At about 1:30 or 2 they (the contractions) got a lot stronger and I couldn't stay in bed anymore, so we called my Mom to pick up Emma and called the midwife so she could come over. She checked me at about 2:30 and I was at about 4 cm, then again in about another 30 min and I was at 5 cm, so things were moving right along. It was so wonderfully peaceful - we all chatted between contractions, Matt helped me by giving me pressure on my back during contractions, then we would chat a bit more and rest. My water broke (with a little pop sound, which I thought was funny) and things got a bit more intense at that point, but still everything was so much easier and more manageable than last time. Not being stuck in bed with IVs and a catheter (not to mention w/o the pitocin!) makes everything so much better!!! The pushing even was very peaceful - we had a fire in the fireplace, the Christmas lights turned on the tree, and my midwife was knitting away (I love the sound of knitting needles clacking together!) while her assistant kept an eye out for the baby's head. Matt was absolutely wonderful through everything - a firm, steady hand and a loving presence. I couldn't have asked for more! With my last birth, I felt like I had been hit by a truck afterwards, but this time I just feel like I was out running for a long time... muscles sore and tired, but nothing that won't be back to normal within a day or two.That's what I'm talking about -- no IV, no hassled nurses, no stinkin' hospital bed, no one not believing you're in labor when you're dilated five centimeters simply because you're not yelling or screaming -- sounds like the way to go. 2 1/2 more months...
FROM THE ILLUSTRATED EDITION.
6 hours ago
11 comments:
Our second was born at home and it was 180 degrees different from our first birth experience. That nightmare included the doctor telling my wife her water didn't break and that she had just wet herself. After being sent away, coming back later, and almost being sent away again for the same reason, a nurse finally got the strip of litmus paper to turn the right color (something the doctor couldn't seem to do). Then they counted back to how long ago the water had actually broken and decided my wife needed to be induced. It went downhill from there.
The home birth was calm, quiet, Christmasy (happened on the 21st of Dec.) and just overall less stressful for everyone involved, including my then 3yo daughter who helped welcome her brother into the world.
Our third birth happened at a birth center which was better than the first experience but still not as relaxed as the second. Though that might have something to do with our second son making his appearance 20 minutes after we walked in the door.
Are you using the same midwife Mrs. Big Tex used for our little princess? If so, she was great. We liked her very much. See you guys soon!
Tex,
Yep. I'm seeing her on Wednesday, as a matter of fact, and she often asks after Mrs. Tex and the bablet.
Can't wait to see you. Ask Darwin about his dad's rifle...
Good luck with everything! Our neighbors had a homebirth with a midwife and then they asked us to keep the placenta in our freezer for nearly a year, so, just to let you know, if you need some storage space, well, we've got experience.
I think we'll bury it in the back yard, though my midwife did tell me of someone who barbequed the placenta over a backyard grill and had a picnic. We both pondered this for a moment and I turned slightly green. Would that count as cannabalism?
Why did they have you keep it for a whole year? Could they not think of anything to do with it? That's very curious.
I've heard of someone who ate the placentas also...the whole family would share. They said it was full of minerals and vitamins. Yuck!!! I agree with you... I've always said that it sounds like cannibalism to me.
Well, the placenta from Gui's birth is still in the freezer, and he's 9 mos. now. He was born in March, the ground was still frozen, so we put ti in the freezer until things thawed...and then forgot about it. I only remember again in November - you guessed it! - after the ground was frozen again!
Hopefully I'll remember to plant it this spring (with a fruit tree on top, I think).
Almost every home-birth aficianado I know has a similar placenta story. ;-)
I thought a lot about keeping the placenta and planting it, but with freezer space at such a premium at my house, as well as my tendency to sometimes not follow through on my good intentions, I figured it was best to just let it go. I did have my midwife give me a quick biology show and tell with it though, which was really neat!
I wish you all the best as you prepare for your homebirth!!
BTW, I was told the placenta tasted somewhat like liver, which doesn't seem to be all that much incentive to munch on it.
That reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live commercial for Placenta Helper! Yuck!
I worked at a medical school in NYC when my daughter was born and a research doctor in the lab I worked in requested the placenta for scientific research. It felt kind of funny riding the subway uptown with a bag full of placenta but it was nice to know it was going to be of some use.
I remember there always being rumors that the hospitals sold the placentas to cosmetic companies and other types of companies to make all sorts of products. I always wondered if that were true or just an urban myth.
Cows eat the placenta, but cows don't have multi-vitamins. (I've also seen them leave it if there's a suplement block nearby.)
Aren't placentas supposed to be a prime source of stem cells? (which actually match the kid?)
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