Lainey Kate's Birth Story

I was up all night the 6th with non progressive but intense contractions. Elie and I spent a few hours that day at the mall but nothing happened. At about 7 on the 7th my mucous plug came out. He encouraged me to go to bed, which I did. I was exhausted after not sleeping at all the night before. Around 9:30 I started having contractions again. I assumed that I was in for another non-progressive night like the one before and tried not to get too excited about it. We called Missy anyway just to give her a heads up on the situation. I was able to fall asleep for twoish hours. The contractions were intense enough that I still woke up for every one, but was tired enough to fall asleep in between. Around 12 I got up and messed around on the computer some more.
My contractions were getting intense enough that I started feeling the sciatica in my legs start shaking a little, not too painfully but enough that I knew they would be an issue again. I thought I had remembered Lisa (my midwife with Elie) saying that calcium would help that, so I took some Calcifood (HORRIBLE tasting vitamins that I am supposed to chew but are so gross that I break them apart and swallow them). One of the pieces got stuck in my throat and I threw up everything in my stomach in the kitchen sink. All of a sudden at about 1:15 my contractions started at about 5 minutes apart. They still were not unbearable but had been getting slightly more intense. I got Nick up and had him start filling up the tub. I also called my mom and Kari. Kari was in Portland that weekend for a wedding and had asked specifically that I not go into labor that weekend. I still thought I was a long way off from actually having her, but I knew they’d want to be there as soon as possible and they had an hour to drive. Soon after I called them, I started watching Gilmore Girls. My mom and Kari got here around 2:30.


My contractions were still about every 5 mins apart. I called Missy and Courtney at about 3 and they got there about 4:15. All that time in between, we were watching Gilmore Girls and laughing. I was so hungry the whole time. I think I ate yogurt, string cheese (because of the calcium), a granola bar and some peanut butter toast and was still not full. It was around then that my sciatica started really getting bad in my legs. The contractions were getting more intense and with it my legs started hurting. It got to be bad enough that Kari and Nick would apply pressure to each of my thighs during the contraction- it seemed to be the only thing that helped even slightly. Some of the time, my legs were bad enough that I couldn’t even feel the contractions. Soon after Missy got here I was given permission to get in the tub. I wish I had gotten in earlier, but I really didn’t know how far along I was. Missy and Courtney came and checked the heart beat a few times, but mostly they were getting all their supplies ready. At about 5:15 I told someone I felt like I was going to throw up, a bowl was quickly thrust in front of me and I threw up again. After that I think I said something like “I must be in transition now.” Missy and Courtney stayed a little closer after that. My contractions started getting really close and intense. I finally told Nick that he better call his family and let them know we were in labor. We hadn’t called them yet because we were waiting for my water to break. The whole time I was in labor I had this sense of denial. I think the night of nothing happening made me feel like I didn’t want to get my hopes up. (I hadn’t gotten in the tub earlier because I was waiting for my water too. ) So Nick stepped out of the room to call. With the next contraction, I felt my stomach start to shake which I knew from Elie that this meant pushing. I told everyone that I felt like pushing and then started. I was panicked, since I knew your Nick wasn’t there. Someone grabbed him and I pushed again and felt the “pop” of the water breaking. I have no idea how many contractions I had, but I immediately felt the pain of the head. It was one of the most intense 6 minutes of my life. I had to put my hands down to help myself open up for the head because it hurt so bad. With my hands down my face was jammed into the side of the tub and my head was at a really awkward angle. I was panting “slow, slow, slow” because Missy had warned me that I would have to push slow and easy in order not to tear. I know I was a lot louder than I was with Elie. I don’t think I was yelling or screaming but I was pretty loud. And then she was out. Because of the angle I was in on my hands and knees I remember her feet kind of got stuck in side of me and it felt weird as they were pulled out not straight out but at an angle. In the movie you can see my body kind of convulse when that happens. The worst part of the whole birth is that Missy put her on top of my back to check her after you were out. I could hear her screaming and feel her on my back but couldn’t see her. I remember that I was saying “I want to see my baby” over and over (for all 30 seconds of it).
Once Missy made sure she were okay I got turned around and held her. The cord was really thick and short so it was a little awkward. I don't know exactly how many hours i was in labor. The early part was really long, but I went from transition to baby in an hour and 15 minutes. Very different birth then Elie's. I loved being at home and the water was an instant relief. I hope I never have a baby any other way.