Jenny arrived around 9:30 p.m., and I asked her to check where I was. I was about 3 cm dilated and had what she considered a "labor cervix". So we finally knew that this was "it" and we would meet our sweet baby relatively soon. I had tested positive for Group B Strep and chose to have IV antibiotics during labor, so Jenny started the first dose. Once that was finished, she left and we all went off to bed. I was able to sleep between contractions, which was great. Up again at about 2 a.m. for the next dose of antibiotics, and back to bed. By about 4 a.m. I could no longer sleep between the contractions and had to work on relaxing during them. Let me tell you, it's no fun to wake up to the peak of a contraction! Up at around 7 a.m. for another dose, and by this time I wanted someone with me and for them to rub my back during the contraction. Just as with Alex's labor, I found that squatting was what my body wanted and needed to do during contractions. Jenny discussed ways to get labor moving along and whether we wanted to do this. We decided to just wait and see how things went since I was still managing the contractions really well.
Alex got up at this time, and Mom & Tina did an absolutely wonderful job of keeping him happy and occupied for all of labor. I am so thankful for this....I was able to totally focus on what I was doing and never once was concerned with how Alex was doing. They spent most of the time playing outside or in his playroom.
Around 10 a.m. Matt & I decided that we would go out walking. It sounded nice to be outside and we could possibly get the benefit of getting labor to move along a bit. We never went far from the house, what with me always needing to use the bathroom and drink more fluids. Jenny and her assistant, Susan (a senior midwifery student), came back to give another antibiotic dose around 11 a.m. That dose took quite a while to administer since they had problems with the hep lock and I kept making them wait to do things because of the contractions. So the walking had done some good! Contractions were closer together and I had to be in a certain position to stay on top of them. I used that position for the rest of labor...kneeling with knees wide apart and leaning forward. I would sit up in between so my legs didn't fall asleep. Once we were done with the IV stuff, Jenny asked if I wanted to be checked again. She was certain that I was now making good progress, but I did want to be checked anyhow. I was 6 - 7 cm at that point, and Jenny & Susan would now stay at our house.
After the exam I got into the birth pool; I think it was around 11:30 a.m. or so. Aaahhhhh. The warm water felt so very good and helped me to relax. It was nice to feel lighter and the water made it quicker and easier for me to change positions for contractions. This was so good because if I wasn't in "my position" (kneeling with knees wide apart, leaning forward with my forearms and head on the edge of the pool, with someone gently rubbing or applying counterpressure to my lower back) at the very start of a contraction, it was a whole lot more difficult. I continued with my slow easy breathing and worked on relaxing my body more with every exhale. This *really* was helpful for me.
Because I was comparing this labor to Alex's, I thought I had *much* further to go. Wrong. Not having a posterior baby and having an intact bag of waters really made a difference in how the contractions felt and how I was able to manage them. Once I was in the pool I started having more of where I would just shake, which bothered me at first but I tried to ignore it and relax through it. I wasn't clear headed enough to realize that this was a good sign of being in transition. I had one contraction where I felt a very very slight desire to push, but then the next two contractions were very mild. Again, I was assuming I had hours ahead of me.
Well, the next contraction came and my body completely took over and PUSHED. There was no way at all to even try not to push. I remember saying "I'm pushing" and Jenny telling me to go ahead and push a little and see how it felt. By the time she said that, I could feel that the baby's head was already out and I instinctively put my hand on it. I started to panic a bit since I did not want to have the baby in the water (everyone knew that also), but couldn't explain that I wanted out. I just remember saying "No" repeatedly since this wasn't what I wanted. At that point Jenny realized what happened and told me that I was getting up and moving right now. She and Susan got me out of the pool and walked me across to our futon. This happened amazingly fast...I actually don't remember walking across the room. Thankfully the futon was already in the flat bed position covered with the plastic and sheet. Matt somehow managed to tell Mom & Tina that the baby was being born. They came out with Alex and the baby was born with the next contraction. So just two pushes for this baby to be born! A little more warning would have been nice, but oh well.
It was so wonderful to finally meet our baby, and exciting to learn that we had another boy. Gabriel was so quiet and calm right after he was born. I'm so glad that Alex was able to be there and watch his brother come into the world. His conversation went something like this: "It's a baby. It's a boy. It's my brother. I want to touch him." Then he wanted to go back to playing.
I ended up getting a shot of pitocin after the placenta was out because of continued bleeding and had a small 1st degree tear. I felt so incredibly good after Gabriel's birth, I was just amazed. Within 30 minutes I was in the shower getting cleaned up. Did I mention that Gabriel pooped on me right after being born? This kid is a pooping machine!
I'm so very glad that we made the choice to have Gabriel at home. It was such an incredible experience and wouldn't have been the same if we'd been anywhere else!