my birth story.

If you're up for the long version and all the details of Augie's birth read on:

About this time last week (it's 8:30am as I begin typing this) I started feeling the early contractions of my labor. Though I didn't believe yet that this was truly "it", those contractions were the start of an amazing day where I'd finally meet my little boy.

Four days earlier, on my birthday, I had had an appointment with the midwife where she observed I was dilated to 3 cm and she swept my membranes (happy birthday!!) in hopes of getting things movin'. Maybe it helped, can't say for sure. Sweeping of the membranes can often start labor within hours which obviously was not the case with me. She also started me on stronger herbs that are supposed to help kick start labor.

Fast forward four days to Sunday, November 29, I was 41 weeks, 1 day pregnant. Okay, so that's not that far overdue but I felt like I'd been pregnant 100 weeks. It was a hard pregnancy. I was beginning to believe I'd hold the new record in Guinness' Book of World Records for the longest pregnancy or wondering if I may even become the world's very first eternally pregnant woman. I was imagining the reporters coming to the house, fearing the endless nights of heartburn, and wondering when the call would come from TLC asking me to star in my very own reality series. I decided to stay home from church. Not because I was in labor (again, I didn't yet believe it was the real thing and I was only just noticing them when it would have been time to leave) but because I was done. Done wearing uncomfortable maternity clothes, done discussing when this baby might come. Not the greatest reasons for skipping church, I know, but now we all know it's a good thing I did.

Since Halloween I had been having series' of strong contractions (I considered them "strong" at the time) but they would never continue longer than 30 minutes. So I thought these Sunday morning contractions were more of the same. Since I was home by myself I decided to take a really long shower and try to focus on the work my body was doing hoping to get these contractions to continue. I felt really calm and was praying for baby and labor and thinking about holding my baby soon. I think having the morning to myself was really key to helping labor along. I did lots of swaying and squatting and, you know, other things in the shower to help stimulate the contractions. By the time I was out of the shower I was definitely beginning to wonder if this might be the day. Mostly, I was impressed that it had been an hour or more and I was still continuing to have contractions!!! BUT I really tried not to think about the possibility too much, knowing that adrenaline hormones (excitement) can slow or stop labor altogether.

I had just downloaded a cool app on my phone that times contractions. Basically a start/stop button to record the length of time of each contraction but also shows a summary. So after several contractions you can see on average how long they are lasting and how far apart they are. (If any iPhone users are interested it's Labor Mate). I'm SOOO glad I began timing them because I was perceiving them to be shorter than they actually were. I knew they were only about 2-3 minutes apart but I thought they were only lasting 30 seconds. A print out I had from my midwife had said that contractions being only 30 seconds could be false labor. In reality they were lasting a whole minute. We had planned to go into the birth center when they were 5 minutes apart, lasting a whole minute and it wasn't until I started timing them that I realized we were already past that. Yikes. We still had a 40 minute drive and Dru was at church at the moment.

Earlier, maybe around 9:30 or 10am, I had texted Dru a couple times just to let him know what was going on. The first couple texts I told him there was no need to come home but I asked him to pray that this was really it. At 10:45 I sent him a text saying get home now!! Just before I had the break to text him I had several really, really bad contractions. Also, I couldn't get off the toilet (sorry if that's a TMI). Loose stools are also a sign of labor and I was on the toilet having HARD contraction after contraction and feeling sick as a dog!! I cried a little around this time. It wasn't the pain so much, but I was beginning to feel scared and out of control and that I really needed support to get through this. I was kind of freaking out, in regular Erin fashion, because I had called my midwife twice in the last 30 minutes and it was going to her voicemail!! Then with every intense contraction I'd feel more and more desperate for help. Ahhhh! I finally got ahold of another midwife at about 11:15 (just as Dru was arriving home from church) and I think she could hear "it" in my voice. She was like, "Get on up there now, honey, I'll meet you there". Also, she said the other midwife hadn't been able to answer because she was in another birth. They both made it to the center about the time we arrived and I was so privileged to have each of them assisting me through the birth.

So, Dru gets home from church and he's all excited, smiling and bouncing off the walls. Not really bouncing off the walls, but MUCH too excited for my liking considering my GREAT discomfort :). He needed a speech. One of those wife-acting-way-too-much-like-his-mother speeches. I was basically like, "This is serious business, pack the car, and get me the heck out of here!". My parents showed up while we were throwing a few things in a suitcase and took Violet to their place. I was so grateful for that because I know she was sensing my distress and I really didn't want her to see me in pain and worry about me.

The car ride actually felt like it went by really fast. Though I was having bad contractions the whole way. I was in wonder that this was for real and that I was going to have my baby oh so soon!! I kept up timing the contractions and I had so many in the car. They were getting so close together. But in between I felt totally calm and just enjoyed those breaks and Dru and I talked. Once we arrived I just felt so relieved. It's like when your a kid and you're sick and you just want your mommy. I just wanted to get there, be guided by my midwives, and let go.

