Thread: ~*~Stacie's (SalemMomma) Birth Lodge~*~

Hooray and congrats! Can't wait to hear all about it!

Congratulations!!! Sounds like it went well...can't wait to hear your story! Enjoy that baby.

Oh wow, that sounds exciting. I can't wait to hear the whole story. Congratulations!

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it!

WTTW Veronica!

Congrats on Veronicas arrival~! I can't wait to hear all about it!!!

Congratulations, Stacie!

Finally making time to get this typed out, before I completely forget what happened.

I had been having false labor off and on for about a week before V was born. On the 21st, I felt normal, no contractions, no bachache, nothing. Jessie and Felicia were going on a camping trip, so I finished getting everything ready while they were at school, and relaxing with my mom and Charlie. I only went out once, to get a book that the girls needed to read to get their Bronze/Silver Award, and to pick up some misc at Target. The girls got home about 3:30, and packed up the car with their stuff, and then we took them to their scout leaders house. After that, we went home, ate dinner, and just sat around the rest of the evening. I felt a couple cramps that night, but nothing serious. I told Brandon about them anyway, teasing him that he might not get much sleep that night.
I don't remember having any contractions or anything that night, but I do remember getting up to pee about 5 or 6 times, which was annoying. At about 4:30ish, I woke up to what felt like bad gas. Luckily, I had not had any constipation at all this pregnancy, but I have been more regular than usual. I steeled myself for what I thoght would be another day of living on the toilet. After about 15min, though, I notice that these pains were pretty regular. The wierd part was that I felt them exactly in the middle below my belly button, and not anywhere else, which made me not take them seriously. No pain in my sides or back at all. Even so, I picked up my phone and started timing the spacing. First one was 4:54. Next one was 4:57. Next one was 5:02. Then 5:05. They stayed about 3-5 min apart. They also started getting more painful. I knew that I would probably feel better if I got out of bed, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. (lazy much?) At about 5:30, though, I finally woke Brandon up and told him that I think I might be in labor, and that I was going to go sit in the shower for a while. The hot water felt really good, and I sat in there for almost 1/2 hour. I got out, got dressed again, and went back to bed, since Brandon was back asleep, and nobody else was awake yet. That only lasted a few minutes, though, as laying down was to painful. I told Brandon to get up and take a shower, and I called my midwife (Angie), who lives about an hour away from the birthing center. As I was talking to her, I felt a pop and a gush, and told her that my water just broke. She had me check it, and since the fluid was clear, and I could still talk/walk through the contractions, she said that I could labor at home for a while still, and to call back when they got stronger. About 5 minutes later, I went to the bathroom to change my liner, and noticed that the fluid was not clear. It had started looking more of a yellowish brown color. I went downstairs to call my midwife again and start some water heating to make tea, when the contractions started becoming stronger. I told my midwife, who said that she would leave right away, and that she would have a backup midwife (Pam) meet me at the center. (My regular backup midwife had attended a birth the night before, so she wouldn't be there). I texted my siblings and Sara, and then Brandon and I got in the car and left. I was hungry, so we stopped at Burger King to pick up something quick, of which I only ended up eating two bites of. Then we were on our way, and got to the center at about 7:10 or so. A couple minutes later, Pam shows up, and we all go inside.
I was wanting to push a little by that time, which made me upset, since I had only been in labor for a couple hours, and the contractions weren't super strong yet, and I didn't want to be one of those women who want to push at 5cm and have to go through all that. I kept hoping that I could just walk around, and the feeling would go away, lol. Then a contraction came in which I HAD to push, so I asked Pam to check me. The second I asked that, I felt a huge gush, and told her I had to go to the bathroom and change my liner to a pad. Pam said it would be easier if I just took everything off, if I wanted. I sat down on the toilet, and started pushing a little. Pam checked me, and said "Yep, there's her head. You're complete, go ahead and push when and if you want to. She'll be born either way." I called Brandon in, so I could stand up a little, and I neded someone to support me. She must have been just about crowning, because I remember one push to get her head out, and another to get the rest. And there she was! Pam gave her to me to hold, and ran to get a birthing stool for me to sit on while we waited for the placenta. After that, she cut the cord, and then Angie was there, and the both of them helped get me and Ronnie cleaned up. She was completely covered in yellow, from the vernix being stained by the meconium, and that was pretty gross.
After we got clean and in bed, she nursed for a while, and that's the end.
She had her first appt last Friday, and is back to her birthweight already, which after the problems with Charlotte, makes me very happy. Her next appt is this Friday. We've been having an ok time with nursing, after I fixed a latch problem from the first few days, and a posture problem with me. No bottles at all, which I'm very proud of, since this is the first time I have had an absolute EBF baby, and plan to keep it that way. I have a bunch of formula samples waiting to be donated to the food bank, and so far have been strong enough to resist. The worst is almost over, so I'm almost in the clear.

So I hope that story makes sense. I might come back and fine tune it, but that's pretty much it. It was the most out of control experience I have ever had, but at the same time, I have never felt more IN control.

What a fantastic story! I'm glad it was all so quick and easy for you, although I understand what you mean about it being out of control, too! Congratulations again.

my goodness, so fast! I hope it was ok having a backup midwife- sounds like it worked out well. Congrats again, momma! And good work BFing- the hardest part is over