Baby #5 Birth Story
Christmas 2023. Baby is now four months old yesterday on the 24th. Time really flies! š
This was a total “free” or “wild” pregnancy. Means zero interventions, tests, blood work, ultrasounds, etc. Unplanned too, I mean yes, I had unprotected *** with hubby but it has always been difficult for me to get pregnant and I was out of all fertility friendly supplements, so it didn’t really seem possible to me. I learned later that hubby actually asked God for a baby, soā¦guess He said yes.š
August 23rd, 2023, 41+3 weeks along
Prodromal labor for days. Also, softer number twos and diarrhea. My body was getting ready! A real contraction here and there. About noon there was one about every 10 minutes. Got the bedroom ready just in case. Puppy pads everywhere, lights turned on. The fun snack bag brought out for hubby and the older kids (8,4,& 2). Did some baby mapping. Figured out baby was posterior position or Sunny Side Up just like my last baby. Not the worst, but thought it would be nice not to have that super intense back labor this time. So I got on YouTube and drank tons of water and did a bunch of exercising, squats, “dancing” š¤£ and all fours moves for hours. After 5pm, contractions were 5-6 apart and painful in the front now! I was so excited. Figured I must have turned the baby.
Did regular work through the pain, dishes, dinner, got the kids to bed, etc. Kept up with salt, water, and was snacking on cooked lentils. Was set up in the living room now. Futon mattress on the couch, puppy pads ready, yoga ball, excitement in the air! This was it! It’s not slowing down! Baby is going to be here in the next one to 48 hours! Last one was 34-36 hour labor, so I was really hoping for a shorter one this time. Thenā¦8ish hit. OMG š³
A pain that I have never experienced before, lower back, shooting pain down my legs. So epic, and it got worse. Labor, it’s just labor, go with it girl, c’mon!!! YoU CaN Do THIS!!!
Then it started following the contractions. Midnight, contractions 3-5 apart. Making way more noise now, not really understanding what is going on. On the ball, bed, walking, swaying, what do you want baby?!?! Husband is surprised I’m still wearing clothes. I am telling this part of the story because it was so healing and amazing.
ā ļø Trigger Warning ā ļø
Last baby, (not going into details right now) I had no control over the birth once I transferred to the hospital. They didn’t listen to me, tore off my nightgown, and literally I was assaulted and raped by the on call doctor.
ā ļø Trigger Over ā ļø
So again, it seems like everything is progressing and hubby makes the comment about I’m still fully clothed.
I, okay,
I,
Myself,
No one else,
I take off my pants and underwear.
I leave my shirt on, no bra.
Whenever you are ready baby, it’s safe, it’s okay, mamas in control. š„²
That was such a powerful moment. I had undressed myself. šŖ
Now, 3ish in the morning. I am exhausted. I’m screaming into my pillow through each contraction. 2-3 minutes apart. I’m sweating. Hubby gets me a cold wet washcloth. I put it on the back of my neck. Music is softly playing in the background. The pain is unbearable. We both spend at least 30-45 minutes looking on our phones for an answer. He says that it sounds like a sciatic nerve and I find info on Sciatica. I try talking to people in birth groups, but they don’t understand. It’s not just labor pains or back labor, this is with each contraction and it is getting worse!!!! šµāš« I try all fours again, I try my ball, you name it, I tried it. Now one minute, one freaking minute apart!! At this point, I’m thinking, what if I go in? No, that’s stupid, don’t think like that! (Clearly, I’m in transition now, the “giving up”, the questioning of the last 40 plus weeks of my life, etc.) It’s now 6am. The 4 year old wakes up. NNNOoooo, that means I’m going to be alone. Hubby goes into his room and tries to get him back to sleep. He takes his phone with him and places my phone near me.
I am now alone in the living room. I feel like I’m dying. One light on low, music still playing, I can barely move. I get on the floor next to the couch, puppy pads under me still, and get on my knees, and I feel another contraction coming. I reach for my pillow and start screaming into it. Thenā¦
That sensationā¦
That Feelingā¦
That’s right..
I’m pregnant. I’m about to give birth. I can feel it. I can feel the baby coming down!!! OMG I’m not dying today, I’ve got work to do! Long, longer contractionā¦oh crapā¦I scream my husband’s name. Once. Twice. Burning is starting. I grab my phone, frantically dialing his number, he comes out, seriously, I kid you not, all tired and is like, what? (He didn’t know that this was the end and was like why do you need me? Nothing has happened all night š) What’s up? And I’m like this is it! Do you see it? Come over here! He walks over, the 4 year old jumps on the couch, and he’s like what? And I’m like, there is the head, the head, do you see the head?!?!?!? No, he says. ??????WTF ššš?????(Turns out, it was the sac, the baby was born en caul, still in its water sac! Dream come true! Always wanted this) I know it’s there, I turn around and I am now on my side, and next contraction, OH, THE RING OF FIRE Y’ALL, NO FREAKING JOKE! š„š„š„ hubby is on his knees in front of me, the four year old jumps off the couch and behind dad, the 8 year old opens his door and slowly walks out into the living room, and I scream CATCH IT, and with one last roar, two pushes, and all the power and love of a goddess with her ancestors watching and cheering, the world went into slow motion. An explosion of a baby and goo flying, the relief of the contraction over, hubby working, the four year old “helping” daddy, the sunrise, the dark blue sky turning orange then yellow, the crying from pain turning into crying from happiness, surprise, and joy, hubby announcing, it’s a boy! The world slowly started moving again. Hubby unwrapped the cord from around the baby’s neck. I grab the baby, we did it! We did it. No crying, but he is looking right up at me. I’m rubbing his back, I start rubbing rougher, (no crying, so I go into “ohno” mode thinking than I need that tv perfect newborn cry, completely forgetting that my baby boys never cry at the beginning šš¤Ŗ) he lets out a little cry for 5 seconds so that make me happy and I calm down a bit. I start looking him over, saying hi and counting his toes. He, I swear, looks up at me and says “HI”. šš„ŗš±š
I look around and say good morning to the other kids and show them the baby. It’s a baby, look at that! Mom had a baby! Awww š„° baby gets wrapped in a blanket and next step to me was, let’s get this placenta out.
Long story short, it takes 21 hours to get it out. I took Angelica several times and peed and all the tricks in the book. It finally came out after I settled down, was calm, and talked to it. I thanked it for taking care of my baby, and basically said it was time to go.
Because it took so long, I didn’t feel comfortable consuming it or encapsulating it. So, as of today, it is still wrapped in the freezer. We’ll probably bury it outside come spring time. (Northern Michigan Winter right now)
Final Notes:
Baby was born August 24th, 2023 at 6:15am at home, unassisted. 7lbs, 7 oz, 14.1 inch head, 21 inches long, dark blue eyes, blonde hair (my first blonde boy! Like his daddy, all the others are redheads!)
No bloody show, no water breaking, no mucus plug. Took Angelica a few times during the 21 hours with the placenta. Took Wombstringe once it was out, not that I was bleeding too much, moreso as a precaution. Took Afterease for pain and soreness about 24 hours after the birth, really works well! My lower back/butt hurt and was sore for at least three weeks after, due to the sciatic pain stuff. No tearing down there. Started *** again four weeks after, no problems. Baby has been exclusively breastfed so far, my first! My milk supply usually dries up by now due to stress, postpartum depression, etc. and we normally switch to formula. Baby is 4 months old, over 15 lbs now, and is wearing size 9 month clothing already!
