The Christensons: December 2009

Ellie's Birth Day

This is a doozy! I tried to keep it concise, but I had 36 hours to write about so feel free to read it, skim it, or ignore it.

Monday, Nov. 30th at 10:30 p.m.
After almost a week of pre-labor contractions that were keeping me up at night, things started getting a little more intense. My contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and lasted close to a minute long. I labored on my own for a couple hours, using the relaxation techniques I learned in my Hypnobabies classes and breathed through each contraction until I felt like I needed a little extra help to make it through them. I woke Clay up around midnight and he applied pressure to my back and talked me through the contractions. I took a bath and listened to my Hypnobabies recordings to stay positive and pain-free.

3 a.m.We decided it was time to call my doula, Melissa Chappell, and have her come over. I was thinking this was probably "it," but couldn't quite wrap my mind around it — especially since I was so worried about the contractions just going on for days like they had been. So, Melissa came over and worked her magic. She helped me through each contraction by applying pressure to just the right spot on my back, sometimes on my hips, and by helping me try lots of different positions to ease the intensity of each contraction. She brought her essential oils (lavender, orange and lemon) and put them in my candle warmer to permeate the air with their calming/energizing smells. I was already pretty tired at this point from not sleeping much the past week, so I tried to take a little nap ... I wasn't really able to take a real nap, but I did doze off for the few minutes in between contractions. When the sun came up, I put on my upbeat music mix. Melissa recommended making a few different playlists for my labor day, so I made 4: upbeat, calm, Christmas and church. Studies have shown that women who listen to music during labor report feeling less pain. I highly recommend making playlists! Melissa made Clay and I some omelets and fruit salad for breakfast, (amazing, right? I also highly recommend doulas, obviously!) then we went on a walk. It was such a beautiful day outside so it was perfect. Perfect, but pretty hilarious for the standers-by to see a bundled up, exhausted pregnant lady randomly collapse into her husband's arms every few minutes while another lady pressed on her back. We sure got some funny looks, but I didn't really care at this point! The walk actually made my contractions a little easier for some reason.

OK I'll try and get to the action a little quicker here. After a smoothie (thanks, Melissa), more contractions in different positions like on birthing ball, (my all-time favorite) side-lying, etc. I felt that the contractions were getting more and more intense. At 6 p.m., after 19 and 1/2 hours of laboring at home, we all thought it was time to go to the hospital.

And the drama sets in ...

We drove to the hospital in rush hour traffic, and having contractions in the car is not optimal. We made it to American Fork hospital and I got checked in the triage room. I was completely effaced and dilated at a 3+, but they wouldn't admit me until I was a solid 4. The midwife on call suggested I go walk around Target or something. Love the midwife, hated her suggestion. I could barely stand up at this point! We decided to walk the halls of the hospital for two hours and get checked again. Still a 3+. The midwife gave us 3 options: go home, hang out in the triage room until I could be admitted, or take a shot of morphene so I could get some sleep. But the problem with the morphene, she said, was that it may or may not work for me. It could work for 20 minutes, or up to 6 hours. My doula said she thought the morphene was a good idea because my body was too exhausted to have productive contractions, and a little sleep should put me back on track and avoid intervention. Everyone left to give us privacy to think our options over. I'm not going to lie — it was really a moment of despair for Clay and I. We did not want to go home. Not because we were too anxious for Ellie to come — we knew she was already on her way. The desperation was that I was completely exhausted physically and emotionally. I really didn't know if I could continue. The tears came. My sweet husband told me later how worried he was about me despite the reassuring smile on his face (some of you may have gotten a text at this point asking for prayers). He asked me what I wanted to do. Then, he said one of the most heartfelt, pleading prayers I have ever heard.

