Anabele Grace's Birth Story

Wow everyone! I cannot believe we have a new baby again! This has been the most empowering, amazing experience of my life. I'm going to try very hard not to focus in this story about how this birth was different from Liam's, but rather just everything I can think of about Anabele's labor and birth.

First off, the day before I went into labor was HORRIBLE. I went to bed finally at 2 AM after a LONG day. Well, bam, at 4:05ish I woke up having a rock hard, non-painful contraction and my water had broken in bed. I went to the bathroom and cleaned up, told Jonathan to get the pool and things all ready and in position, then go back to bed until things picked up. By 4:30, I was definitely in labor, although it wasn't unmanageable at all.

I began by just laying on the couch in the dark with Liam beside me asleep. Every contraction (about every 10 minutes-ish) would come and I would concentrate on positives through it, but didn't need to change positions. Eventually, I was unable to lay down anymore during them. I began bouncing on the birth ball and rocking my hips through them while I watched a movie around 7AM. Liam woke up and hung out. Jonathan was up at this point as well. I told my midwife to wait a bit before coming over as things really weren't too heavy yet.

Around 8AM, I began showering during contractions that were about 6-7 minutes apart, but I still wasn't vocalizing through them. By 8:30, I made the bed and decided to lay on my side during the contractions. Jonathan laid behind me, dozing between contractions 5 minutes apart. They progressively got more intense and Jonathan was applying counterpressure to my spine to help me through. I was almost singing through my contractions, reminding myself "open mouth, open vagina" with long sing-songy Haaaaaaaaah's.

By 9:30 I could not lay down anymore through them. I got in the shower and my midwife arrived. She began setting up as I got out of the shower. My contractions were about 2 minutes apart and VERY intense. I hung onto the towel rack (oops and kind of tore it off the wall). After 10 of those contractions I was ready to be in the water and was feeling very pushy.

I got into the pool and Jonathan applied my counterpressure on my back at first. Things had REALLY picked up and this was definitely transition. My contractions were very close together and I resisted the urge to push until I could not resist anymore. I progressively pushed harder with each contraction but did very well at remembering to breathe in between pushes. I was REALLY grunting, primal and loud vocalizing at this point. I began feeling her head moving down in the canal and getting VERY bulgy.

My midwife's assistant was pressing on my hips as Jonathan was comforting Liam at this point since I was being so loud. I was on a modified hands and knees position as I beared down. As soon as I really felt her moving down, her head was crowning and not going back in when I reached down to check. My midwife supported me and just watched me do as my body told me to. As soon as Anabele's head was out, she just popped out at 10:59AM (7 hours of labor). I scooped her up out of the water and she was just perfect!

She didn't cry immediately, but looked around, thought about it and then cried just enough to let us know she was a strong girl :). I bled slightly afterwards, so as a preventative, my midwife gave me Shepherd's Purse and some homeopathic. Originally, they thought it might be from partial placenta separation, so we moved out of the tub as a precaution. My placenta came out quickly as I squatted on the pad by the pool. My bleeding had slowed and later when I was checked for tears since I was having some burning still, they saw I had a torn vessel that was bleeding, so no emergency, but better safe than sorry.

As I sat on the pad, Anabele and Liam both nursed and bonded. Liam was the first to hold her other than mom. We moved into the bedroom and rested while I got checked out and nursed Anabele. She was 7 lbs 15 ounces and 20 5/8 inches long. Everything about her is just perfect! At this point, my midwife and her assistant checked me out at my request for the burning and saw my tear. I was very swollen and neither were comfortable stitching it up because of the shape of the tear. Instead, we went to a different midwife who also works in a hospital and she did my tear repair very efficiently and quickly. I wish I'd been able to rest instead of go get stitched, but I was happy not to go to the ER. It was our decision and I am glad we decided to get it repaired because of where the blood vessel was that busted.

I am so proud of how positive I was during my labor and birth. I was in control, listened to my body and did everything as I felt I should. She is nursing like a champ and we are all feeling exceptionally well. I am amazed at how great I feel, but I'm still relaxing and taking it easy. More to come as I get the time. I'm just elated and proud of myself. This has been an immensely powerful and spiritual experience.