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Published : March 06, 2009 |
Author : UtterlyBlessed
Category : D. Birth Stories | Total Views
: 213 | Rating :  
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 UtterlyBlessed
Saved by grace, wife to Marcus, momma to Marcus Jr ('03) Eileen ('05) Charles ('07) & James ('09)
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The Birth of Eileen Adelle Booker
By Amy Booker
The last weekend in April, I awoke with a cold. I had a slight sore throat, bad headache, and stuffy/runny nose. I felt sick all week. On Tuesday, May 3rd, Eileen's due date, I had an appointment with my OB/GYN. He commented on how tired I looked. I was exhausted. I had been really hoping to have the baby soon, but began praying that she'd hold off in coming until I was feeling better. Which, of course, I hoped happened quickly!
The morning of Saturday, the 7th of May, I woke up feeling pretty good. It was the first day since becoming sick that I could actually breathe fully. (This is an answer to prayer, because I had been really afraid that I wouldn't be able to breathe properly while in labor.) Because Marcus and I had both been feeling sick, "relations" had fallen by the wayside. We just didn't feel like it, but also I was afraid it might start something. Since I was feeling good, and didn't think it would be too bad to go into labor, I decided to offer to Marcus. He took me up. It was about 6:30am, and afterwards we went back to sleep. The contractions started soon afterwards, but I slept through most of them. We got up around 9, and ate some Raisin Bran. I was continuing to have contractions, and they didn't feel like Braxton Hicks. I was pretty sure this was it. I chatted with my mom while I ate my breakfast, and timed a few contractions. I believe they were about 10 min. apart. After eating, I took a shower and continued getting ready to go. I had planned out garage sales the night before, and there were a lot. I was anxious to still be able to go. Around 11am, I called my midwife, Paulette, to let her know that I was in labor and that we were going out but I would call her later when she should come to town.
We went to several garage sales, with me just getting out most of the time, and the Marcus' staying in the truck. I continued to have contractions. I picked up a few minor things, but didn't find anything good. Around 1:30 or so, I needed to go to the bathroom, and we were close to a grocery store, so I suggested stopping there and also buying some fruit that I could eat, as I was getting quite hungry. I didn't want to eat anything too "heavy", though. We picked up some bananas, and canned peaches, pears and mandarin oranges. We got home around 2, and I ate some peaches. The contractions continued to get stronger and closer together, about 5-8 min apart. I really wasn't sure how much longer it would be, and had a hard time estimating how much progress would be made in the next two hours, so we called Paulette and she headed right over. (She lives about 2 hours away.) Marcus went about setting up the pool, and putting plastic over everything in sight. Junior ate some lunch, and played with his toys in the corner. I was becoming increasingly annoyed by him, when he would babble in the background or talk to me during a contraction. I didn't tell anyone this, and I felt like I was being unreasonable, so I think it was due to hormones or something. We called the church and our pastor arranged to make some phone calls and have some people who would come over and watch Junior. Wendy came a little before the midwife got there, and quickly made herself useful, keeping Junior out of my hair as well as washing dishes and straightening up. She was quite excited to be there during the birth and offered to take pictures for us. She said her sister is a birth photographer.
I continued to labor all evening, but things didn't seem to be progressing very quickly. I snacked on some more peaches, but didn't want to eat too much. Paulette made me some strong, black Red Raspberry Leaf tea. Actually, she did put some honey in it, but must not have put much, since it was very bitter. I just ignored the taste and gulped it down. Marcus and I, and then later Paulette also, took some short walks, around a few blocks. It was drizzling rain, and felt very good to get out. I would have to stop and lean on Marcus during a contraction. Around 9, I went upstairs and nursed Junior to sleep. (About 10 minutes.) At 11pm, we were all getting sleepy. Wendy took the baby monitor and went downstairs to sleep on a bed we have in our basement. Marcus and Paulette crashed on the floor in the livingroom with sleepingbags, and I reclined on the couch. My contractions pretty much stopped. Around 3am, I decided I would be more comfortable in bed, and since things had altogether stopped, I woke Marcus up and took him to bed with me. Paulette switched to the couch. I had a little bloody mucous around 3:30am, and then some more at 6. I told Marcus that before we went upstairs Paulette had told me that sometimes labor just stops, and that it might not be until next week that I give birth. I expressed to him my disappointment and frustration at being told that. He told me not to worry, and we went to sleep. (At this point I was worried and upset, but sleepiness outweighed that.)
