Kristiana’s Birth Story
On Friday March 4th before bed I went to spinningbabies.com and with help from my husband, worked through several of the techniques suggested for getting baby into the occipito-anterior position, or the optimal position for journeying through the birth canal. Throughout my pregnancy I continued to belly map baby, and though I felt she was well positioned, I thought I might offer her another assist in getting her crown a little deeper into my pelvis. Around 10am on Saturday, March 5th at exactly 40 weeks pregnant, I began having contractions. I woke a few times the evening before and could feel the tightening of my stomach, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t fall back asleep from.
I facetimed with my sister that morning and had to cut the conversation short because I was quite uncomfortable and I could feel myself being rather rude. Miguel and I went for a walk around the block and I had to pause a few times to brace myself and breathe through mild contractions. At this point I could sense each wave before it came and I had time to prepare for it. We carried on with the day, and though I suspected our time was near, the waves were still sporadic and I reminded myself that we could start and stop a couple of times before the party actually got started. Around 1:30pm I climbed in the bath with a glass of red wine and felt immediate relief. Any tension I felt building in my back softened. I floated for a while until I eventually felt ready to get back out of the tub.
The contractions continued throughout the day, lasting less than a minute with enough time in between that I still was not fully convinced I would have her within the next 24 hours. At 6:30pm my sister called to ask if I needed anything. I said yes! Please send me a chicken sandwich! She sent over a ton of food and I ate a nice big meal between contractions. It was 9:30pm when everything started to pick up. Miguel was timing contractions and stayed in touch with the midwives. I remember one of my final thoughts before entering into the trance of labor being “I want off this ride; I understand why people want drugs.” The night after that gets a bit fuzzy. We had every room in our apartment dim with twinkle lights. I had been practicing bhramari pranayama, humming my way through contractions with low “mmm”s, and now it is the sensation of the vibration of my own sound that I remember most.
I moved intermittently between the birth ball, the toilet and the tub. Being in the tub was the most comforting for me as having my ears submerged allowed for me to tune in again to the vibration of my own humming that shifted from “mmms” to “ooo”s and “ahhh”s. On a few occasions I would have a thought about whether I was disrupting the neighbors. But that thought, and any other thought, I quickly released. Miguel continued timing contractions and updating the midwives. Around 12am Sam said she was on her way. It was while I was waiting for Sam to arrive that I felt a bit antsy. At one point Miguel left my side for what I thought was to get the door for Sam, so when he came back without her I felt a bit disappointed. (I later found out that he actually went to put a sign on our front door: “Mom in labor, please do not disturb.”) I could feel that everything was progressing well, but the sensations were growing more intense and I wanted reassurance. I stayed in the tub until some time after she arrived around 2am. I remained with my ears under water while she came into the bathroom to check on me, and through dim lights I could see her smile and nod. That was all I needed to continue laboring confidently.
Pressure began to build and Miguel helped me out of the tub and to the toilet. I had shakes and waves of hot/cold come and go. I eventually dried off and moved back to the birth ball where I labored a while longer. Miguel stood in front of me and I hooked my arms around him and continued with bhramari pranayama. About this time Kate arrived. I saw the two of them from the corner of my eye quickly shuffling equipment and making the bed with chuck pads. The amount of equipment they had made me nervous, but again I released the thought and returned. One more time Miguel helped me to the toilet. Even though I had been told by friends and midwives that this was the sensation of the baby getting ready to crown, I still thought surely I am going to 💩 right now! I labored on the toilet until Sam said I had to pick: bed or bath. I climbed back in the bath and the contractions started running one right into the other. I remember my longest sentence during labor being “I can’t not push anymore”. Sam reassured me that if I was ready to push I could go for it. I started breathing a bit quicker, pushing my exhales firmly from my lips as Cora began to make her way. I reached down and could feel her head! I supported her head and my perineum and began talking to her, repeating the mantras to her that supported me through pregnancy. I looked up and had the joy of seeing Miguel see Cora for the first time. I am convinced this was the moment he became Dad. With a few more pushes out she came en caul. Sam pulled the bag over her head and laid her on my chest. The time was 4:06 am. Cora cooed, opened her eyes and looked around at all of us. She was present and seemed content to have arrived. I pushed out the placenta and Miguel took it with him and Cora to the bed. I stayed in the bath for a few moments before joining them.
Eventually I climbed in bed with adrenaline still pumping and struggled a bit before finally getting her to latch. We had a few quiet hours together just the three of us as the light from the early morning welcomed Cora to the world. I held her naked chest to mine and gazed in awe at what I had done. I felt incredible. Sam and Kate quietly cleaned up the apartment while we rested. Sam cooked us the tom kha gai soup Miguel had bought all the ingredients for and never had the chance to make. Around 8 am she served it to us in bed and she and Kate set up to do Cora’s newborn check. Right as they unwrapped Cora she began spewing meconium all over. We were prepared with a little olive oil to wipe it away. Once we got her cleaned up Sam laid her in the woven basket she used to weigh her. Kate bet Cora would be over 6 lbs 8oz, and Sam bet under. Cora came in right at 6lbs 7.3 oz. She measured at 21 inches long, and she came out with this magnificent head of hair that truly grows longer everyday.
The first three days postpartum were bliss. The two weeks that followed that were HARD. I dealt with expected baby blues and struggled with my appetite. I was grateful to have spent time reading and preparing myself for postpartum (as best as one can) and I held space for the baby blues to pass. And they did. Cora is now over three months and life is busy, messy, difficult and beautiful.
I am grateful grateful grateful that I allowed my intuition to guide me through pregnancy and L&D and I’m grateful to have found Kate and Sam who shared their expertise and guidance all while holding space for me to move through my experience safely and autonomously.
