I posted Jane's birth story on Facebook a while back. I've made a few edits since then, but for the most part, it's the same. So if you've already read it on Facebook, no need to read it again, unless you want to that is. :)
I wrote Jane's birth story about a week after she was born and I'm so glad I did! When I read through her birth story again while I was preparing this blog post, I was reminded of details that I had already forgotten. I definitely don't want to forget anything about that day. It was the hardest, most amazing day of my life.
Looking back now, I'm a little sad I don't have any pictures of my labor. Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now, except take pictures next time, whenever that may be. My birth center had some photos of their facility online. I'll add those, so there can be a few photos in this post.
I woke up early Saturday morning, May 24th, at about 3:10am feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom, which was very normal for me at that point of my pregnancy. When I got up to go, I thought I had peed myself a little, but then it just kept coming and I couldn't stop it. That's when I knew my water had broken. I wasn’t expecting to be part of the 15% of women whose water breaks before labor begins. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I thought, "Today is the day my baby will be born!"
I woke up early Saturday morning, May 24th, at about 3:10am feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom, which was very normal for me at that point of my pregnancy. When I got up to go, I thought I had peed myself a little, but then it just kept coming and I couldn't stop it. That's when I knew my water had broken. I wasn’t expecting to be part of the 15% of women whose water breaks before labor begins. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I thought, "Today is the day my baby will be born!"
I took a little bit of time to
calm myself down and researched a little bit about what the color of the water
was supposed to be, since it was not clear like I expected. I found that it's also normal for it to be a little yellow and brownish. About 30 minutes later, once
I convinced myself I was ok, I woke Sam up and told him my water broke. Once he started to get up, I texted my midwife Anna. (my midwives requested a text first, if it was the middle of the night, then a call if they didn’t respond) I also texted my mom, who was asleep in her bedroom downstairs. (We had moved in with my parents just a couple weeks before.) Neither of them responded. So I went downstairs to wake
my mom up around 4am. All this time I kept leaking amniotic fluid, which
surprised me. I was under the impression, that once my water broke that would be all, but it just kept
coming in spurts. Once my mom was up, I texted my other midwife Camellia.
She responded and told me to call another one of my midwives, Jackie, to see if
I should come in for an evaluation. I called Jackie and she told me to try to
relax, take a shower and come in to the birth center at 6:30am for an
evaluation. In the short amount of time I was on the phone with Jackie, she could tell when I had a small contraction just from the change of pace in my speech. I hadn’t been timing contractions at this point and they seemed
inconsistent and I could still talk through them pretty easily.
I took my midwife's advice and went to take a shower. While I was taking a shower the contractions really kicked into high gear. They were
much stronger than I expected so quickly! I thought I would get to ease into
having harder contractions. I had to brace myself against the side of the
shower during a contraction to get through it. Once I was done with my shower,
I think it was around 5am, we started getting everything ready before we headed
on our 50 minute journey to Bay Area Birth Center. Right before we got in the car I said, "Everybody lied! You don't get a break between contractions!" I said that because, in between my contractions, I still felt a considerable amount of pain. The pain in between contractions just wasn't quite as intense as the pain during a contraction. Golly, I was definitely not prepared to not have any breaks during labor! One thing they didn't lie about is that labor is a marathon. By the time we were in the
car, my contractions were already less than 5 minutes apart. It was a very
difficult to be confined in the car without being able to move to ease the
contractions. We arrived 15 minutes early to the birth center. I was very
impatient during those 15 minutes. I labored against the car and swayed back and
forth. By that time my contractions were about 3 minutes apart. Being
able to move around was much better than being stuck in the car, but I was ready to be
in the birth center!
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| Comfy area where loved ones awaited Jane's birth |
One of my midwives, Katie, arrived at the birth center
at 6:35am. It was such a relief! We went in and she examined me. She said I was
about 5 centimeters and in active labor. She told my mom and Sam that this was going to
be quick. At least, all the signs were telling her that it should be. Unfortunately, it did not turn out to be the case.