In the morning, around 8 or so, we woke up and Marcus suggested we try to get things going again, via the method of Saturday morning. We did, and it did. We came downstairs, and Wendy had to go, because her husband teaches a bible study and she needed to get their children off his hands. I fixed scrambled eggs with bell pepper and some leftover wheat rolls with strawberry jam on them for breakfast for Marcus, Paulette and I. While fixing breakfast I had 3 contractions, and they quickly returned to the intensity which with they were hitting the night before.
It soon became apparent that labor had indeed resumed. Around noon, I had high hopes that the baby would be here by 3pm. The contractions were getting quite intense, but they were fluctuating in how far apart they were. Around 1 or 2, Laurel came by to watch Junior. She brought some disposable diapers with her, which came in handy. Junior had relapsed back to not being potty trained during the last couple days. Junior was having a hard time being away from me, as I was laboring in the birth room and he was being kept in the livingroom by the helpers. He would occasionally slip away and come "visit" me. I liked having him around, but when a contraction would hit, I would want someone to take him away again. Sometimes he would cry about this, and it bothered me. I felt sorry for him, not knowing what was going on and not having me there to explain it to him.
Marcus had been maintaining the temperature of the pool all day, quite easily with a hose attached to the bathroom faucet and a fountain pump directed into the bathtub. I was starting to wish I was in the pool during the contractions later that afternoon, but they were still coming so far apart, I wasn't sure whether it would be a good idea to get in yet. After awhile the midwife said that sometimes getting in the pool will speed things up, so I got in. Stepping in was heavenly! Oh the bliss of that nice, warm water! It was wonderful. I labored in the pool for awhile, and when I needed to go to the bathroom, I would stay out for a bit, walking around, walking up and down the stairs with Junior, or squatting by a chair. Junior thought it was fun to go up and down the stairs with me. Squatting seemed to help too. I hadn't really felt like squatting with Junior's birth, but this time it just felt "right", although it wasn't always the most comfortable position.. I usually couldn't sustain it during the contraction, though. I was squatting with my back up against a chair which helped support me. I also did a sort of a squat in the pool, too.
As the afternoon wore on and into early evening, I was feeling more and more frustrated at the lack of progress. I also felt a lot of pressure because of the people who were coming to watch Junior, and for keeping the midwife there for so long. There was nothing these people did to indicate that they were put out, but I still felt bad to have to have them there for this iminent thing, and then have nothing happen. Marcus once disappeared and then arrived back and told me to open my mouth and close my eyes. I did, and he deposited a piece of chocolate into it. He had been very sneaky, going upstairs and getting it out of our bedroom. I thought it was very thoughful of him, something I wouldn't expect him to think of. He gave me a piece every now and then when I seemed to need a boost to my morale. I also ate a bit of fried rice that Laurel had brought, that had little pieces of vegetables and bits of meat in it. It was very good, but also I was starving. Later in the evening I also ate some celery, carrot and bell pepper slices in a dip that Jenny had brought. Marcus brought me a chocolate chip cookie, but it didn't appeal to me, so I didn't eat it. Paulette offered to give me some herbal tincture that she had. It's meant to be taken during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy, to ready the uterus for labor, but she said that she had given it to women during labor and sometimes it worked to make the contractions more meaningful. She gave me three doses, 1 every hour, but it didn't seem to have much effect.
At some point, Jenny came to relieve Laurel of her Junior-watching duties. Maybe an hour later, Cherise arrived, and Jenny and Cherise both ended up staying until after Eileen was born. At around 8:30 or so, Jenny and Cherise started getting Junior ready for bed, and I said that I would go up and nurse him. However, by the time they got him ready, the contractions were getting closer together and more intense, and I decided I couldn't do it. They took him upstairs and somehow got him to sleep, after about an hour, while I listened to him cry and carry on about wanting me on the baby monitor. (At some point someone turned it down so it wouldn't bother me.) My heart was breaking for him, wanting to go to him and comfort him, feeling sorry that he was being put to bed by strange people in an unfamiliar routine. But I was concentrating too heavily on the contractions now to be bothered by it as much as I would have otherwise been.
While they were upstairs putting Junior to bed, I mentioned to Marcus that Paulette had offered to do an internal exam earlier, but I hadn't wanted to. He now thought it was a good idea, though, so he convinced me. I was so scared of the results, though, thinking that I would be devastated if I was only dialated to a 3 cm or some small amount after so long of labor, especially now that the contractions were getting so hard. I couldn't afford such a blow to my morale. I was so relieved, though, when she said that there was only a lip, and that the baby's head was "right there". She pronounced me 8cm dialated. She also said that there were no bulging waters in front of the head, something that I was thinking may have been impeding the progress. The internal wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I expected it to be. Afterwards I was pumped and ready to do it. I had a surge of confidence that everything was on track, and that it wouldn't be much longer. I would soon hold my baby!
