. I had to give up control to my own body and let it do the work. Once I did, the baby just seem to come into world.
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