by Natural Means: my Birth Story

12/11/2009 "I have always wanted to have a natural birth, without the Epidural, but possibly go with some of the short-term, less strong pain medication near the end if needed. Spencer has not liked this idea, and agrees with everyone who has told me: because this is my first child, first birthing experience, I should just get the Epidural. I have listened to those comments and have somewhat doubted myself, and my tolerance of mind over matter in this. So for the last couple months I have kind of planned on getting the epidural, but still feeling a bit disappointed in myself. So, as I am now nearing the end, only have about 2 months to go, I have decided that I need to make this decision, and just go with it. If I want to deliver naturally, then I need to do my research and prepare like crazy. If not, and I am going to go with the Epidural, then again, I need to do my research and be content with that decision." from my journal
I read this thought on another blog, and it was totally what I was feeling: "Going natural DOES NOT MEAN denying medical intervention when it is needed and necessary - it just means denying unnecessary medical intervention when your body is doing everything right on its own."

We ended up taking the HypnoBirthing classes from the hospital. They were very informative and helped Spencer and I prepare for our hopeful natural birth. We took two other classes from there and were very pleased with all the information given; we highly reccommend them!

Thursday, Feb. 11th I woke up at 5 a.m. to feeling contractions. I had felt one before for a minute is all. I could now feel these more intensly, so I knew they were here to stay. I thought there was a really good chance of having my baby that night, or the next morning. Spencer started to wake up and I said "it's time to play hooky from work today!" He was so excited, the time had finally come, we anticipated! We started timing them. They were coming 6-10 min apart. We ate breakfast and told my mom what was going on. We wanted to keep the contractions going. So I took a bath, relaxed and got ready. [I wanted to have straight hair when giving birth, I think it's more cute than my curly hair, so wanted to look cuter in my delivery picts, b/c thats important! wow.] It was a beautiful day outside, so we walked for an hour around our neighborhood, stopping every couple minutes to let the contraction pass. I was having all BACK LABOR. Pressure is what I was starting to need, so Spencer would push on my lower back as the contractions came. We got home, it was only 1 p.m. Spencer wanted to do something since he took the day off work...so I went and hit a bucket of balls with him. Contractions now about 5-6 min apart. We packed the car with the hospital stuff just in case! After this we ran to Costco to get some stuff we needed, and use our coupons. It was 4:30 by now, and I was really starting to feel them more intensly. It was time to go home and rest. But because they were 4-5 mins apart now, I thought we should go get me checked to see where I am at, hopefully give us some sort of time frame. A nurse checked me at the dr. office, said I was a 3 & 75% thinned...dang! She did say I was in labor though, but not quite active yet. Off to home for rest. By 7:30 p.m. I was on my bed with Spencer and my mom pushing on my back and legs. It was really starting to be uncomfortable. Not painful. The hardest part, is knowing when to go to the hospital, we wanted to labor as far as we could at home, but not knowing what labor and getting close even feels like was difficult. I was at a consitent 2-4 min apart, so by 8:15 p.m. we packed in the car to go. We asked my mom to come, since she was really a huge help with putting some pressure on me. Checked into Alta View hospital at 8:30 p.m. I was now opened to a 4...really? I wanted to be at least a 5. We settled in, I was feeling uncomfortable, needed lots of back pressure for the labor. I got in the bath for a while, was feeling more and more. My labor was progressing normal, opening about 1 cm per hour or so. I was to a 7 by 1 a.m. I wanted to deliver at 2:12 a.m., so he'd be born 2/12 at 2:12 a.m. Thought it was a possibility...but my body had other plans. It decided to stall out at a 7 for 4 hours! After 2 hours my water finally broke, so we all thought that'd start the process and have a baby by 4 a.m. Nope. Spencer and my mom were exhausted. Their arms and hands were so tired from putting pressure on me. My body was starting to get exhausted as well. I was very uncomfortable (not in pain) uncomfortable, labor really is what it means! It was getting long, we were all tired. Our nurse was amazing. After the 4 hours she said she'd need to call the doc if I wasn't opened anymore. I was not. But she asked to try something, she did something we don't know, mabe pushed my cervix, and it began to open. About an hour later she said we were just about ready! They set my room up. I didn't think I'd be able to get the baby out of me. I could feel him near my ribs, there was no way he was coming out! However, the nurse again was awesome. She told me it was time to push. I was such a wimp, only holding it for 4-5 seconds when she said do it for 10! This happened a couple times, then I finally got it. She decided I needed more oxygen to help out. After 40 minutes of pushing (total of 10 hours of active labor), OUT OUR SWEET BABY BOY CAME! Wow, how amazing. It was really, really hard work, but we pushed through and had our unmedicated, natural birth. I am so proud of myself. I will do it again!

P.S. It was Allstar weekend for basketball, and the opening night of the Olympics. That's where his nickname of "Allstar" came from.