It was now that I got in the pool for the last time. Except for getting out to go to the bathroom (once, I think) and getting right back in, I stayed in until Eileen was born. Marcus pumped some water out and put some more hot water in, but while he was doing that, another contraction hit, and afterwards I told him to stop. The area where the hose was was squirting hot water near me and was really bothering me during that contraction. I had to swish the water around with my arms to get the temperature even. I was strongly concentrating on each contraction as they came now, and everyone knew things were getting close. The contractions had definately speeded up, and were now coming probably every 3 minutes.
After Jenny and Cherise got Junior to bed, I could hear them out in the livingroom. So I told Marcus, "If they want to, they can come in here." I said that the decision was up to them. I didn't want them to feel pressured to come in, but I certainly didn't mind having them there... I was so much in my own world I knew I wouldn't notice them much. But I was still feeling pretty good between the contractions. I was smiling and laughing and talking with them, but then would be silent and concentrate during each contraction. Except for deep breathing, and a few moans of discomfort during an especially hard one, I wasn't making much noise until I began pushing. After a little while I told Marcus I needed him closer to me, so he pushed a chair up to the side of the pool and leaned forward to hold my hand. I didn't feel as dependant on him this time as the first time, though. Of course, his presence was still a reassurance and I was very glad to have him there. Soon after that, I got my washcloth from the table beside the pool and started supporting my perineum with it. I could hear Marcus commenting to the midwife that he knew it was close now, now that I wanted to start doing that. This time, I was much more confident, knowing what to expect since I had been through this all before. I knew it was hard, and that it would hurt, but that I would get through it and that my reward would be a precious baby. I didn't spend a lot of time "fighting" things like I had last time. I knew what to expect, I knew I could do it, and I just went about it in a very matter-of-fact way.
At one point, something came out of me, and I picked it up. It was very strange, perfectly round, about 2" in diameter, thin and a brownish red color. Marcus said that he had seen one last time as well, but I hadn't seen the other one. Paulette had no idea what it was either. It was very bizarre, and we could only speculate as to what it was... some kind of covering over my cervix? A blood clot? If anyone else has ever seen something like this, I would be interested in hearing what it is!
I was kneeling beside the wall of the pool, holding Marcus' hand with one hand, and supporting my perineum with the washcloth in the other. Because of my swollen legs, this position was very uncomfortable, and cut off circulation to my legs very quickly. After a contraction, I would sit back and stretch my legs out in front of me. After awhile though, there was no time in between contractions to do this. I was more in a leaned over the side of the pool, hands-and-knees type position than upright on my knees like last time. Unlike last time, this time I twice put my finger inside and felt what was going on. I felt her head, and smiled. It gave me a boost. The other stuff I felt I couldn't tell what it was. (I didn't mention to anyone that I did this.)
After awhile I started feeling like pushing. The urge wasn't as defined as last time, until the very end. I was having a difficult time with pushing, however. I was breathing too shallowly to take a deep breath to hold long enough to have a meaningful push. I was running out of breath too quickly and not reaching my full pushing potential. I concentrated on breathing more deeply. One push felt very good. I could feel her coming down the birth canal. This time I felt the waterbag pop. It was right before she came. With one contraction, she started crowning. Her head came out about 1/3 of the way, but the contraction died out and I wailed, "No, I don't want to wait for the next one!" Then I said, "The next one! It's going to be the next one." Since last time the birth had surprised the birth helpers, I wanted to let them know what was going on. Her head did indeed come out with the next contraction. The midwife asked if the head was out, and I said yes. She said she was going to check for the cord, but I'm not sure if she had time to or not before the next contraction hit. I pushed mightily to get the rest of her body out. It seemed to take awhile, although I'm sure it was only a matter of seconds. At one point she sincerely felt stuck. I just didn't think she was going to be able to budge. Of course, she did.
As she was coming out, it was a strange, because, being more leaned over this time, she was coming out behind me more, instead of straight down like Junior had. I didn't really realize I was leaned over though. Afterwards when I mentioned it, Marcus told me that I was. So, here she is coming out, and I can't keep ahold of her. After her body was birthed, she started to float away behind me before I grabbed her. I vaguely remember someone saying, "Where is she?" As soon as I lifted her out of the water, she started crying. The cord, however, was wrapped around her neck, and, we discovered, quite short. So we had a hard time getting the cord off from around her neck without putting her face back in the water. It was quickly done by the midwife, though. Then we put her on the side of the pool, and started drying her with towels. The midwife suctioned her out, though it wasn't much needed. I checked to make sure the ultrasound technician was right. She was: it was a girl.
