Jenna's Birth Story - The Conclusion

My body started pushing and it caught me by surprise.  I didn’t think I was at that stage yet but I was happy knowing it was the beginning of the end.  Well, happy and terrified at the same time as the pushing stage was by far the hardest for me during my first labor experience.  As soon as I uttered the words “I’m pushing!” at the hospital (with Lucy), it felt like the room transformed from a quiet, dark, peaceful place into this circus-like stage with people storming in and out, bright lights blasted on me, the very bed I was laying on getting disassembled, metal instruments getting wheeled in.  Not the calm and peaceful setting I had hoped for.  I knew things would be different at home but I had no idea how different. 

I finished my first “surprise” push and I looked towards Jackie (my midwife) expecting some kind of instruction, action, something, ANYTHING but all I got was “you are doing great” in what seemed like the most soothing voice I’d ever heard.  No one was moving, I couldn’t hear a thing.  Had they not heard what I’d said?!  I. AM. PUSHING!!  Nope, nothing, just silence and nodding, a reassuring word here and there.  “So it was true?”, I thought. They really do let you call the shots when you are at home.  The laboring woman asks for quiet and they let her have quiet.  Nice.

It wasn’t too long before I could feel her head crowning and that’s when I remembered her words... “that moment when you feel like your body will split up in two, the moment of highest most intense pain, that’s when you need to hold it, do not push to ease the pain, just hold it, take it and let her slowly come out SO THAT YOU DO NOT TEAR”.  Oh my WORD, I held it alright! 

As intense as it was, it seemed a thousand times easier than what I experienced the first time with Lucy.  I think it was the panic factor that was absent from the scene that made it that much easier.  Her head slowly emerged and it felt like blowing a huge bubble gum bubble in slow motion, no ring of fire this time. Such sweet relieve at that moment, interrupted only by Jackie asking her assistant to start the stop watch. “The stop watch??”, I thought.  “Why?”.  I guess I never stopped to consider that there are times when the baby’s head can’t stay under water for an indefinite amount of time.  Baby still gets oxygen through the umbilical cord but I suppose if the cord had been compromised for whatever reason, the baby needed to come out from under the water.  I needed to wait for the next contraction, I didn’t feel I could just push without one. 

Everyone was quiet but I could just tell they wanted her out and before I could beg God for one, a huge rush came over me and out she came and unto my belly.  She was purple.  She was a very dark purple, but no one freaked out.  We all knew I just needed to rub her and everything that needed to happen just happened instinctively. SHE WAS IN MY ARMS and I could not stop thanking God. “Thank You, thank you”, I was saying it out loud not really concerned with what people thought I was doing.

Jim cut the cord before I delivered the placenta because my cord was short and I couldn’t keep her above water very easily.  They wrapped her up in one of our red bath towels and Jim asked if he could take her to meet Lucy.  Delivering the placenta was more painful than I thought it would be and I was having to really focus and breathe during those contractions so I let him take her to the living room where Lucy was.

Once the placenta was delivered, the midwives gave me a quick bath, dried me and helped me to my bed.  Jim came in with both girls and the midwives closed the door to the bathroom to give us privacy and to get everything cleaned up. 

Lucy was feeling a lot better by then so we had some fun taking pictures and enjoying the baby.  I asked where our friends who had been taking care of Lucy were and Jim said they were all outside waiting to be invited in to see the baby.  I asked him to let them in not knowing exactly who was out there.  I was in complete shock to find out so many of our good friends had been out there for hours helping, cleaning, bringing food.  It was a celebration and it felt so much like it that we all started singing (ha!), much to Lucy’s delight.  We sang Happy Birthday and I looked around and tried to memorize everyone's expression that very moment.  Those few minutes will forever be engraved in my heart.

Jenna was born before 10am but our midwife spent the remainder of the day with us.  I got up from my bed later that afternoon to find a spotless bathroom and home, a pantry packed with food and meals in my refrigerator. I could not have been happier to be home with my family and my baby the day of her birth... going to bed that night my heart felt so full.  I will always remember Jenna’s birth as one of my mountain top experiences.  God met me there, talked to me, listened and comforted me.  A year later, I still find myself going back to that day in amazement and thanksgiving. 

Part 1 of the Birth Story
Part 2 of the Birth Story