Max's Birth Story

Max was born on April 20th, 2007 at 3:45 am. He was 10 lbs 8 oz, 21.5 inches long, with a 15 inch round head. Everything went really well, and I’m glad to have my big baby out of my stomach.

I used Hypnobabies again, practicing my light-switch, and listening to a CD everyday. This time I went to a birthing center, and what a wonderful difference it was! The number one difference I think was the fact that I felt more like a person being cared for with the midwife there the whole time, instead of a procedure, a number, or that woman in that one room giving birth. The birth center felt like home, with a big bed that my husband could lie in with me. The prenatal visits were night and day different too. Instead of waiting for 45 minutes to see the doctor for 15 minutes, I would wait hardly at all to see the midwife for 45 minutes. I loved having a midwife, and birthing at the birthing center!

At 39 weeks I was checked and was 3 cm and 50% effaced, so the midwife said that my cervix was favorable if I wanted my membranes stripped the next week or later. That following week, I kept having braxton hicks that I could only feel if I touched my stomach, sometimes they’d be coming regularly, and sometimes not… But my feelings were that this baby was coming soon… For my 40 week appointment on Thursday the 19th, we arranged for a babysitter for my toddler, and packed our bags to travel the hour down to the birth center. I knew that I didn’t want to travel that hour back home without a baby!

The Midwife checked my cervix at my appointment at about 6:30pm, and it hadn’t changed, but we decided for her to go ahead and strip my membranes, and give me cohosh. We monitered the baby for a little while and then we left. We drove down the street to IHOP to have dinner, and as soon as I walked through the door, I had a contraction. I felt the same as the ones I had before, but then a few minutes later I had another, and they quickly became 2 minutes apart. So we ate our dinner, and then I called the midwife, she asked if they were getting stronger… I really had no idea… So she suggested we go to the Mall and walk around a little bit. So we did that for about a half hour, and our midwife called me back, and I still didn’t know if the contractions were getting stronger, I just knew they were coming. So this was about 9:00 at night, and we decided to go back to the birth center to see how things were going.

I was checked again, and no progress, but the contractions were still coming. I still couldn’t tell if they were getting stronger. She explained that the cohosh would give me contractions for a while, and then my own body would kick in and continue labor. So if they got stronger that was a sign of my body kicking in, otherwise the contractions would die off because my body wasn’t ready. So the midwife didn’t want to prepare my room unless we were sure that my body was kicking in, and it wasn’t just the cohosh. I didn’t want to go anywhere, and I just wanted to listen to a CD or something. So we stayed at the birth center, and I lay down on the couch in the waiting area, and listened to the birth guide CD, which has many suggestions that I AM in labor. So after over an hour, the midwife checked on me, and I said that I thought the contractions were maybe stronger, and that this was it. So she prepared my room, and I was in there by about 10:30pm.

I laid on the bed for a while, and started using my light-switch (going into hypnosis) during the contractions. I remember when it was 11:00, about 4 hours after I received the cohosh, thinking that this was really it. Because I remember the midwife told me that it took about 4 hours for the cohosh to wear off, and I was still having contractions close together and regular. My husband was still in the waiting room watching a movie. I went in to see him after a while, and his movie ended. We went back in on the double bed so we could both lie down. The midwife asked me if I wanted to get in the tub… I was really comfortable where I was in bed, but I said, “Sure, start filling up the tub.” I got in a little while later, and it was really nice! Even big enough for my tall body too.

So there I lay, in the tub, using my light-switch, going completely off during each contraction, while my husband and the midwife just sat next to the tub. They would be talking, and I would close my eyes during a contraction, and then they’d stop talking or whisper, “She’s going under again…” The contractions still were only felt as pressure and with no pain. The midwife said I was really hard to read as far as reading my progress, etc. I began using different positions like leaning forward against the tub while on my knees, and Travis would pour water down my back, which felt really good.

At about 2:45am my legs starting shaking, I remembered that this happened with Elora’s birth when I was in transition. But the contractions were still only pressure with no pain. A little while later, I started to push, but I felt like something was there in front of the baby. I really had to pee, but I just couldn’t… She said it was ok to pee in the water, but I couldn’t… Sorry if this is too much information, but it just wouldn’t come out! Finally I did pee, and a little while later my water broke at 3:15 am. So then pushing felt like it progressed much better. I got to a point where I just wanted this baby out NOW! And I got really impatient. Pushing was harder this time because of this. But it was good to move around and use different positions in the tub instead of on my back in bed like last time. When he was crowning I reached down to touch his hairy head, and it was a weird feeling. Well, I kept pushing, and he was out at 3:45am, what a relief!! The cord was around his head, which the midwife took off before the rest of his body came out. When he came out, and I saw him and held him, it was very shocking again. I couldn’t believe there was baby in my arms. He was healthy and chubby. It was amazing!! I had our beautiful son in my arms!! What a miracle!

After a little while of holding Max, we pretty much decided his name right there, the cord was cut after it stopped pulsating. Then I got cleaned up and dry, and went to bed. I tried breastfeeding, but Max would only latch on for a few sucks and then let go and go to sleep, he was pretty tired. We found out too that I had a few abrasions on top and a first-degree tear at the bottom. But when we measured Max and found out he was 10 lbs 8 oz and 21.5 inches long with a 15-inch round head, the midwife started bowing down to me. We rested in bed, my husband got more sleep than I did, and ate breakfast and did a few other things. We were out of the birth center by 12:30 pm that day, so 9 hours after the birth. It was good to go home and rest in my own bed.

What a wonderful experience, I’m so thankful for Hypnobabies again. It made the whole experience a memorable one in a good way. This birth was easier than my first, and my first was pretty easy! The birthing time was about 8 ½ hours compared to 6 hours last time. The birth center and midwife was sooooo much better then the hospital and OB/GYN. This time the contractions were only felt as pressure the whole time, and last time they felt a little more like mild cramps at the end and really intense during transition. This time pushing was harder because I just wanted it done. This time my body was really tired during pushing but I could change positions easily. Last time my legs got really tired having to hold them up in bed. Oh, and I totally recommend a water birth!!

So I’m really pleased with the experience and I love my beautiful new baby boy.

(This story was written about a week after Max was born.)