For me, the most natural place to labor, at first, was standing at the
end of the bed, holding on to the footboard, swaying my hips back and forth. I
didn’t think I’d be one of those women you hear groaning and making almost
animal like noises in labor, but it made the contractions easier to get through when I made deep groaning noises. So that’s what I kept doing! I would do anything to make the
contractions bearable. I always remember reading in Ina May’s Guide to
Childbirth that an open top means an open bottom. So I kept my jaw loose and
open while I groaned through my contractions. I tried to keep my body limp and
not clench my hands, to just relax and let the contractions open my body. The
contractions kept coming very fast and strong. Katie told me this was the
hardest part and I was in transition. That was around 7am. At some point,
another one of my midwives, Anna, arrived to help.
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| The room I spent my labor in |
I wasn’t really paying
attention to time at all for the next 6 hours. My mom was there, encouraging me
the whole time, giving me a drink between each contraction. She was so
wonderful. I couldn’t have done it without her. Sam was always close by
praying the whole time. Those were the only two people I wanted near me other than my midwives! They were a great birth team.
In my birth plan, I had said that I wanted to labor in the water. Now that I was in labor, I couldn’t imagine not being able to move during a
contraction, so I waited a while before I got in the tub. When I did finally get in, it was
great! It was the only time during my labor that I actually felt full relief in
between contractions. I think I was in the water
for about 2 to 3 hours. Some on my hands and knees, because my midwives
suggested the position to open my cervix the last 2 centimeters. After hours of labor in the tub with no progress, we decided I should get out.
I labored some more at the end of the bed and felt a small urge to push, but since I was not fully dilated, I didn’t. Anna suggested I try to empty my bladder to make room for Jane. So I went to the toilet and labored for a while there. It actually was not a bad place to labor, but I couldn't empty my bladder for some reason, I don’t know why. A couple more of my midwives, Jackie and Mona Lisa, arrived at this point. Jackie suggested I labor on my hands and knees for a while again to try to open those last two centimeters. I'm not sure how long I labored on my hands and knees, but once I was too tired to keep going in that position, they checked me again. I was still only 8 centimeters. At that point, we were all concerned that my body would not open all the way, no matter what. Mona Lisa got me into a position lying on my side with my bottom leg straight and my top leg bent and pulling it toward my shoulder during each contraction. That position was supposed to help me open the last two centimeters and help Jane move into the face down position. The contractions durning that time were the most painful that I can remember of my labor. I think it was because I wasn’t able to relax my body through the contractions like before. After a while in that position, they checked me again and I was finally 9 centimeters.
Jackie suggested I take a nasal sedative to help me relax more between my contractions, so I could have the energy to push in about an hour or two. That was around 12:30pm. I still felt the full force of my contractions, but was almost able to sleep in between each one. About 2:30pm, Mona Lisa checked me again. I was still at 9 centimeters, but I was starting to feel an urge to push. So Mona Lisa explained to me that during the next contraction, she was going to try to push the rest of my cervix out of the way. It was very uncomfortable, but successful! I was finally fully dilated! I could start pushing! What a relief! They put oxygen on me to make sure I was getting enough to Jane during the pushing stage. I started pushing on my back pulling my knees up towards my chest. That was exactly how I had not wanted to push, because I wouldn't have gravity to help me. Since the sedative was still wearing out, it was at least how I needed to start.
