The Happy Parts
I woke up at 4:20am on Tuesday, August 5th with some very distinct pains. Could this be it at long last? I was almost afraid to hope, as I had had some pains the night before that didn't lead to anything. I didn't want to wake Michael up in case it was nothing, but somehow I think he sensed my distress as I realized he was awake, too.
The next few hours felt like Christmas morning when you're five, and you wake up long before the rest of the house is roused. You can't contain your excitement yet you have to wait for the big event. We puttered around doing this and that, last-minute nesting while writing down every contraction. The contractions were about 8-12 minutes apart, though not all that strong, with a few in clusters five minutes apart. We decided to wait until the midwife office opened that morning to call my midwife Ruth and our doula, Virginia.
I sent out a couple of emails to people, one being Jenn who I had invited to the birth, letting her know that things were quite possibly underway. The rest of the morning and early afternoon we spent pretty uneventfully, once we ran out of housework to do we watched Gangs of New York which was highly disappointing. Contractions were about the same. Around this time we started to wonder if we should go to Jenn's place, which is in South Portland and close to Ballard House, the birthing center where we planned to have the baby. I was hoping that by that evening I'd at least be in active labor.
We got everything together and I couldn't stop staring at Michael. He was the picture of preparedness, making sure I was okay and that I remembered Grover, that the house was clean and tidy for our triumphant return, that the animals were fed and set for the next day, all in this calm manner that he has about him. He never ceases to amaze me.
I suggested that we should stop by and visit with my mom, seeing as she would be going for her surgery the following week and I should try to see her while I still had time. I suspected that I wouldn't between the birth of the baby and her surgery. We styed maybe about an hour, she was amazed at how calm I was chatting with her and eating leftover KFC while having contractions every few minutes. Honestly they were a little painful but more of a nuisance than anything else. I was all Zen, baby, just going with the flow. With each one I would stop and breathe deep, steady breaths until it was over.
We headed down to Portland around 4pm. The construction on the turnpike was more or less done on the southbound side, which was a good thing as I don't know how I could have taken the grooved pavement. Contractions were getting a little hairier, but I think it was due to sitting still in the car and being subjected to road vibrations and the like. The mood was still high, I knew that the first part of labor can take a long time, but I have to admit I was getting anxious for things to get going, already.
We got to Jenn's house and set up camp inside. Had dinner, chatted, all those good things, all the while my contractions were the same, same, same. Around 10:30 Michael suggested that we get up and go for a walk to help things along. We went and got bit up by bugs and I had to stop periodically for contractions. With each one he held me and told me how much he loved me, how proud he was of me. We went back to Jenn's place and prepared for bed around 11pm.
I couldn't sleep, however. The contractions were painful enough to distract me from nodding off. Around 1am they started getting stronger, it took more concentration to get through them and I used some breathing exercises to calm myself and ride them out. I toughed it out as long as I could alone, but watching Michael sleep became too much for me and around 1:45am I woke him up by crawling over to the couch where he was sleeping, putting my head on his arm and whimpering. We made the decision then to call the doula and give her an update on progress, as it seemed that things were progressing. There was no way I was getting any sleep.
Jenn woke up soon after and the two of them sat together, timing contractions while I walked around her apartment finding places to ride each one out as comfortably as I could. I found that standing felt best, sitting felt worst. I walked around between contractions and once in a while I would squat.
Virginia arrived around 4am and helped me with pain coping techniques. She knew some pretty keen massage that helped things a lot, and she also encouraged me to make noise to help handle each contraction. By this point Jenn's fiance Leonard was awake, as well, and on his computer so we weren't disturbing his sleep. After an hour or so I was able to sit down, the most taxing part of labor was not being able to sit or lie down and being on my feet constantly. We decided to get in touch with the midwife when the office opened in the morning, and hopefully go in to see her first thing. At one point I took a hot shower to help with the contractions which worked wonders. After the shower, around 7am, I was able to sit on the couch and nap for about an hour, which was amazing. I wasn't able to get completely to sleep, but was able to doze off between each contraction enough so that I was able to reenergize from the last 24 hours of being awake.
We headed to Ruth's office at 8:30am and she saw us immediately. She checked my cervix and exclaimed that I was already dilated five centimeters! The baby's heart rate sounded great and my blood pressure was good. Since I was now in active labor I could be admitted to the birthing center, so midwife's orders were to go get a smoothie for breakfast and head back to be checked in.
We went to Wild Oats where I wanted to grab every person we saw and exclaim, "I'm at five centimeters!" Staying up all night gives one the feeling that they're on another planet, here I was walking around all these people who were going about their daily lives and I felt so disconnected, like I was just watching everything happen around me. I was having a baby, right there in the middle of peoples' morning rush hour.
After getting a smoothie we went back to the birthing center and took a walk around the block a couple of times before going to the birthing room. The day was gorgeous, bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine, all seemed to be so right with the world. What a wonderful day to have a baby, I thought to myself. I had Michael and Virginia with me and I felt so loved, so nurtured and whole.
