Blessed with a son

[craftymum]

The week leading up to my son’s birth (5th child)

-Moving towards 42week mark

-Niggles in the early hours of the morning for about 5 days

-Visited hospital for a ultrasound to check baby was thriving at 11 days past official due date…all is well…ob requests a stretch and sweep and further monitoring due to big baby and overdue in hospital terms…we say no and leave, literally running away from them as they try to coax us into a CTG. We were satisfied with the healthy ultrasound and my history of being capable of birthing big baby’s.

-visit our midwife to discuss the hospital visit, turns out ob has already rung her and informed her of our hostility and resistance to taking them up on their suggestions. We discuss what a stretch & sweep would entail and decide that dh is the best person for the job.

-next day, dh does a stretch & sweep, quite an intimate experience, he was very gentle and relaxed, far better than any ob’s roughness and insensitivity.
We walked all through town, going up stairs, weird and exotic walks to encourage baby to come out and meet us.

-next day…cleaned the house
my plug started to leak in small amounts and the b&h came and went with the occasional tweak in my back or lower abdomen, these increased through the next night…I slept between spraying pain cream on them as they came over me.

The Sunday of my son’s birth

I woke up to contractions which were 30-40 minutes apart…I wasn’t quite trusting at this stage because of the niggling b&h’s all week…so I sat down for abit and sent an e-mail to my midwife explaining what I was feeling, she informed me of her plans for the day and to keep her posted. I don’t think I got up from the computer for about 2 hours, breathing between contractions. I had a shower as I thought if they were contractions, I would feel them despite the warmth and comfort of the hot water…and they came and strong and closer together. I stood in the shower thinking to myself ‘here comes our baby’ and was mesmerized by this feeling. I managed to pull myself from the shower to bake the cake that my dd2 decided we should do as I had explained to her that it was a point of celebration when baby was born (she was sacrificing a birthday party for one of her friends at school to be presence for her brother’s birth).
The children were going crazy, making quite a mess in my clean birthing space whilst I was baking a cake and feeling the contractions were quite strong now and getting closer together. I had this point where I couldn’t answer the children’s questions, I was starting to zone in on labour and the kids were becoming very distracting. I felt very overwhelmed and realized perhaps I should call my midwife. She popped in for 10 minutes and had to finish off a morning job and would be back in 20 minutes. Dh was still asleep (shift worker) and I realized oops tub needs setting up, so I woke Dh up, he had a quick coffee and it was all go from this point, the contractions got more intense and closer but no more than 7 minutes apart. I did the odd tid bits here and there of preparing for baby. The kids helped clean up too as dh set the tub up….midwife arrived, checked baby’s heartbeat, rubbed pain cream on my back…the cream was amazing, it was slathered on, it was like having a hot water bottle on my back…The kids were unbelievably excited. At this point I was a little anxious as it was the first time we’d had a full and awake household during birth. Midwife 2 arrived…
I chatted with my midwife and mentioned that I needed some space from the kids to be able to focus on the birth. Midwife 2 took the kids outside with paper and textas and entertained them for abit. I lit my candles and closed the curtains and my midwife mentioned the tub was ready anytime I wanted to hop in I could. I did so straight away.
I had starting to make a low breathing out sound with each contraction, I felt myself going inward and surrending to my body. I felt this openness to my newborn ,like he had this awareness of what he needed to do to move through my pelvis and I just had to have an open heart, this was the first time I was really aware that I was a vessel and the more I surrender the more baby was able to follow the path. Dh and my eldest dd were making lunch for everyone and as soon as they had dh came into the birthing area and video taped on and off. It really was an on the go birth, we had had an intimate birth experience with our 4th child but this time, he was helping to keep my space calm and noise free more so than back rubs. I was moving into transition as the urge to push was very strong and I had entered this space in my mind where I felt my body and mind had become one. Midwife 2 came inside. Each push I felt baby coming closer to crowning. I took a breath at this point in the contraction and gradually breathed his head…it was stinging but I knew it was so close now…the crown of his head was born and I breathed out with an open heart and his brow was born, then his eyes, ears and a pause…I took a breath with the next contraction…the midwife mentioned it was important I focus on birthing shoulders next. And I did, I felt the strength of my body ensuring he was birthed in this last contraction. He was placed on my back as the cord was shortish and I needed to turn over as I was in a semi squatting position. The moment he was placed in my arms I was so excited!! to finally meet my son. I had prayed for a boy during conception and was very pleased with my wishes being granted. With help I got out of the tub and onto our couch to wait for the placenta. We called the kids inside to meet their brother, they were estatic…it was one of those moments where I think my heart will always skip a beat thinking about it. They touched and kissed their brother and doted him with so much love. The kids went outside while I birthed the placenta and inside again to sing happy birthday with our freshly baked banana cake. A little later on we weighed him to discover he exceeded midwife 1’s scales and so had to use midwife 2’s scales…he weighed 12lbs 6 oz. 60cm’s long Established labour and birth was 4 hours in total.


I had felt for the week leading up to birth that my baby knew his size and the work he had to do to come through my body and so when labour started it progressed in this fashion.

[~twiddlebug~]

And a beautiful son he is

Congratulations again

we had had an intimate birth experience with our 4th child but this time, he was helping to keep my space calm and noise free more so than back rubs

I love this bit about your dh


Thank you for sharing Damona, next time I labour I want some of your pain cream lol!

[gumbymumma]

wow, how beautiful and seemingly calm that experience sounded!

Congratulations again

[Bejamumma]

Oh wow. what strength you showed and how real your story sounds. I felt like i was right there with you and admire your belief in your body and bub to do what you/they had to do, what a big bubba boy too. Awesome job!

Thankyou for sharing.

[~Harmony~]

Awesome! how precious! good on you for standing up to the knOB

[Xine]

Wow- brought tears to my eyes as I imagined your kids reactions.

What an amazing birth and what a big boy. Congratulations - you truly are amazing!!

[acumama]

Thankyou for your beautiful birth story, 12 pounds 6 ounces omg, well done and welcome to your little boy.

[mama_bel]

Congratulations! What a beautiful birth story, such detail and feeling... Thanks for sharing.

[la]

that is an inspirational lovingly told birth story, thankyou for sharing it with us

blessed be baby boy!!

[froggie]

Congratulations again & thankyou for sharing your amazing birthing journey

xxx Amanda