I walked into the birth center, falling onto all fours every couple steps. Being on all fours somehow felt most comfortable with each contraction. I loved the freedom of assuming a position where I could work with my body through each contraction compared to my birth with Violet where I was in bed on my back/butt, exactly where all the pain and pressure was, for 20 hours of contractions!! I got to the exam room and the nurse was there. She assists the midwives with the births. I didn't know her very well up until then, but she was such an angel and a huge help through my labor that I felt so bonded with her only 3 hours later. Denise, the nurse assistant, took my blood pressure and listened for the baby's heart. She may have checked other things but I can't remember anymore. My midwife Kathleen arrived and checked me. 7 cm!!! Yay!!!

We got upstairs to the birth suite. One of two master-type bedrooms in this old Victorian house. The second midwife, Becky, had arrived by now. Told them about my progress up until now. They gave me an iv because I was Group B Strep positive. They were so awesome about it. They let the antibiotics pump into me til the dose was complete (about 15 min) then removed the iv. Done! My mom and sisters arrived by now as well. I wanted them to be there for the birth, I wasn't too sure about the labor part as I wondered if it would inhibit me from relaxing, but I definitely wanted them there while I was pushing and when Augie took his first breath. That's the exciting part. It's fun to have people celebrating with you.

I had planned to have a waterbirth because I had heard how awesome they are and how much they help the mother relax. So the midwives started filling the tub (not the bathtub but they had a huge birthing tub like maybe 5 feet across and 2-3 feet deep right in the bedroom). My contractions continued to be really hard and I was pretty restless. I moved from the bed to the floor, all fours, squatting, sitting on the toilet. Endless, endless moving around. Like I said, I felt really out of control when I'd hoped I could be more calm. There was some cussing (sorry, Mom), some kicking the nurse when she tried to grab my leg during a contraction, some "Get your hands off-a me!!" and general freaking out. Ah, oh well. The tub got filled and I hopped in. 8 1/2 cm, probably 1:30 by now. Unfortunately, I was still SO restless in the water. The midwives said I looked way too uncomfortable in there and they didn't think it was the best choice for me. I totally agreed. I needed to MOVE. Out of the tub I came.

From 9-10 cm was most definitely the worst part. I had a cervical lip that was holding Augie back and keeping me from reaching a 10 so I had to start some pushing when I hadn't yet felt that "urge to push". Generally, when the mother gets the "urge" the pushing is actually a relief and less painful than the labor up until that point. That was totally true for me. But the pushing before a 10 to get through that cervical lip was quite difficult. I felt like I really could not do it. Luckily, it was very short and after several awful pushes I reached a 10.

Pushing. Oh, now pushing was heaven. Seriously. I was calm. I was completely quiet. It felt so good. So satisfying. I knew when it was time to push, my body told me exactly when, and I accepted the job willingly. I did a few pushes in the squatting position. Dru sat on a stool and I faced away from him with my armpits over his knees. Once little Augie was crowning they told me to hop into bed. I did so and quickly pushed him out. All 9 lbs 14 oz of him! And not even a cut or tear! Yahoooo! Something that cannot be said of my birth with V who was nearly 2 lbs smaller. A true testament to the body's amazing capabilities when we step back a little, tiny bit and allow them to do what they were created to do. They told me, "Reach down and grab your baby", and I gently held his head while I pushed, then put my hands under his armpits and pulled him up to my chest. It was so awesome. I held him on my chest and just kept saying, "Thank you, God!". I was so relieved to be done with that hard work, and so happy to finally have my Augie in my arms! I laughed and I cried and I told Dru, "I feel so happy." I really did. I was elated. Now before taking time to educate myself on the topic of birth I would never have wanted to "catch" my baby or touch him before he was "clean". Yet by the end of my pregnancy I couldn't think of anything more rewarding than being the one to catch and pull my baby up to my chest and hold him in my arms. It was beyond awesome. He nursed right away and Dru and I both just loved that we could be so close to him immediately after his entering the world.

We just enjoyed the next couple hours gazing at this little guy and hanging out with the fam. Three hours after Augie came, and after he and I passed our physical checks, we were released to bring our baby home! We made it home with our new little guy by 7:30 that evening. Wow! What a day!

Now to the question everyone keeps asking: would I "go natural" and do it all again? Answer: without a doubt. Absolutely. No question in our minds. But at the moment, to be quite frank, I don't really ever want to be pregnant again. :)

And finally, the recovery has been perfect. A week later and I feel tired, but really, really good. Augie's health has been perfect. We go for his circ tomorrow and his first pediatrician's appointment is Tuesday. I can't tell you how happy, and present I feel. I am enjoying the newborn stage so much. This little guy is just amazing to me. I think with my first baby, I was really caught off guard with how much my body went through after the birth. This time I knew what to expect more and my emotions have just been more steady and I am simply enjoying every part of this. I am overwhelmed with the blessing of this little guy. Gee, I'm totally humbled and amazed at this whole experience. Thank you, God!

Hmm, well, guess that, can I even say, "sums" it up! I've just kind of typed away here all morning between feedings and diapers, and making breakfasts and lunches, loads of laundry, etc etc. I may think of more I want to add later. And later I may wish I had said things differently, but there it is, the story of the birth of my August John.