Then I told him I wanted that morphene.
And it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Of all possible answers to the prayers in my life, I never thought a shot of MORPHENE in the bum would be one of them — but it sure was. My doula was really happy I decided to take it because she knew how exhausted I was and wasn't sure if I could have the birth I wanted without getting at least a little bit of a break. The morphene started working immediately. Maybe since I never take medicine, it is incredibly effective when I do! We decided to go to my mom's house in Draper because her beds are so comfortable. When we got there, Clay basically carried me to the bed and I zonked out for four hours. Four hours, people! It was a-maze-ing. When it wore off, I woke up at 2:30 a.m. and the contractions picked right up where they left off. I called for Clay and he sent in Melanie, a doula-in-training/angel from heaven who came to help while Melissa went home and rested. Melanie was incredible. So sweet and motherly. She helped me through the contractions for a couple of hours and Melissa came back. I labored at home until 8:30 a.m. My sister brought her little (well, big if you consider her rolls of chunk!) baby Kate to show me the end product I was going towards. It was good motivation. I just hoped the baby I was going to push out wouldn't be that big.

When I started feeling slight urges to push during contractions, we thought it would be a good idea to head to the hospital again, crossing our fingers that I was far enough along this time.

We hit rush hour traffic again. :) When we got to the triage room, I heard some serious screaming and moaning. I tried to convince myself it was just a fussy kid that sounded like a woman in labor. Then the nurse said, "Oh, that lady is doing an unmedicated birth — thus the screams!" It was kind of funny. I hoped I wouldn't be screaming like that! When the nurse checked me, I was dilated 8 centimeters! I was SO happy. I was admitted to a room, got into the tub, and things moved really quickly. I was at a 9.5 then a 10 in under 2 hours. I was surprised at how little I cared about privacy at this point. The only thing I cared about was remaining calm during my contractions and getting my baby out! The pushing urges started getting stronger, so I went to the bed and got into a side-lying position, had Clay turn on my "church music" playlist and I started seriously pushing. I was excited to be at the pushing stage because I knew I was so close to the end and would meet our baby girl so soon. It was nice to get kind of a break from contractions and do something "more productive." I compare the pushing to when you are violently ill with the stomach flu and your whole body tenses up as you can't help but throw up. I didn't feel any nausea or anything ... but the urge to push was really strong and draining. The midwife didn't do any coaching — she just let me push when I felt like I wanted to - which was kind of cool.

The midwife asked me if I wanted her to break my water. I asked what the risks/benefits were and she said there wasn't much risk at this point and it would just speed things up. But I remembered seeing the hook they use to break water in my hypnobabies class - it looks like an extra long knitting needle. Having my water broken did not sound very comfortable, and I already had enough discomfort, so as much as I wanted my baby out, I didn't want to have my water broken. Before I had a chance to answer my midwife, another pushing urge came and my water broke like a balloon. Nice timing, huh? Everyone said they heard it! I just felt it.

The church music wasn't doing it for me, so I had Clay put on my upbeat mix. I was just pushing along when everyone excitedly said they could see Ellie's head. My mom said, "She has dark curly hair just like you had!" That little sneak peek gave me some extra motivation to push. I got her head out, and then the rest of her body slipped out like a jellyfish - all to the tune of Weezer's "Island in the Sun." My midwife handed Ellie to me right away and I said "I did it!" I felt SO relieved. And ecstatic — both that Ellie was here and that I actually made it through the undmedicated childbirth I had wanted so badly. I did tear a little and bleed a lot, so there were stitches and shots to be reckoned with, but they didn't phase me much because I felt like I could do anything at that point. I was completely awake and energized the entire day, which I didn't expect. The fact that the little brown-haired baby I was finally holding in my arms was mine and I gave birth to her took a few days to settle in, but I'm getting more and more attached to her every day.

Now if I can just make it through the next several weeks of hibernation, I'll be fine!

Some conclusive thoughts ... {just my own opinion.}
"Natural" childbirth is not as crazy or as impossible as people sometimes make it sound.

Women are much stronger than they give themselves credit for — definitely when it comes to giving birth. Anyone who wants to have an unmedicated chilbirth and prepares for it can do it and even have a good experience — no doubt about it (barring situations where medical intervention becomes necessary). But if you don't have that desire — you are no less of a woman.

The process of pregnancy and chilbirth is completely fascinating. A perfectly healthy baby is absolutely a miracle and is such strong proof that there is a God behind all of this!

(A shout out to Tara an amazing photographer and friend who took those last 2 photos)

The Christensons

12.30.2009

12.16.2009

12.10.2009

12.08.2009

12.03.2009