A Birth Story

Short labor, long story. Here goes.

I had been having some slowly progressing contractions for a few days before Camden was born. On Thursday, they started feeling a little more "real," so I moved up my appointment with my midwives practice to Friday morning. On our way to the clinic, a truck cut in front of us in the middle of a construction zone and made us miss the light to get on the freeway. Clay honked at him and released some of his road rage (as mild as it is was) and I had a big contraction. I told Clay jokingly, "You just put  me into labor!" I had told him the previous day that I felt like I could put myself into labor easily if I wanted to -- by doing a few jumping jacks or something -- because it felt like it was just on edge, waiting to happen. Ever since the traffic episode, the contractions kept coming every four minutes, but I tried not to pay too much attention to them. The midwife checked me and I was 2.5 centimeters dilated and 90% effaced. With Ellie, I started labor at about a 1 and 80% effaced and it took me about 21 hours to get to a 4, so this was good news.

On our way home, we stopped at Michael's to get some things for Camden's nursery. I had to stop and take a breather every time I had a contraction. When we got home, I made us a healthy dinner between contractions, then decided to call my mom, who we planned on having take care of Ellie while I was in labor, and give her a heads up in case this was it. I also called my doula, an amazing woman named Melissa (who was there for my entire first labor) and gave her a very tentative heads up. She had predicted at our prenatal meeting that I would be in denial when I went into labor this time because my first one was so long (36 hours) and because second labors are generally shorter than any previous or subsequent ones. She turned out to be very, very right. :)

I decided to take it easy and lie on the couch while Clay took Ellie outside to wear her out, in hopes that she would be ready to go to bed soon so we wouldn't have to worry about her throughout the birthing process. While they were gone, I finished packing my hospital bag (including the cute hospital dress I made. ha.) and decided to straighten my hair. The contractions were definitely becoming more powerful and about three minutes apart, so when I felt one coming on, I'd literally run from the bathroom where I was doing my hair and collapse on my bed, breathing deeply through the contraction. I remember smiling in-between contractions at the realization that my long-awaited baby boy was really coming. Tonight. And that all of our preparation for the birth was paying off (we use the Hypnobabies method and love how much confidence it instills in you and how it teaches powerful relaxation techniques).

Clay texted me from his walk with Ellie and said, "Wow. I am just so happy." I was too. There is something so exciting about the onset of labor and knowing your baby is ready to come. He asked me if we should go ahead and tell my mom and Melissa to head over and I said, "Not yet, but soon." Although I knew I was definitely in labor, I figured I had awhile to go and didn't want to be preemptive in having everyone come over if I still had hours and hours before it was time to head to the hospital. And yes, the plan was always to stay at home as long as possible and head to the hospital when I felt I was far enough along. Last time (scroll down to "Ellie's Birth Day"), I was sent home after being in labor for 19 hours and only being at a 3+. We had driven to the hospital during rush hour and I did not want to repeat that experience, so I was determined to only make one trip to the hospital. I also didn't want an epidural or any pain medication, which I knew was more likely the longer I stayed out of the hospital. So, back to the story:

Clay came home and gave Ellie a bath and got her ready for bed. She asked for me a couple of times mid-contraction and Clay would just say, "Give mommy a minute -- she is just taking a break." Then I would call for her when it was over and she would come give me a hug and one time said (prompted by Clay), "Mommy, you're so brave!" Seeing her sweet, happy face and hearing her voice seriously gave me extra motivation and calmness during the process. It reminded me how worth it the whole thing was with her, and would be with Camden.


Go time 
The contractions kept intensifying, so I thought I would try the bath, which I loved during my first labor. But when I got in and had a contraction, it wasn't as relieving as I remembered. Probably because I was at a 9 or 10 by this point. Ellie was having a hard time going to bed and was asking for me so I threw on my pink bath robe and went to say good night to her. I hobbled out as I felt another contraction coming on quickly and hopped back in the bath. I felt a pushing urge at the end of the contraction and said to Clay, "Where is my mom? And Melissa? I am starting to feel pushing." He said they were both close, then he called them and told them to hurry. Since the bath wasn't doing much for me, I got out and crawled into my closet, which is right by our bath tub. I guess I chose it because it was the closest carpeted area and I didn't want to give birth on my white bed. At this point, I couldn't help but push at the end of every contraction. No one was there yet, and Clay was occupied with our sleep-fighting daughter, but he came in as often as he could to check on me and put pressure on my sacrum and talk me through contractions.