I always wondered if I would know how to push my baby out and I ended up needing some direction from my midwives. The only way I knew I was doing it right was from the encouragement I received from my midwives, which was wonderful. After a few pushes, they asked my mom to get behind me for support and to help pull my legs up. She was very helpful! My mom was an amazing source of encouragement and support, especially during the pushing stage. They had me switch from my back, to my side and then to my back again to keep Jane’s heart rate up. After some time pushing that way with some progress, they had me try the birth stool. I liked the stool but Jane’s heart rate dropped quite a bit. (We found out later that Jane's umbilical cord was wrapped around her shoulder. That is most likely why her heart rate dropped so much in that position.) We got back on the bed and continued to push the same way as before for about an hour. At that point they used a catheter to empty my bladder to make room for Jane to come down. We were trying everything! My midwives started discussing transferring me to a hospital about 45 minutes away, because I wasn’t making enough progress. The other problem I had once I started pushing was that my contractions got farther apart and not nearly as strong as before. (It was almost like my body was telling me Jane wasn't in the right position to come out.) Jane would come down and then go back up. We decided to try the birth stool one more time but Jane’s heart rate dropped again, this time to a point where they felt compelled to call 911.
They had me lie on the bed and told me not to push and just breathe deeply. It was very hard not to push, but I tried to relax and be patient. They checked Jane’s heart rate and it had come back up! The ambulance had arrived right then as well. Jackie told the EMT that we might just have the baby at the birth center after all. I really did not want to go to the hospital. All the things I didn’t want about being in a hospital kept running through my head. I put all I had into pushing through a few more contractions and she started to crown, but again her heart rate dropped. So Jackie said she was ready to go. I was disappointed, but still tried to focus on getting Jane out and staying positive!
I labored some more at the end of the bed and felt a small urge to push, but since I was not fully dilated, I didn’t. Anna suggested I try to empty my bladder to make room for Jane. So I went to the toilet and labored for a while there. It actually was not a bad place to labor, but I couldn't empty my bladder for some reason, I don’t know why. A couple more of my midwives, Jackie and Mona Lisa, arrived at this point. Jackie suggested I labor on my hands and knees for a while again to try to open those last two centimeters. I'm not sure how long I labored on my hands and knees, but once I was too tired to keep going in that position, they checked me again. I was still only 8 centimeters. At that point, we were all concerned that my body would not open all the way, no matter what. Mona Lisa got me into a position lying on my side with my bottom leg straight and my top leg bent and pulling it toward my shoulder during each contraction. That position was supposed to help me open the last two centimeters and help Jane move into the face down position. The contractions durning that time were the most painful that I can remember of my labor. I think it was because I wasn’t able to relax my body through the contractions like before. After a while in that position, they checked me again and I was finally 9 centimeters.
Jackie suggested I take a nasal sedative to help me relax more between my contractions, so I could have the energy to push in about an hour or two. That was around 12:30pm. I still felt the full force of my contractions, but was almost able to sleep in between each one. About 2:30pm, Mona Lisa checked me again. I was still at 9 centimeters, but I was starting to feel an urge to push. So Mona Lisa explained to me that during the next contraction, she was going to try to push the rest of my cervix out of the way. It was very uncomfortable, but successful! I was finally fully dilated! I could start pushing! What a relief! They put oxygen on me to make sure I was getting enough to Jane during the pushing stage. I started pushing on my back pulling my knees up towards my chest. That was exactly how I had not wanted to push, because I wouldn't have gravity to help me. Since the sedative was still wearing out, it was at least how I needed to start.
I always wondered if I would know how to push my baby out and I ended up needing some direction from my midwives. The only way I knew I was doing it right was from the encouragement I received from my midwives, which was wonderful. After a few pushes, they asked my mom to get behind me for support and to help pull my legs up. She was very helpful! My mom was an amazing source of encouragement and support, especially during the pushing stage. They had me switch from my back, to my side and then to my back again to keep Jane’s heart rate up. After some time pushing that way with some progress, they had me try the birth stool. I liked the stool but Jane’s heart rate dropped quite a bit. (We found out later that Jane's umbilical cord was wrapped around her shoulder. That is most likely why her heart rate dropped so much in that position.) We got back on the bed and continued to push the same way as before for about an hour. At that point they used a catheter to empty my bladder to make room for Jane to come down. We were trying everything! My midwives started discussing transferring me to a hospital about 45 minutes away, because I wasn’t making enough progress. The other problem I had once I started pushing was that my contractions got farther apart and not nearly as strong as before. (It was almost like my body was telling me Jane wasn't in the right position to come out.) Jane would come down and then go back up. We decided to try the birth stool one more time but Jane’s heart rate dropped again, this time to a point where they felt compelled to call 911.