The water in the pool was dark red. Paulette was nervous about blood loss, so, since Eileen had pinked right up and was crying and breathing well, we decided to cut the cord before it stopped pulsating, so that we could get me out of the pool. Unlike last time, the water was still warm and I felt fine about being in the pool still. They handed the baby off to one of the women and Paulette and Marcus helped me into the next room on the couch. I believe they gave me some oxygen at this point, but I can't remember. I think I was feeling a bit shakey. The contractions resumed, and they were very painful. I was lying on my back on the couch, and Paulette was keeping pressure on the cord. Last time, the pain was very bad during this time, but the placenta fell out with no effort on my part. This time I had to push hard. Finally relief came when I felt the large, soft mass come out.
Someone finally handed Eileen back, and she latched right on and nursed away contentedly. I lay there, exhausted and delighted with my new baby, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Jenny brought me some chili and rice, and a couple chocolate chip cookies. (Which were very good!) I was very hungry! Shortly afterwards, Marcus handed me the phone and I spoke to my family. All my brothers and sisters had been in bed, but when the phone rang they all got up and then each one wanted to talk to me. (All 8 of the older children.) I'm sure I made no sense to them, I was very tired and my mind was starting to blank out. I said something like, "How are you doing? Are you excited to be an Aunt/Uncle again? ...Can you hand the phone to the next person now?" to each one. Finally the phone call was over.
Eileen was done nursing and the midwife took her and weighed her, measured her, cleaned off the meconium, dressed her and wrapped her in a blanket. Marcus was draining the pool, and cleaning up. I believe the midwife was examining the placenta while I was on the phone. She said that it looked good, and that the only thing different on it was one small smooth area, so perhaps that is where the blood clot had been. Paulette had been periodically coming over and massaging my uterus. She said it kept getting "boggy" and then when she massaged it it would clamp up like it was supposed to. She also gave me two doses of a hemmorhage-stopping herbal tincture, but she said she was using it for it's good properties for the blood, and not to stop hemorrhage. She also mixed a little packet of electrolyte solution into a glass of water. It was fizzy and tasted good. Jenny left a little while after the birth, but Cherise stayed to see how much she weighed before leaving.
After awhile I decided I had better use the bathroom before going to bed for the night. Marcus and Paulette both helped me into the bathroom. I sat on the toilet for a few minutes, and was feeling pretty good, so I decided that I would kneel in the shower and use the sprayer head to hose myself off. Last time I didn't do that and it was a lot harder to clean up the next day. I cleaned up for a few minutes, and then started to feel a little dizzy, so Marcus brought the oxygen in and gave me some. Then I felt better, and finished up. Marcus and Paulette again helped me out of the tub and were heading me towards the livingroom, when I felt very lightheaded and knew I was going to faint. I told them so, and then did. Perhaps I had stood up too abruptly, but whatever the reason, I came to a few seconds later, feeling Paulette's hand on my back and her asking something like, "Are you with us?" I grunted and then lifted my head a bit and said, "Huh? Oh..... yeah." Marcus was administering oxygen. When I came to this time, it felt different than last time. I felt very, very good. I felt like I had just woken up from a very restful sleep. It felt exactly like waking up from sleeping. It took me a minute to realize what had happened beforehand. I was laying on the floor in the doorway between the bathroom and hallway, flat on my stomach, and I was looking in towards the computer room, at the bookshelf. It was very comfortable. I laid still and got some oxygen for a couple minutes before getting up and going the rest of the way to the couch.
Then Paulette changed the chux pads on the couch, and put new ones down. She took the damp towel that had been covering me since getting out of the pool, and gave me a sheet and blanket. As soon as she walked into the next room to throw the used chux pads away, a large gush of blood and a good-sized clot plopped out. Marcus was sitting on a chair right next to the couch and commented on how funny it sounded. So Paulette came back and changed the bedding once again. It had gotten over everything she had just changed. The timing couldn't have been worse.
Finally everything was settled down and cleaned up. We ended up going to bed around 3:30am. Paulette slept in the spare bed in our basement, Eileen slept on a chair beside the couch, and Marcus on a sleepingbag on the floor. Junior was upstairs with the baby monitor on.
Our exciting adventure had come to an end. Baby Eileen was safe and sound, and I had weathered another labor and birth. Praise be to God, from whom surely ALL blessings flow! |
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