Jonah's Birth Story Part 2

I figured Mother's Day would be a good day to wrap up Jonah's birth story.  You can view part 1 here. The pictures displayed were taken professionally from Sarah Carter Photography.  Please also like her Facebook Page.

We arrived at the hospital I think around 4:00 am?!?  We got checked in, I got to skip triage because it was very obvious I was in active labor.  My contractions were still strong, but not coming any closer together, maybe every 6 minutes.  They hooked me up to the monitors like usual.  The Dr. chatted with my midwife looking over my prenatal record.  We signed the papers to get an epidural as I was ready to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.  Before the anesthesiologist came in, they checked my dilation progress.  Before leaving for the hospital  I was a 4.  The Dr. said "Uh, you are a 9 with bulgy bag of water!" While everybody was rejoicing and joking that we should just go home,  (I would have loved to, but the thought of delivering in the car during the 40 minute ride home didn't sound appealing) my heart sunk and I thought ooooh noo!  I knew I wouldn't get the epidural, (I prefer natural birth anyways, why I opt for a home birth) but I was TERRIFIED of putting my feet up in those stupid stirrups for pushing.  I had a normal hospital birth with my first child and I KNOW the drill.  Going to the hospital for the epidural, I figured my pain would be knocked out and I could deal with the horrible positioning of the stirrups.  But if I am going to go all natural…that thought scares the dickens out of me.  (I also vividly remember the episiotomy that I felt when giving birth to my first)  I begged my nurse for at least some pain meds in the IV…she verbally agreed, but it was never administered.

I continued laboring.

I went to the bathroom as frequently as possible.  Keeping your bladder empty helps the head to drop (which we were struggling with) and with no epidural, they let me roam the room pretty freely.  

During the last bathroom stop I made, I sat on the toilet and a huge contraction came (normal) and a massive pop/plop sound. My water just broke in the toilet.  It was just my husband in the bathroom with me.  I then started yelling, my midwife came in, then the nurses and doctors.  (My main doctor was a 1st year resident, being accompanied by a 3rd year resident, being overseen by the attending physician, confused?) I started yelling "I"m pooping! I'm pooping!" I felt like I was pushing out the most massive poop I've ever had. (it's a birth story…I'm going to be honest with ya'll!) They got me off the toilet and they could tell my body was pushing the baby, I had no control over what was happening.  

The doctor wanted to move me to the bed.  The nurse was in front of me, my midwife behind me and I remember my nurse saying.  "NO she is delivering..NOW!!!" In this tiny bathroom was myself, my husband, my midwife, at least one nurse, and two doctors.  The doctor that was assigned to me (remember 1st year residency) I think was in shock/panic he didn't know what to do.  What appeared to me, was the nurse and my midwife started taking over.  The nurse (who had previously worked in a hospital that allowed midwives to practice so who is used to natural labors and mamas birthing where they birth!) told me to put my arm around her and my husband and squat.  I tried to do as I was told, my body pushing at the same time. My midwife started  yelling for towels towels! (Hello, slippery baby about to come out!) A small wash cloth was presented…ummm no!  So somebody got a chucks pad.  I squared, continued to push, and my midwife behind me and the doctor in front of my guided the baby out together.  

It was quite a scene.  

Baby was delivered safely and handed immediately to me.  Of course they wanted the cord cut quickly to get me moved to the bed.  This was not what we had wished, but we were in the hospital out of our element.  Daddy got to cut the cord…in the bathroom.

And we made our way to the bed.  

 The doctor asked if anybody had looked at the clock when baby was born.  Nobody had.  My midwife said I got up to go to the bathroom at 6:00, we returned to bed at 6:10, so it is estimated that baby was born at 6:05 am, March 8, 2014.

I had a second degree tear that required stitches.  I think I was the first victim for this residency doctor to stitch…ouch.  And then we cuddled with baby.

Later in the morning, the girls came to see their new baby brother.  We knew his first name would be Michael, but we didn't have a middle name yet (which is what he would go by).  

And then we were a family of 5.  Later that day we decided on Jonah.  Michael Jonah.  See more pictures and a beautiful video here.

We are so thankful for a safe and healthy delivery.  It did not go as planned, but we got quite the birth story out of it!  I never thought I would be a home birth that turned into a hospital transfer, but I can not tell you how thankful I am that my midwife was still an active part of my labor in the hospital, and even helped catch Jonah while he was born.  With all that said, I had a difficult time when I came home from the hospital, seeing all the unused home birth supplies, the birthing pool in our bedroom waiting to be filled with water, and grieving the birth we didn't have.  Stay tuned for part 3 of Jonah's birth story, explaining what it is like to grieve a birth that didn't go as planned.