Active Labor

My sister and mom arrived at 7:30. I think based on the timing of my contractions and that they’d been happening since 11am, they expected things would be more serious. Although they were strong and close together, emotionally l knew we were still in early labor. I was still chatty and excited between contractions and coping well during them. So my sister put me to work! We went walking around the neighborhood stopping every few minutes for contractions. It was hot out there but I knew since things were staying consistent but not really intensifying, I needed to stay upright and active to help him move down and into position. By 9pm I was curious to know how much progress we’d made and to check in on the baby to make sure he was coping well! So I invited my midwife Cori to join us. She arrived just before 10pm and informed me that I was at 4 cm. After contracting all day! I knew in my heart we were still early based on how I was doing emotionally, so it wasn’t that surprising, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was hoping for 6!

Since it was hot out and I didn’t feel like going back outside to walk, Cori suggested I hit the stairs. Two at a time! To open my pelvis and help him align properly. So my sister and I hit the stairs! Hard. She walked up and down the stairs with me between contractions and I found a spot at the top where it overlooks the living room where I could hang from the banister. I was squatting and using my birth ball during contractions for the several hours I was walking the stairs. We were in a very consistent pattern now with the intensity starting to ramp up. I became much more serious during this time and pretty particular about the environment. Corey brought up a cup of coffee and the smell was overwhelming. And I had a Citizen Cope song playing on repeat. Nite becomes day. I was feeling that song! I also remember thinking this was really starting to drag on. I was hopeful earlier in the day that baby would be in my arms by midnight. But midnight came and went. Evidently this birth was about teaching me patience!

Eventually, at around 12:30 I asked Cori to check me again to see how we’re were progressing. I was 5cm. Not even close to fully effaced and the baby was still way up high. This was disappointing. I’d been working so hard between walking up and down the stairs and handling contractions that were barely 2-3 min apart for several hours (Although still quite manageable from a pain perspective). I was gassed. So, after the exam, my sister suggested I stay in bed and try to sleep through some of it. We turned off all the lights. Everyone headed to bedrooms/couches to get a bit of sleep and Corey and I snuggled up in our room to try to sleep. The contractions spaced out to 5-10 min apart and I was able to get some sleep in between.

At around 2am, I was uncomfortable on my right side and so I rolled over to my left and then about 5 min later I was hit by the most intense contraction I’d had up to that point. Then another one right on top of the last. I told Corey I had to get out of bed. Now! He helped me up and I had 2 or 3 more contractions back to back before I could let go of Corey long enough for him to alert our midwives. Something had definitely changed. I was shaking like a mad woman through these contractions and they felt altogether different. My midwife checked me again and didn’t tell me a number but ok’d me to get into the birth pool. I learned later that I was still at 5cm, but that baby had dropped considerably and I was almost completely effaced.

I got in the pool at around 2:30.

This was an intense time and the weightlessness of the water was fantastic. I thought I never wanted to leave that pool. The water was hot, so my support team was pouring ice in the pool and keeping me cool with cold wash clothes and ice water to drink between contractions. I labored here for about 30-45 min until the bag of waters bulged out! From the look of it, it appeared to be the babies head! It was a very strange feeling! My sister and midwives informed me that breaking the bag was an option at this point to move things forward. Mentally I knew that was the right call, but I also knew that would rapidly intensify the contractions. It took me a moment to gather the courage to move forward, but I decided then that there was only one way through this. In fact, a kids song that emery likes started playing in my head “we can’t go under it, we can’t go over it, we’re just going to have to go through it”. So I reached down and broke the bag of waters.

Immediately I felt him drop down further and the intensity hit a whole new level. I was immediately feeling pushy at this point. So much pressure! My midwife had been checking heart tones on baby throughout the time in the tub, but when I broke the bag of waters, baby’s position changed and she was having a hard time getting his heartbeat on doppler in the position he was in. So we decided to move to the bed to get a better angle for her to get a read on his heartbeat. She found it quickly and this put everyone at ease. Before she could check my cervix again to make sure I was fully dilated for pushing, another contraction hit hard. I immediately went to Corey for support and then dropped to hands and knees. I stayed here through several more very very intense contractions.