We checked in at the birthing center and I got to work laboring. I sat in the rocking chair and labored. I sat on the bed and labored. I bounced on the birthing ball and labored. I walked, stood, leaned, hung from Michael's arms. In the afternoon Jenn and Sandy showed up, the two friends I had invited to be there for the birth. They were both excited and the homey room took on a festive air. Here I was, having a baby, surrounded by people I love.
In the early afternoon my midwife checked me again, and I was dilated seven centimeters. Mid-afternoon we decided to try out the birthing tub. I hadn't had any particular desire to get in the tub so far, but what the heck. After it was filled I slipped under the water and oh, it was heavenly. I could sit, squat, or lie in any position I wanted and my contractions were definitely getting stronger. The warm water was a balm. I felt drowsy and started to drift out of the world, the only world I knew was that steamy, dimly-lit room with the faces of Michael and my friends surrounding me.
Evening started to set in and my contractions were more intense, but not progressing as quickly as we had hoped. It was decided then and there to get me out on the street walking around and taking the stairs in the birthing center two at a time to encourage stronger contractions. We were the Labor Posse, and I have to say that it really changes one's perspective when you think nothing of walking around the West End of Portland (one of the trendiest parts of the city), stopping every time a contraction started to hang on a utility pole, tree, or Michael while three other people pushed on your lower back and pelvis to make the contractions stronger. It was pretty powerful. I'm sure we got a lot of weird looks but I was in full labor mode and hardly noticed a thing around me. I do remember hearing, while I was hanging from a tree, grunting and moaning, a girl's voice say, "Is she okay?" and Michael replying, "Yes, we're just working on getting labor going." "Oh!" a chorus of voices said in surprise (and likely shock). I walked with one foot on the curb, one on the street, up and down and around the block more times than I can recall. By the time an hour had passed I was exhausted and sweating. Michael kept telling me how proud of me he was and that I was doing a great job. Jenn, Sandy, and Virginia were all there with me, too, the five of us making quite a spectacle of ourselves I'm sure.
Night had fallen by this point. I was getting pretty tired. The Labor Posse was with me every step of the way, holding my hands and talking to me and helping me through the rougher contractions. I felt really into it, I was one with my body and rolling along like a huge thunderhead, packed full of lightning and ready to strike. I stared into Michael's fathomless blue eyes as he continued to speak to me and keep me calm and focused. Things were getting tough.
Michael Raymond was born at 12:07am on August 7th. The first glimpse of him I had was a tiny hand waving about, and I heard the wail of his voice. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. Michael brought him to me and the three of us cuddled together, cheek to cheek, while Michael and I told one another how much we loved each other. Don't cry, I told Michael bean. Don't cry, everything is going to be just fine.
The next few hours felt like Christmas morning when you're five, and you wake up long before the rest of the house is roused. You can't contain your excitement yet you have to wait for the big event. We puttered around doing this and that, last-minute nesting while writing down every contraction. The contractions were about 8-12 minutes apart, though not all that strong, with a few in clusters five minutes apart. We decided to wait until the midwife office opened that morning to call my midwife Ruth and our doula, Virginia.
I sent out a couple of emails to people, one being Jenn who I had invited to the birth, letting her know that things were quite possibly underway. The rest of the morning and early afternoon we spent pretty uneventfully, once we ran out of housework to do we watched Gangs of New York which was highly disappointing. Contractions were about the same. Around this time we started to wonder if we should go to Jenn's place, which is in South Portland and close to Ballard House, the birthing center where we planned to have the baby. I was hoping that by that evening I'd at least be in active labor.
We got everything together and I couldn't stop staring at Michael. He was the picture of preparedness, making sure I was okay and that I remembered Grover, that the house was clean and tidy for our triumphant return, that the animals were fed and set for the next day, all in this calm manner that he has about him. He never ceases to amaze me.
I suggested that we should stop by and visit with my mom, seeing as she would be going for her surgery the following week and I should try to see her while I still had time. I suspected that I wouldn't between the birth of the baby and her surgery. We styed maybe about an hour, she was amazed at how calm I was chatting with her and eating leftover KFC while having contractions every few minutes. Honestly they were a little painful but more of a nuisance than anything else. I was all Zen, baby, just going with the flow. With each one I would stop and breathe deep, steady breaths until it was over.
We headed down to Portland around 4pm. The construction on the turnpike was more or less done on the southbound side, which was a good thing as I don't know how I could have taken the grooved pavement. Contractions were getting a little hairier, but I think it was due to sitting still in the car and being subjected to road vibrations and the like. The mood was still high, I knew that the first part of labor can take a long time, but I have to admit I was getting anxious for things to get going, already.
We got to Jenn's house and set up camp inside. Had dinner, chatted, all those good things, all the while my contractions were the same, same, same. Around 10:30 Michael suggested that we get up and go for a walk to help things along. We went and got bit up by bugs and I had to stop periodically for contractions. With each one he held me and told me how much he loved me, how proud he was of me. We went back to Jenn's place and prepared for bed around 11pm.
