There are so many things I'd like to tell you right now. As I'm sure you can believe, these last couple of weeks have proven to be the most challenging, growing, strengthening and fully alive days of my life. The Chambers are now three.
Baby Dorothy Camille came right on time- one day early to be exact. Friday I felt crampy and tight in my belly, but tried to ignore it- I knew this could go on for days... I worked, but I skipped the gym. Our Friday night plans included pizza and movies but by 8:00pm we were timing contractions- although I wouldn't call them contractions, just a "tightness" or "cramp" in my uterus. This had been happening since about 5:00pm, but after walking and discussing whether or not it was labor, Chris decided to time things. I couldn't ignore them, but they weren't unbearable, so, I knew it could still be early labor, which IS NOT labor itself, and again, I had been told this might go on for days...
in her ring sling
At 10:00pm we called our doula to give her a heads-up, just incase went to the birth center that night, she'd sort of be ready for our call. She encouraged us to try and slow things down; for me to take a bath and have 4oz. of wine or so and try to relax and get some sleep.
After an hour in the tub and drinking some red wine, nothing had changed and contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. So, after thinking, and talking and not wanting to rush into calling the midwife, we called her at 11:00pm Friday night. She said, "Looks like we are having a baby tonight. If things were going to slow down, they'd have slowed down by now." She said she'd meet us at the birth center at 12:00pm midnight.
It was raining. On the 30 minute drive into Tyler I listened to my positive affirmations CD and clenched Chris's hand during contractions. The drive wasn't as unbearable as I had previously imagined, since I was restricted to sitting and not moving about as I wished. We got to the birth center before anyone else and stood under a large umbrella in the rain, swaying during contractions.
Our doula arrived next, and I sat on her birthing ball on the porch, around 12:15am the midwife arrived. Once inside things seemed to progress immediately.
Two more midwives arrived (having just left a home birth) and one of them checked me. She asked what I'd like to be measuring at. (Honestly, I was thinking anything is better than nothing!!!! But I said, "A five.") She told me I was a good 7-8cm which thrilled me to know things had progressed so quickly and hopefully baby would be here sooner rather than later! I'd made it this far, I could make it through pushing her out into this world. (I was later told that she lied to me.... I was really 9cm dilated. But, for fear9 of freaking me out, in case I still had a long labor ahead, she said 7.)
going out for a fall walk
Within minutes I was in the birthing tub. For an hour. It didn't seem like an hour to me, but,
I'm told it was.... And I made no progress, but almost felt like pushing immediately after getting in the water. For the next several hours I changed positions and I pushed.... I remember thinking."God please let her be here by 3:00am...." then , an hour later, "God, please let her be here by 4:00am....."
Each new position brought more intense contractions, but my water never broke. I was pushing her, water bag and all, which was making the pushing much more difficult. If my water would break, things would progress even more.
So, when my husband went to take his first, and only rest/ break of the night- my water broke and I knew she would be following close behind. I looked across the room into the rocking chair he was sitting in and said, "get over here now." Our doula supported me from behind and Chris sprung into place, just in time to see our daughter born. Three pushes and she was out, four hours after arriving at the birth center.
She was all arms and legs. long and lean. And she looked just like me. I was surprised at her hair and was in love immediately. It's a new sort of love. It's unlike anything else I've ever experienced.
By 7:00am the three of us were on our way home, cooler temperatures, rain, the next day would be the first day of Autumn, It was a long night, (especially for the midwives who got another call at 6:00am- someone else on their way into the birth center...)
I was so proud of my daughter, of her beautiful entrance into the world. She did it. We did it. I got the birth I wanted. Things may not have gone as I imagined, but, it all went so well and so perfectly. I am so happy to be a mom.
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