They had me lie on the bed and told me not to push and just breathe deeply. It was very hard not to push, but I tried to relax and be patient. They checked Jane’s heart rate and it had come back up! The ambulance had arrived right then as well. Jackie told the EMT that we might just have the baby at the birth center after all. I really did not want to go to the hospital. All the things I didn’t want about being in a hospital kept running through my head. I put all I had into pushing through a few more contractions and she started to crown, but again her heart rate dropped. So Jackie said she was ready to go. I was disappointed, but still tried to focus on getting Jane out and staying positive!
It was kind of a blur from here on out. I somehow got on to the stretcher and they put me in the ambulance pretty quickly. Sam sat in the front and Mona Lisa and Jackie were in the back with me. My mom and Sam's parents followed us to Bayshore Medical Center, just a few blocks down the road. The EMT in the ambulance with me was wonderful. She held both of my hands while I pushed through a couple more contractions on the way to the hospital. I also remember Jackie saying that Jane’s heart rate was back up again! Praise God. I had another contraction in the elevator. I almost had her in the ambulance and in the elevator! We arrived in the labor and delivery room about 10 min after leaving the birth center.
Once we were in the L&D room, I had to get from the stretcher to the bed. I’m not sure why, but no one was giving me much direction or help to get there. I don’t even know how I did it! Mona Lisa remarked afterward, that it looked like I did a back flip to get on the bed. The doctor barely had time to get her scrubs on! I looked at Dr. Delgado and her eyes got wide and she said, “Wow, that baby just turned!” She told me later, she had never seen a baby spin a 180 degrees like that before. Mona Lisa said that she thinks the way I moved from the stretcher to the bed was what made Jane spin from face up to face down. Within two contractions of Jane spinning into the right position, I pushed her out! After about two and half hours of pushing, it was the most amazing feeling ever. I couldn’t believe I was actually able to do it!
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| Just a few minutes old! |
I know.. there is a card that says, "It's a boy" in the picture above. Don't worry, she's really a girl! The hospital had no idea we were coming. Seriously, she was born within minutes of arriving. They didn't have a chance to have the right gender card for us. ;) They got the right one later on.
I was just in awe for a moment, then I heard Jane cry and I snapped back and realized they were about to cut the cord. I asked if we could delay it, but I was just barely too late, they had already clamped it. They did respect my wishes not to bathe her right away and they put her right on my chest before they examined her. I was in love right away. That love has only grown more and more ever since her birth. They gave me shot of Pitocin to deliver the placenta, which I barely even noticed. They also had to suture one small tear. With Jane on my chest, nothing really bothered me. Even though I would have loved to have her at the birth center, a healthy baby was, of course, way more important to me.
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| Just a few hours old. So overjoyed! (and exhausted) |
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| Dad checking up on his little girl. 5 hours old |
I believe that my midwives did all they could to help me have her at the birth center and I trust their decision to transfer me to the hospital. I don’t think I would have been able to have her naturally without my midwives. I also know for sure I would not have been able to do any of it without God giving me strength and peace. I am so grateful to everyone for all their prayers for us during the process.
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| Such a miracle. |
Our beautiful little girl, Jane Elizabeth
Daniels, was born on her due date, May 24, 2014, at 4:48pm. A healthy 8lbs even
and 21 inches long. She is such wonderful blessing from God. I hope I never
forget what an awesome answered prayer she is. To God be the glory.
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| Ready to go home! 2 days old |
John 16:21-22
A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
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| Morning after arriving home from the hospital. 3 days old |
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