Noah Aiden- Urban Nebraska hospital with a Certified Nurse-Midwife
Me at 41 weeks pregnant!
{Story contributed by Noah's mom, Dorothy.}
On Tuesday I woke up having some very mild contractions and a feeling of the baby's head low in my pelvis and it was stinging! I had a non-stress test (NST) and amniotic fluid index test scheduled for 6pm so I was going to ask about the pains I was feeling. I was eleven days past due date and so ready to have my baby! I had been listening to the Hypnobabies® "come out baby" track for about two weeks and birthing day affirmations every night as well to try and coax my baby out! I had done everything to try to naturally jump start labor! He just didn't want to come out!
At my midwife appointment they said my baby looked good and the pains were contractions! I was contracting about every five minutes during the NST! My midwife said I looked too happy so it might be false labor and just to go home and rest.
So I went home kind of sad that it wasn't happening yet and in a lot of pain from the baby's head pushing down on my cervix so hard. I started to time them and they were consistently five minutes apart for about three hours so I was starting to think maybe I really was in labor!
I went up to my room after I put my two-year-old to bed and lay in my bed and turned on Hypnobabies®"easy first stage". It was really calming and helped me ignore the pain for a while. Once that track completed I started to worry because my pressure waves were now six to seven minutes apart. So I got into the bath tub to see if it would kill the contractions if it was false labor. In the bath they were still spaced out about six to seven minutes. But as soon as I got out I doubled over in pain because the pressure waves were so intense! I kept thinking PEACE PEACE PEACE (Hypnobabies® cue)!
All the sudden were three to four minutes apart so I told my husband it was time and we got our two-year-old packed up and out to our friends place around 1:45am. My midwife said to wait till my pressure waves were two to three minutes apart to come into the hospital so I went back to my bedroom and turned on "birthing day affirmations" while I bounced on the birth ball. I really enjoyed this nice quiet time alone listening to this! I stayed in the bedroom switching between tracks and concentrating on my pressure waves till around 4:30am when they were close enough to go into the hospital.
On Tuesday I woke up having some very mild contractions and a feeling of the baby's head low in my pelvis and it was stinging! I had a non-stress test (NST) and amniotic fluid index test scheduled for 6pm so I was going to ask about the pains I was feeling. I was eleven days past due date and so ready to have my baby! I had been listening to the Hypnobabies® "come out baby" track for about two weeks and birthing day affirmations every night as well to try and coax my baby out! I had done everything to try to naturally jump start labor! He just didn't want to come out!
At my midwife appointment they said my baby looked good and the pains were contractions! I was contracting about every five minutes during the NST! My midwife said I looked too happy so it might be false labor and just to go home and rest.
So I went home kind of sad that it wasn't happening yet and in a lot of pain from the baby's head pushing down on my cervix so hard. I started to time them and they were consistently five minutes apart for about three hours so I was starting to think maybe I really was in labor!
I went up to my room after I put my two-year-old to bed and lay in my bed and turned on Hypnobabies®"easy first stage". It was really calming and helped me ignore the pain for a while. Once that track completed I started to worry because my pressure waves were now six to seven minutes apart. So I got into the bath tub to see if it would kill the contractions if it was false labor. In the bath they were still spaced out about six to seven minutes. But as soon as I got out I doubled over in pain because the pressure waves were so intense! I kept thinking PEACE PEACE PEACE (Hypnobabies® cue)!
All the sudden were three to four minutes apart so I told my husband it was time and we got our two-year-old packed up and out to our friends place around 1:45am. My midwife said to wait till my pressure waves were two to three minutes apart to come into the hospital so I went back to my bedroom and turned on "birthing day affirmations" while I bounced on the birth ball. I really enjoyed this nice quiet time alone listening to this! I stayed in the bedroom switching between tracks and concentrating on my pressure waves till around 4:30am when they were close enough to go into the hospital.
Doing the belly rub during a contraction, about 5 cm dilated here.
I was really excited! I was really feeling the power of my body at this point! We had to keep stopping on our way into labor and delivery because of the pressure waves and I would close my eyes and sway and think "open open open"! It was very cold, so I really tried to hurry in but I just couldn’t! They admitted me and I was at 4 cm and 75% effaced! I was really happy I was already at 4 cm I was half expecting them to tell me to go home again!
My doula arrived shortly after and we started walking the halls to get things going! She kept me really focused! When I would start to lose control during a wave she would remind me to be "lose and limp" and it really helped me relax! I am so grateful for her reminding me everything was okay by saying Hypnobabies® cues!
Things felt like they were going fast but I was still in a good mood, laughing and joking with everyone in between waves. My midwife checked me and I was only 5 cm at about noon. She thought I should go home because my dilation said active labor but my mood was more like early labor. I really felt like things were more intense than they realized and that I was in a good mood because I wanted this to be a happy and light experience. I asked to stay and I could try getting into the Jacuzzi for a little while to see what would happen.
