The Gift of June: In the begining

My sister wrote her birth story to be read to her pre-natal yoga class...and I was inspired...and so this blog begins.

My(Aram's) Birth Story
Born June 5th, 2011 at 12:10 pm

For a week I had been feeling contractions and was so excited when I went to my 39th week check up and my midwife nurse told me I was dilated to 2 cm. Little did I know that I would go another 2.5 weeks before it would be for real.

The day I went into labor I helped with the neighborhood clean up, and attended an HOA meeting. It was a hot sunny day and after the meeting I was sitting on our porch visiting with a neighbor and realized that I had had 3 contractions in a row that...well ...all I can say is that somehow I knew I was in labor. I excused myself and went inside to tell Olde. He immediately starting cleaning the house and organizing our lives. By the time TT had come over to take care of J-man the house was sparkling. We tried to go to sleep and get some rest but I couldn't sleep through the excitement of anticipation of what was to come. After 2 hours of tossing and turning, I decided to call in my team. We alerted my best girl friend, Ali, and she came over to sit, and breath with me as well as hold my hand through the tough ones.

At 4:30 am we decided that my contractions were strong enough to send us to the hospital and called my Doula Angela Beach to alert her to meet us at the hospital. Ali in the back seat, Dustin in the driver's, me in the passenger we bared through, breathed and even moaned a bit out of discomfort all the way down I-205 to Kaiser Sunnyside Hopsital.When we got there I had two very strong contractions---one in the parking lot and one in the entry way of the hospital. I thought for sure that I had to be at least 6 cm dilated since they brought tears to my eyes each time, but in hind-sight I think I was over run with anticipation and excitement and that had brought the tears to my eyes.

When the doctor checked me I was only dilated to 3 cm but was admitted the hospital. Each time I had a contraction I sat up and leaned forward with my loving husband on one arm and Ali on the other and breathed through each contraction. Once Angela arrived and I was ready, we moved to a birthing room where I labored on a birthing ball until they could fill the tub in another room.

I refused to have an IV even though every medical staff member working that night t tried to convince me through scare tactics, persuasion and pleading. I remembered that from my first birth this was one of the most painful (or annoying) pieces of medical equipment that had been injected into me---and I had an epidural for that birth. Plus I felt a wave of confidence of being in control of this birth. I was not going to let myself be threatened or scared into doing something I did not want to do if there was no danger warranting a need for an IV.

The tub was a welcomed relief from the tightness in my back, arms, and legs I was feeling with each contraction. I squatted, kneeled, and rocked allowing the water to absorb each contraction. When was in enough pain that I wanted to give up, my team coached and encouraged me on. Angela pushed hard down on my back to help ease the pain from back labor and Ali and Olde took turns holding my hands, helping to brace and breath through each contraction. A few hours went by...

I got out of the tub so Nurse D---can't remember her name--- could get a reading from a portable belly monitor that was not liking being in the water and when I was checked I was only 7 cm dilated. I could not believe this and wanted to give up...the pain was too much but my husband encouraged my journey with pep talks, loving gazes, and soft shoulder rubs. I was able to keep going because of his belief in me.

Once out of the tub I struggled to stay focused. Nurse D came over to my side and helped talk me through my next 5 contractions as well as gave tips to my team. As soon as I focused all the energy of my contractions from my arms and legs to my uterus, my water broke and I had the primal urge to get the baby out.

When my midwife checked my cervix only 45 min later I was there...although I did not need my Dr. to tell me that, I just knew.

As I ran (literally, ran down the hall naked the whole time trying to abate the urge to push right there in the hall) to the room to give birth, my midwife asked how long it had taken with my first child. I replied, "20 minutes." to which she replied, "Uh-Oh." 10 minutes later and 6 pushes Aram was born at 12:10 pm.

my team!

This experience of doing an all natural birth was a right of passage for me and I will be thankful to my team forever for helping me get through it. So thank you Ali, Angela, Olde, Nurse D, Sarah (my midwife that also was my OB for my prenatal appointments---a coincidence almost unheard of at Kaiser) and TT/Nana for taking care of Young Olde.