{Disclaimer: This post will talk about bodily functions and fluids associated with birthing a baby. Please keep that in mind. }
I woke up on Sunday morning feeling sick. I thought maybe I had food poisoning or that I caught the flu. I didn't have any contractions or anything, just nausea and diarrhea. Then, I started feeling a little crampy, and go the the bathroom and find my bloody show. But, I still wasn't really feeling any contractions, just some cramps and BH's. I called my midwife that afternoon and asked her to come over and see if she thought I was in early labor. She came and checked me around 4pm and I was 80-90% effaced and 2.5cm dilated. Big progress from my appt. on Friday where I was 1.5 cm and only 50% effaced. She thought I was probably inearly labor, but didn't want to get my hopes up since I wasn't really having contractions or anything timeable. She stripped my membranes, did some pressure points on my feet, and then left.
After she left, the cramps I was having got a lot stronger, but they still felt like menstrual cramps to me... I ate some dinner and decided to go on a stroll around the block with Nick and Jonas to see if we could get things moving and get some real contractions. While we were on the walk, I commented to Nick that I thought the cramps I was having were coming at intervals and that we could probably time them. Nick pulled out his phone and started timing them. They were coming about 2 minutes apart and lasting for about 20 seconds. I told Nick that there was no way that they were real contractions because they were too close together to be real and they weren't really painful. My contractions with Jonas didn't get that close together until I was in hardcore labor and in a lot of pain.
We got back and the in-laws came over to drop off some food for us. They weren't here for very long. And I didn't tell them that I was having timeable cramps, because I didn't think I was in real labor. They left, I decided to eat a doughnut (bad husband for buying them!), probably wasn't the best idea, I would later find out.
Anyways, We got Jonas put to bed. Actually, I think Nick put Jonas to bed because I was downstairs feeling kind of uncomfortable. I called my midwife and told her to come over and check me. I still wasn't 100% sure that I was in labor, but I knew that something was going on. My doula was already planning on coming that night around 8pm to do pressure points and aromatherapy to help induce labor. I guess she was pretty surprised when she came around 8:45pm and found me in labor. Nick had been timing my contractions (i am finally calling them that, even though they still felt like strong menstrual cramps to me) and they were 1-2 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds. So my doula starts working on my feet with her oils, during this time frame, my midwife shows up. The foot massage lasted probably another 5 or so minutes. Then, I got on my birth ball for a little bit and then kind of walked around for the next couple of contractions.
{me in labor before the doula and midwife showed up}I distinctly remember feeling like a circus freak. It was funny, because Nick was at the computer timing my contractions, Twyla (my doula) and Chris (my midwife) were on different couches watching me intently. I felt surrounded by all these staring eyes, trying to figure out where I was in the labor. It was making me anxious. I decided to go get in the shower.
The shower felt great, the hot water was really relaxing me and I was trying really hard to breathe with each contraction and let my body relax and do what it was made to do. After the shower, I went to the room and a contraction hit me and it was pretty over-powering. I knew one thing at that moment. I was going to puke. Urgently, I told nick to grab my bucket, but he couldn't find it. My doula hurried and grabbed a glass cup that was sitting on the dresser. I immediately began barfing and then my midwife rushed over with the bucket and I was still going. It was horrible. After the puking, I said to Nick "the doughnut was a bad idea" and we laughed.
I think my body and mind were in real birthing mode at this point. I didn't care who was watching anymore or what else was going on around me. My only concern was letting my body do its work without my mind and inhibitions slowing it down too much. The contractions were getting much stronger and closer together, I think. I don't really know, since we didn't time them.
I labored standing up in the room holding on to Nick and my doula was behind me putting pressure on my hips and lower back. I also labored a bit on the bed, laying on my side. I was moving around constantly... trying to find a way to move or a position that would help relieve my discomfort. I decided to get into the shower again. It was a last ditch attempt to try and regain any comfort I had once had earlier in the shower. I wasn't in the shower but a few minutes this time. The contractions were very strong and I had been feeling urges to bear down. I didn't want to birth standing up in the shower, so I came back into the room and laid on my side on the bed. I went through quite a few contractions this way. Either Nick or my midwife at my front encouraging me and rubbing my leg and my doula behind me putting pressure on my back, which was really hurting at this point.
My water still hadn't broken, but I was pushing with every contraction and was beginning to feel frustrated. I asked my midwife to check me to see how dilated I was. I was kind of surprised when she told me that I was only at 8cm. Well, not much else to do except keep going. I kept laboring and pushing and not too long until my water just burst during one of the contractions.
{pushing. oh, the agony!!}After my water broke, things moved very quickly. I began pushing the baby out with each contraction. I was in SO much pain at this point. I remember my midwife telling me to push and I screamed out "but, the pain!!! so much pain!" and she was like "just push through the pain, you can do it". And, so I did. I guess that is why he came out only 8 minutes after my water had broken. It was the most painful 8 minutes though, definitely the most painful part of the whole labor for me. After I had pushed the head out, I asked if he was out yet. I was so ready to be done... but nope, time to push out the shoulders. One more painful set of pushing and he was out!
Nick caught the baby with the guidance of the midwife. They laid him on my belly. I was overjoyed!! Not only to see my baby, but just to be done!!! I let out a HUGE sigh of relief and my body just kind of went limp after all the work it had done. I could barely hold my baby with my one arm. I noticed that he wasn't breathing yet and I was a little worried. He was still attached to my cord, so I knew he was still getting oxygen, but he didn't have much longer. I asked my midwife if he was okay and she took him and started working on him to get him to breathe.
Apparently, he had swallowed a bunch of fluid on his way out. It was a very scary few minutes. She did mouth to mouth on him and put an oxygen mask on him. He coughed a little bit, but he still wasn't breathing well. We were all very worried at this point. My doula suggested that Nick give the baby a priesthood blessing. My midwife kept working on the baby, while Nick laid his hands on him and gave him a blessing. Shortly after the blessing, the baby started breathing. We are so grateful for a skilled midwife and the power of the priesthood.
{after he was breathing on his own.}
{Midwife checking the baby's stats}Our blessing from God, Mason Alexander Forgacs was born at 10:48pm on April 18th 2010. We are so happy to have him here and Jonas is enjoying being a big brother. We are so proud of him, too.
{happy family.}