My doula arrived shortly after and we started walking the halls to get things going! She kept me really focused! When I would start to lose control during a wave she would remind me to be "lose and limp" and it really helped me relax! I am so grateful for her reminding me everything was okay by saying Hypnobabies® cues!
Things felt like they were going fast but I was still in a good mood, laughing and joking with everyone in between waves. My midwife checked me and I was only 5 cm at about noon. She thought I should go home because my dilation said active labor but my mood was more like early labor. I really felt like things were more intense than they realized and that I was in a good mood because I wanted this to be a happy and light experience. I asked to stay and I could try getting into the Jacuzzi for a little while to see what would happen.
Happy when I first got into the tub!
At first I felt relief in the tub and things seemed to slow down.
Out of nowhere the pressure waves became a lot more powerful and the space in between them was very minimal! Epidural crossed my mind a few times during this time. My doula kept reminding me to just get through this next contraction.
About 2 hours after entering the tub things got crazy. I was a lot like a cat in cold water, clawing the sides of the tub, trying to crawl up the walls, and moaning pretty high pitched! My husband and doula were using cold wet rags to distract me. I thought good lord I cannot do this! Then I felt this powerful force in my body trying to push the baby out! I said "the baby's coming!" my doula told me to reach down to see if I could feel the baby's head and I feel something gooey but no head. I suppose it was the water sack because immediately after I felt warm water rush out of me.
Out of nowhere the pressure waves became a lot more powerful and the space in between them was very minimal! Epidural crossed my mind a few times during this time. My doula kept reminding me to just get through this next contraction.
About 2 hours after entering the tub things got crazy. I was a lot like a cat in cold water, clawing the sides of the tub, trying to crawl up the walls, and moaning pretty high pitched! My husband and doula were using cold wet rags to distract me. I thought good lord I cannot do this! Then I felt this powerful force in my body trying to push the baby out! I said "the baby's coming!" my doula told me to reach down to see if I could feel the baby's head and I feel something gooey but no head. I suppose it was the water sack because immediately after I felt warm water rush out of me.
During transition, my husband was holding a cool
cloth to my head to help me cope.
I felt my body pushing again like I was going to have a huge bowel movement but when it pushed I had no pain! My midwife came in the room and suggested I try pushing a little when I felt that urge so I tried and I felt an extreme amount of pressure then burning!
The burning was strong and I couldn't feel contractions anymore so I would just push a little then rest. The burning was getting intense and I shouted "help me!" Then I reached down and felt his head halfway out! Two or three more pushes and the pain completely disappeared!
The burning was strong and I couldn't feel contractions anymore so I would just push a little then rest. The burning was getting intense and I shouted "help me!" Then I reached down and felt his head halfway out! Two or three more pushes and the pain completely disappeared!
Feeling like super woman minutes after birth!
He was put right on my chest and I started to cry instantly! I was so happy that I did it and he was healthy!
He didn't cry for a few minutes and just looked around at everyone while we cuddled in the tub with a warm towel around us. After about 20 minutes we got out to birth the placenta and he latched on right away and breastfed with ease! We snuggled and breastfed! I was on cloud nine :) He weighed 7lbs 13oz and was 20 inches long born at 2:46pm! We chose the name about an hour after birth, its Noah Aiden :)
He didn't cry for a few minutes and just looked around at everyone while we cuddled in the tub with a warm towel around us. After about 20 minutes we got out to birth the placenta and he latched on right away and breastfed with ease! We snuggled and breastfed! I was on cloud nine :) He weighed 7lbs 13oz and was 20 inches long born at 2:46pm! We chose the name about an hour after birth, its Noah Aiden :)
Noah being weighed, about an hour old!
I'm so glad that I practiced Hypnobabies®! I'm so happy I had my husband and my doula by my side the whole time! And most of all I'm happy I labored with no medical interventions! I had no IV's or continuous monitoring! I labored in a cute top with comfortable pants! In the tub I wore a cute white swim top and pearls. They said I was the first women they've delivered a baby that was wearing pearls! I even ate McDonalds and drank Gatorade.
I felt everything and it was truly amazing what our bodies can do! Most of all I'm happy to have my baby that is perfectly healthy and happy! He is so calm and smiley! I hope more women can have a good birth experience like I did! Thanks to my midwife, doula, and husband that all believed my body knew what to do and believed in me to make the right choices for my baby and I.
I felt everything and it was truly amazing what our bodies can do! Most of all I'm happy to have my baby that is perfectly healthy and happy! He is so calm and smiley! I hope more women can have a good birth experience like I did! Thanks to my midwife, doula, and husband that all believed my body knew what to do and believed in me to make the right choices for my baby and I.
Noah is now a few months old and still breastfeeding wonderfully and is very happy!
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