Looking back, I can pinpoint the moment I was in transition, although I was still in denial about how far along I was. I said a prayer out loud pleading for strength and angels to help me handle the pain and for everything to go smoothly with Camden's birth. A couple of minutes later, Melissa walked in. I was happy to see her, and she said, "You are awesome! You are smiling and laughing?" I told her I could do anything between contractions. She said, "OK, here are your options: You can call 911, which I wouldn't recommend because they tend to freak out." Clay asked about the heading to the hospital idea, but Melissa confirmed what I already knew would happen if we did that -- we would have the baby in the car. No thank you. There was no question in my mind that Camden would be here in minutes and that I did not want to go anywhere or do anything but push him out. I had asked Melissa at our prenatal meeting if she was OK with catching the baby if my labor was super fast and it came to that, because I felt fine about it but wanted to make sure she did too. She said, "Oh yeah. I can catch a baby." I told her I just wanted to move forward as we were and have the baby (not that there was really another option) and she said, "Great. If you feel good about it, I trust your intuition." I pushed a couple of times and Melissa said I could push the head out on the next one. I felt his little head and that was motivating. With Ellie, I had no desire to do that and thought it was weird but this time I guess I needed an extra something.

Melissa yelled for Clay, who was still needing to take care of sleepless Ellie, but I said, "It's OK." I didn't care at this point if he was there as I pushed him out -- I just wanted to get him out.  But luckily, Clay made it to the closet just in time. I had a contraction, my water broke, then I pushed Camden all the way out on the next contraction (about 4 pushes and five minutes total). Melissa handed Camden underneath me to Clay, then he handed him to me. I smiled at Clay and said, "I just had a freakin' baby!" It was a crazy, exhilarating moment for us. My mom walked in soon after to find me sitting on my bath robe in the closet, holding our new baby boy. Melissa said he was crying before he was even all the way out. He came out pink and healthy, which we were very grateful for. I didn't bleed much at all, which was also good, because I hemorrhaged with Ellie.

This labor was about five hours, so 31 hours shorter than my first go-round.



The aftermath
Melissa helped me onto my towel-covered bed and I snuggled with Camden while we waited for the placenta to detach. There was no pressing reason to go to the hospital at this point, but since the midwives I had been seeing just do hospital births, Melissa called one of the home-birth midwives she knew. It was hard to get a hold of someone, but finally she reached a lady named Roxanna, who was actually at a birth but the mom was stalled at a seven, so she could come over. Roxanna arrived about an hour after Camden was born and helped Clay cut the cord (with our kitchen scissors), check me and the baby to make sure we were doing well, etc. When she said I needed stitches but that she doesn't use numbing medication because she has seen it make the swelling and recovery worse, I was a little nervous, because I was done with pain for the day. A long hour later, that was over and I could just focus on my newly expanded family.

Having this unexpected home birth turned out to be awesome. I didn't have to have contractions in the car on the way to our hospital (20 minutes away without traffic), I was able to have another natural birth and it was pretty cool to just be at home for the whole thing and just settle back into life afterwards. But I will definitely never look at my closet the same way again.

Four minutes after the birth. Such a happy moment.

Clay, me, Camden and the shoes

Mama and baby boy

Daddy's first time holding his son

Camden Jed Christenson. I liked the name "Camden" when I first saw it on a Nautica ad in a magazine. It was referring to Camden, Massachusetts. Jed is Clay's dad's name and we like how solid it sounds.

Roxanna was a heaven sent. She is so gentle, nurturing and knowledgable. I have her to thank that my recovery has been a cinch. She gave me some great tips that I didn't know about last time, and I am happy to share!

7 pounds, 8 ounces and exactly one week early. Ellie was 7 pounds, 9 ounces and exactly one week late. :)

Ellie's first time meeting Camden

My amazing birth team (Clay and my mom should be in the pic too!)
Chantal (an apprentice doula), Roxanna (certified midwife) and Melissa (doula). Three ladies who I love and appreciate so much.

Ellie loves her little brother and asks "Can I hold my baby?" every day.

Baby's first "outing"

Ellie is such a cute little helper.

I forgot how sweet and tiny newborns are. I love kissing and staring at this kid all day. I think he looks nothing like me or Ellie, and a lot like Clay and his dad. Handsome little nugget.

Father and son