The Story of David's Birth

It will probably take me three days to write this, but I'm going to try to get it done today! I don't think it will be too graphic, but it IS a story about giving birth, so read it if you want to, but don't if you think you might not like it - just a disclaimer! (note. it's three days later.)

Well, anyone can tell you that I had said for a LONG time that I thought I would give birth WAY earlier than my due date. I had hoped to "go" around July 11th. Needless to say I was a little off. My "due date" was July 18th. I have strong opinions about due dates these days... like you shouldn't have one and they are just put there to confuse you. I had quit milking cows a while ago when the 14th heifer freshened and scared the crap out of me bouncing up and down in the stall. One day after a rather hot day at the farm cooking for the crew I decided I couldn't do it anymore and stopped doing that.
These things all took place WEEKS before the birth... who knew!? Luckily I found plenty to do around the house and in the garden despite my size. It was actually really great to work out in the garden. It felt great and I knew we would be SO happy to have all that good food. I also kept saying "boy when those green beans really come in I'm sure I'll have the baby!" Yeah - well I got quite a bit of green beans picked let me tell ya.
So I have to admit that I got a little impatient. To be honest a lot impatient. I had thought I would have weeks with the baby before our out of town visitors arrived and my beloved midwife left for her Mexican vacation; but alas those dates were fast approaching!
I saw our midwife on Monday morning, everything seemed GREAT! I felt great the baby was great, everything was great! Except that the baby wasn't coming RIGHT NOW. I told her that I would call her on Thursday if I was freaking out and wanted things to pick up. She also ordered an ultrasound to make sure that everything was ok with the baby. I think I had the ultrasound on Wednesday... hard telling, but needless to say - everything was GREAT! And this of course was a total relief, because at some point a girl starts to worry.
So I called Denise Thursday morning and I told her I wanted to take things up a notch. She suggested that I have my membranes swept and that I start taking Blue and Black Cohosh, both things I did - even though I was initially reluctant to having my membranes swept. It turned out to be no big deal at all and afterwards Tavniah - the midwife's assistant and I went out for ice cream at Culvers, and it was GREAT!
So, Friday.... nothing and I went in and saw Denise again. this time she swept my membranes a little more vigorously and we talked about the recipe for Castor Oil Chocolate Milk shakes. Which actually sounded really good to me... more the ice cream part and less the Castor Oil... but anyway...
I went home and Aaron and I had a lovely evening. I will always be reminded of what good times we had just waiting for the baby to come, not to mention all the good stuff we got done thinking it could be any minute! The best thing we did to prepare was put a hole in the ceiling joists! I had shown Aaron a picture of a sling used in births and he figured out how to rig one up for us to use!
I started to have mild contractions Friday night and thought I might have lost my mucus plug, but it was nothing I thought would get going too soon.
When it came time I actually went to bed with Aaron rather than after him, which I had been doing for a while. I slept until midnight when I woke up to pee and had a strong contraction and saw a little bloody show. I went back to bed, but that didn't feel quite right. I woke up again to pee at 1:30 or so and had another few contractions. This time they were a little stronger and although I tried to get back in bed and sleep I just could not.
Then between the hours of 2am and 3am I had an intestinal cleansing from the heavens. This was also mixed with some now stronger contractions. I definitely said to myself, "you won't be needing the castor oil!!!" Aaron had woken up off and on through the whole thing, but hadn't quite realised that I was in labor. Nor had I or I would have thought to call the midwives then! I told him I would go take a shower and then when I got back he could start timing the contractions and we could maybe call. I went to the shower and that was GREAT! It was just where I needed to be, because at that point the contractions were coming stronger and harder and faster. I got out of the shower and tried to go lay on one of the beds upstairs, thinking that might help. It didn't and I didn't want Aaron to worry, so I went down and told him to start timing contractions. I was already using the sling to make myself more comfortable so I could deal. He started timing and almost immediately I started having contractions that were two minutes apart. It was at this point that we both realized that this indeed was LABOR and I really might NOT be at this all day. We decided we should start to get things ready and fill the pool and call the midwives!!! It was about 4:30am.

He started getting things ready, I started getting things ready... I was putting plastic and sheets on our bed and literally every minute or so I was having a huge contraction and having to jump on the bed and move thru it, and then go on to the next task! Finally I just had to go into the bathroom and sit the wrong way on the toilet, which was where I was when the pushing urges started happening and my thoughts went to.... Oh dear lord - please let the midwives get here on time... The urge to push was AMAZING. Aaron asked if I was doing that and I said NO! I think someone else was doing it for me and thru me! There was no controlling it! It was amazing.
I wanted to be hanging from the sling because I started to loose feeling in my left leg, so when the midwives arrived, I was already hanging in the sling having pushing urges.
I remember being relieved that they were here and right then I had another pushing urge. I told Denise that I wanted to push and all I can remember her saying was "it looks like this baby will be here soon!" They put pillows under me while I stood in the sling. Aaron was rubbing my leg and helping me stay kind of on my feet. I told them I had to push and she said ok! I have a hard time really remembering anything except me trying to slow down the big push by taking little breaths and I remember Aaron looking when Denise told him that we were crowning. They tell me I did three big pushes; one big bulge, one for the crown and in the next his whole body came sliding out and there was DAVID! Many Thanks and Praise for such an easy birth!
What an amazing experience! We are SO happy and So grateful for such a quick experience, of course they say the next few years go by really quickly too, but right now time seems to be moving very slowly as we get in the rhythm of doing things in the babylife. Nursing, Napping, Diapers and the blissful moments of mellow hang out time with Little David, when his eyes are open and he is calmly looking at us and his new world.