Labor began much the same way as with my first labor of Liam. My water broke early Saturday morning, the 30th, sometime during sleep. Around 7am I lost my mucous plug and called the midwife, Sue, to let her know that today was the big day. I let her know that I had not yet started to have contractions but she said she would be right down since it was my second baby and once labor did begin it would likely go very quickly.
Sue and her assistant Erika arrived at the house around 9am. Still no significant contractions, only the practice ones that I had been feeling for weeks already. We ate breakfast together and Andy washed and prepared the birth tub.
I felt the baby moving around periodically and Sue checked for heart rate as well, the baby was doing great.
I got Liam ready for a day at the pool and he left with his grandparents, I figured when he returned there would be a little brother or sister to greet him. Andy and I took a walk hoping to get labor started and a few good contractions caught my attention on the walk. We all ate lunch, still not much happening with me. I took a hot shower to relax and lay down in bed. Liam came back from the pool around 2pm and we curled up in bed together and he fell asleep. About an hour later contractions began and I needed to focus and breath through each one.
I knew labor had really started when I could feel each contraction deep in my upper thigh muscles. When Liam woke up around 4pm, I let Andy know I wanted to get into the tub soon. So he got the water temp up and around 4:30pm I got into the pool. By then I had already started to approach transition and the pool felt wonderful. The pool was smaller than the first pool I had rented but the water felt soothing and relaxed my muscles immediately.
Soon after I got into the pool the contractions were coming on strong and lasting longer each time with less and less time to regain energy in between each one. Sue told me that the good news was it wouldn’t be much longer and the baby would be here. I knew she was right from what I was feeling and transition only means that pushing is not far away. First I was on my knees for a little while, but when my feet started to feel numb I lay back in the tub. Sue listened for the baby’s heart rate again and all was well.
I tried to imagine getting out of the tub to deliver this baby, as I had planned, but could not bring myself to get out of the water. I felt completely supported and comfortable in the water, so I knew then I would be delivering in water a second time.
After several strong contractions and the mild urge to push Sue suggested I get back on my knees and lean forward a bit to open up the last lip of cervix. I sat up and as the next contraction came on I felt a pop and a gush of fluid and the baby had dropped considerably with that one contraction.
I stayed on my knees for a couple more contractions until I felt the urge to push again. Sue suggested I lay back a bit again so she could feel the baby crowning and support me to avoid a tear.
I laid back and on the next contraction the baby crowned a bit. After the contraction was over I felt his head slide back through my bones and I hadn’t remembered that feeling from Liam’s birth. I had pushed him out so quickly he had never slid back up the birth canal. A couple more contractions and the baby’s head eased out. Sue helped coach me and I pushed his head out slow and easy and I felt such a relief when I knew his head was delivered.
This is a one minute G-rated video.
Then Sue said I needed to push the rest of him out right away without a contraction, she could feel his body trying to breath. So I gave another push and he was out and lifted onto my chest and into my arms. It was just as I had remembered with Liam. What a thrilling feeling it is to finally hold that little baby.
He was a purplish pink color and began to let out a few gurgling cries right away. They cleaned out his mouth and he continued to spit up bubbles, then all was clear and he let out a few good cries right away. Sue had said “he is fine” after listening to his lungs and heart, but then Erika said she calls them all “he”. So I moved the umbilical cord over to see that he was indeed a baby boy.
Andy held little Owen and I got out of the pool still attached to one another we walked over to the bed together and Andy handed him back to me. I held him to my breast so he could nurse if he liked. He didn’t latch on right away but after a few tries he was doing fine.
Then Andy cut his cord and we were separated. About an hour after the birth I delivered the placenta with a few pushes and coughs it was out and the labor and delivery was complete. Owen Emerson was born at 6:14pm June 30th, and I had pushed for 9 minutes. He weighed a healthy 9 pounds 4 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long.
The midwife had helped me deliver without a need for stitches, just a little nick that would heal on its own. What a relief to have delivered without tearing again. Recovery from this birth would be very quick and I was up and around the very next day, and feeling quite well after a few days.
Lookin' Good
Owen is a very calm and relaxed little baby, we feel so blessed to have two beautiful boys.