Today we had our follow-up meeting with our Doula Andrea so I thought it would be nice to reflect back on Logan's birthday...Most women that I have talked to have felt the need to tell me about the epidural that didn't work or the 27 hour labour that they or someone they know went through. There are only three people I have heard talk really positively about their birthing experience -Cousin Claire, Dana from work and Dr. Biner's secretary. Here is Baby Logan's birthdy story for thouse that are interested.....The BeginningSaturday night we all went to Ate Mildred’s house to celebrate her and Ate Mylene’s birthdays. I had some Chile Chicken which was a bit too spicy for me...this is what may have helped things along. We went and picked up the car which was getting the breaks fixed and I drove it home, while Allan went to Jack’s to watch the’ NBA All Star Week End Dunk Off’. At home I stayed up reading ‘In Her Shoes’ way past my normal bedtime and when Al got home we watched the repeat of the Dunk Off together, had a snack and went to bed around 1:30. I joked with Allan that perhaps this was my ‘bust of energy’ and Logan would come on Family Day. However, my water broke at 3:15 am when I got up to go the washroom. Since I had to have antibiotics because of previous test results I called to hospital to let them know. We were told to be there in an hour or two. I took a shower, changed, text messaged some friends and Allan loaded the car. I only felt a bit crampy in my tummy –more like a sight hunger pain. We stopped at Tim Horton’s so Al could get coffee and we could get treats for the nurses, as per Erica’s suggestion (she did a nursing placement on the labour and delivery floor before).
Getting Settled
We got to the hospital around 5ish and sat around for them to check that in fact my water did break. I called my Doula Andrea to let her know what was happening. Since I wasn’t feeling any contractions I wasn’t sure if she needed to come right away but then decided it would be nice to have someone who knows what’s going on. Allan and I were shown to a room and I was given a hospital gown –but I put on my pjs and slippers from home instead. Then a nurse came in a few minutes later. She seemed surprised I didn’t want the hospital gown on and told me they would have to cut it off if I needed an emergency c-section...which if that was the case, ruining my pjs would be the least of my worries. Besides those hospital gowns tie up at the back and I didn’t plan on flashing my huge pregnant behind to anyone. Then the nurse brought out the IV pole and I asked for a hep-lock IV. ‘Are you a nurse? I don’t think anyone has asked me for that in my 12 years here”. This was another suggestion from my friend nurse Erica. This let me get the antibiotics that I needed and then I could disconnect from the IV pole and walk around.
Thumbs Up!While the nurse was still hooking me up our lovely Doula arrived-surprisingly fast and fully awake. She said that she was happy to see that I hadn’t laid down and suggested we started walking to get things going as soon as I was disconnected. The plan was just to walk around, stop and breath through each contraction (which were not regular or painful), take a sip of water after each one and use the washroom a lot. The nurse asked us to be back in hour to be checked. By an hour’s time, around 7:30am, the contractions were coming a bit more intense and my lower back was starting to ache. The nurse said I had about an hour or so before she got the doctor to come to induce me. I asked what would change that decision and she said if I could have contractions five minutes apart. Making every contraction count became my new goal.
Progress!We walked along the hallway chatting. When a contraction started I would stop, lean on Allan and Andrea would press my hips and back which helped with the lower back pain. She kept reminding me to relax and to use my hypno-birthing visualizations. I was very peaceful and really the only pain was in my back, kind of like when I got a kidney stone. But in between each contraction I felt normal, calm and had no fear. After a bit I started to feel sick and Andrea fetched something just in case. I ended up throwing up by the main hospital doors with my hubby holding the little pan for me. Ahhh, true love! I remember looking over to the main desk and there was a security guard sitting at the main desk staring at me with the hugest eyes. I think he was terrified for me, while I was just relieved that the hospital hadn’t really opened up yet so there was no one else around. I only made it as far as the little snack booth in the main lobby and had to stop again so I could concentrate and breathe. The lady there was starting to just stock the shelves. I thought that it was time to return to my room before I started freaking other people out. While I waited for the nurse to check me in my room I was sick again. Andrea had been timing my contractions and reported that they were about 4 minutes apart and becoming more intense. The nurse checked me and told me that I was only 2 cm dilated but since things were progressing that I wouldn’t be induced. The nurse asked me rate the pain on a 1-10 scale, I said I didn’t want to -it goes against the hyno-birthing methods. But she persisted so I said ‘8’ randomly.
Andrea suggested that we go try out the Jacuzzi to help with the back pain. I wish I had that tub at home! In between contractions I tried to imagine that I was at the spa. Things intensified quickly. A got really cold and shivery then my back really started to bother me. Allan sat behind me and held me head and made me feel really secure. I moaned through some of the pain and got very squirmy, like I couldn’t find the right position to get comfortable. I told Al and Andrea I wanted to go back to the room and try something else. Once I got out of the tub I two more contractions that were felt different then the rest. I told them that I was ready to ‘tap out’ and thought perhaps I might need a epidural. It was still so early in labour -I was told maybe an hour ago I was only at 2cm! - and I couldn’t imagine having the mental strength to keep up with it for hours and hours more. Andrea said she would get me checked as soon as we got to the room and we headed back.
It’s Time!
I had a really strong contraction right by the nursing station on my way to the room. I told Andrea that something felt 'very different' and there was a lot of pressure. ‘Pressure? But you don’t feel like pushing do you?” “I don’t know, it just feels really different than before.” And then just like that the urge to push was there! It was like trying to stop a sneeze! I rushed back to my room and the nurses and doctors quickly came in. Those few minutes trying to breathe through the urge to push until I was checked was probably the hardest mental task of the labouring process.
I was quickly checked and was told that it was okay to push; I was fully dilated. Allan got my Discman so I could listen to my hypno-birthing labouring music. This process was the most peaceful of the whole labour. I had my eyes closed and relaxed between each contraction and Allan feed me a few ice chips at every break. There was no shouting to push or me screaming in pain, there were no stirrups or surgical masks or all that frightening stuff you see on tv. It felt very calm for me. The music was at right level that I could hear Dr. Sasha, Allan and Andrea saying how well it was progressing when I was pushing but I heard nothing in-between –I was totally in the zone and relaxed.
However, there was only one moment that I lost my mental focus....I was listening to my music, my eyes closed and breathing deeply and then it suddenly felt like Dr. Sasha was pulling at me. My eyes popped open and I said very sternly ‘What the fuck are you doing?!” (LOL!). Everyone was startled and turned to look at me with their mouths open. “Who? Me?” said the Doctor. Andrea told me it was the 'ring of fire' and that the baby was crowning. “Oh. Sorry about that then” I apologized and I closed my eyes and went back to focusing on relaxing.
Logan came smoothly out about an hour after I left the Jacuzzi at 10:25am on Sunday February 17th, 2008. The doctor said that the cord was around his neck but not choking him –if it hadn’t been around his neck the birthing might have been even faster. Allan cut the umbilical cord and Logan came up to cuddle with mommy and daddy right away. He was alert for about two hours afterwards and breastfed. He hardly even cried either! I took two asprins after Logan was born and that was it. We left the hospital the next day around lunch.
"So Much for Sleep, Mom and Dad..."
These are the books that I read to get ready....
Hypnobirthing (
www.hypnobirthing.com/), the Lamaze Guide and the 4 CD hynobirthing CDs (
http://www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk/)
Logan liked "reading" books by himself
Instead of playing in the large toy area --he cleaned it up! He took all the books he found laying around and lined them up in a nice display. Then he collected the blocks and put them away in the bin. :D
This has finally prompted us to start packing a hospital bag and getting the baby car seat ready! 
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