I couldn't sleep, however. The contractions were painful enough to distract me from nodding off. Around 1am they started getting stronger, it took more concentration to get through them and I used some breathing exercises to calm myself and ride them out. I toughed it out as long as I could alone, but watching Michael sleep became too much for me and around 1:45am I woke him up by crawling over to the couch where he was sleeping, putting my head on his arm and whimpering. We made the decision then to call the doula and give her an update on progress, as it seemed that things were progressing. There was no way I was getting any sleep.
Jenn woke up soon after and the two of them sat together, timing contractions while I walked around her apartment finding places to ride each one out as comfortably as I could. I found that standing felt best, sitting felt worst. I walked around between contractions and once in a while I would squat.
Virginia arrived around 4am and helped me with pain coping techniques. She knew some pretty keen massage that helped things a lot, and she also encouraged me to make noise to help handle each contraction. By this point Jenn's fiance Leonard was awake, as well, and on his computer so we weren't disturbing his sleep. After an hour or so I was able to sit down, the most taxing part of labor was not being able to sit or lie down and being on my feet constantly. We decided to get in touch with the midwife when the office opened in the morning, and hopefully go in to see her first thing. At one point I took a hot shower to help with the contractions which worked wonders. After the shower, around 7am, I was able to sit on the couch and nap for about an hour, which was amazing. I wasn't able to get completely to sleep, but was able to doze off between each contraction enough so that I was able to reenergize from the last 24 hours of being awake.
We headed to Ruth's office at 8:30am and she saw us immediately. She checked my cervix and exclaimed that I was already dilated five centimeters! The baby's heart rate sounded great and my blood pressure was good. Since I was now in active labor I could be admitted to the birthing center, so midwife's orders were to go get a smoothie for breakfast and head back to be checked in.
We went to Wild Oats where I wanted to grab every person we saw and exclaim, "I'm at five centimeters!" Staying up all night gives one the feeling that they're on another planet, here I was walking around all these people who were going about their daily lives and I felt so disconnected, like I was just watching everything happen around me. I was having a baby, right there in the middle of peoples' morning rush hour.
After getting a smoothie we went back to the birthing center and took a walk around the block a couple of times before going to the birthing room. The day was gorgeous, bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine, all seemed to be so right with the world. What a wonderful day to have a baby, I thought to myself. I had Michael and Virginia with me and I felt so loved, so nurtured and whole.
We checked in at the birthing center and I got to work laboring. I sat in the rocking chair and labored. I sat on the bed and labored. I bounced on the birthing ball and labored. I walked, stood, leaned, hung from Michael's arms. In the afternoon Jenn and Sandy showed up, the two friends I had invited to be there for the birth. They were both excited and the homey room took on a festive air. Here I was, having a baby, surrounded by people I love.
In the early afternoon my midwife checked me again, and I was dilated seven centimeters. Mid-afternoon we decided to try out the birthing tub. I hadn't had any particular desire to get in the tub so far, but what the heck. After it was filled I slipped under the water and oh, it was heavenly. I could sit, squat, or lie in any position I wanted and my contractions were definitely getting stronger. The warm water was a balm. I felt drowsy and started to drift out of the world, the only world I knew was that steamy, dimly-lit room with the faces of Michael and my friends surrounding me.
Evening started to set in and my contractions were more intense, but not progressing as quickly as we had hoped. It was decided then and there to get me out on the street walking around and taking the stairs in the birthing center two at a time to encourage stronger contractions. We were the Labor Posse, and I have to say that it really changes one's perspective when you think nothing of walking around the West End of Portland (one of the trendiest parts of the city), stopping every time a contraction started to hang on a utility pole, tree, or Michael while three other people pushed on your lower back and pelvis to make the contractions stronger. It was pretty powerful. I'm sure we got a lot of weird looks but I was in full labor mode and hardly noticed a thing around me. I do remember hearing, while I was hanging from a tree, grunting and moaning, a girl's voice say, "Is she okay?" and Michael replying, "Yes, we're just working on getting labor going." "Oh!" a chorus of voices said in surprise (and likely shock). I walked with one foot on the curb, one on the street, up and down and around the block more times than I can recall. By the time an hour had passed I was exhausted and sweating. Michael kept telling me how proud of me he was and that I was doing a great job. Jenn, Sandy, and Virginia were all there with me, too, the five of us making quite a spectacle of ourselves I'm sure.
Night had fallen by this point. I was getting pretty tired. The Labor Posse was with me every step of the way, holding my hands and talking to me and helping me through the rougher contractions. I felt really into it, I was one with my body and rolling along like a huge thunderhead, packed full of lightning and ready to strike. I stared into Michael's fathomless blue eyes as he continued to speak to me and keep me calm and focused. Things were getting tough.
Michael Raymond was born at 12:07am on August 7th. The first glimpse of him I had was a tiny hand waving about, and I heard the wail of his voice. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. Michael brought him to me and the three of us cuddled together, cheek to cheek, while Michael and I told one another how much we loved each other. Don't cry, I told Michael bean. Don't cry, everything is going to be just fine.
posted by Jen at
12:02 PM
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