After 30 weeks of pregnancy Scare with an OB I was getting really fed up. Believe me at 40 yo and baby number 7 there were an awful lot of scare tactics, every time I went near his office my BP shot up 30 points!
I knew I didn't want a repeat of my last child's hospital birth and, as we are still living in the same area, I started looking around for a midwife who was prepared to do a homebirth with a *high risk* client. I figured this was probably my last baby and I wanted the best, most beautiful birth possible for both of us.
Eventually I found a really nice woman, who was very cool and seemed to have views that corresponded to my own. However my search for a MW had taken me to the computer and the fates had put Laura Shanley's site and, moreover, the Cbirth list in my path <g> My first reaction was "WOW but I wouldn't have the confidence to do that` and `but, but what if..." The more I read, the more confident I became and the buts got smaller by the day and the whole concept of UC became far more logical and normal than the hospital OB procedures.
I have to add here that Dh is great, he has complete faith in nature and my body, in fact he had suggested not going to the hospital a couple of times with previous babes but I hadn't even thought to take him seriously.
At 35 weeks the MW came to my house for a check, my BP was through the roof (I had spent the day cleaning and shopping), there was protein in my urine (it was so hot and I'd been so busy cleaning I hadn't thought to drink). She was concerned but didn't panic, until the GBS test came back positive. So, at 37 weeks, I got a call ordering me to the hospital. I went and was attached to the *fetal frighteners* until my BP went down, was given a packet of 'Not recommended during pregnancy' BP medication and sent home.
The medicine went in the bin, I got started on herbs and vit.C and the MW got a call, whereupon she told me she would be on holiday the week before my EDD anyhow. UC was seeming like a very good option.
I guess pre-labour hit the evening of 18th when I went into complete meltdown and had a huge argument with Dh; all because my FIL and other guests were coming the day before my supposed EDD, which was fine, but it was an 8 hours round drive to pick them up and Dh wanted me to come along for the ride! Really, the fight was great as we went on to discuss about our now planned UC in detail and talked out all our remaining fears. Maybe this was what the babe was waiting for as the next evening I had a show at midnight followed by some contractions but they seemed light and irregular so I dismissed them as more warm-ups.
About an hour later I suggested we got our gear together as this might be labour, I figured at least we'd have it sorted even if we had to put it away again. I still wasn't convinced as the contractions were all at the front instead of spanning out from my back as I'd had before and although they were becoming intense they were not at all painful.
Dh and I pottered around collecting bowls and towels etc., we chased our teenagers off to bed and Dh spread a quilt on the sitting room floor covered with a plastic drop sheet (for painting) and covered that with some old flannel sheets, which was lovely, loads of space and soft and comfy.
By this time, it was around 2am-ish, I started to zone out and was hanging round Dh's neck for the contractions, concentrating on letting everything under the armpits relax completely and go floppy. I thought I'd try the bath but the kids had used all the hot water so that wasn't much good. Eventually, I found it most comfortable to be on my knees leaning up against an ottoman. Then suddenly every thing stopped, "OK", I thought, "it's off to bed, just some big BHs". Then I felt slightly nauseous and told Dh that this couldn't possibly be transition. I felt cheated! I had wanted to do the warm bath, music, snacks and candles, everything I felt I'd missed out on stuck in the labour wards, and if it really was transition there wouldn't be time.
The contractions had been intense but not painful and we had only just set up our space. Then I was overcome with an incredible thirst Dh mixed me up some isotonic sport drink and I gulped down a pint or so before I had to kneel up again.
The next contraction was one of the most incredible experiences of my life; I didn't push, but I had no control, my uterus pushed the baby though the cervix and down. I always knew the pushing part of labour to be satisfying but hard work and lots of effort, I had never had this effortless body-force take me over before. It was like sliding down a snowy mountain instead of climbing up. But the baby felt very low, I put my hand down and she was already crowning in one contraction!
The thought crossed my mind I that my waters hadn't broken, so she couldn't be born yet! I started yelling for Dh to come and catch as he'd gone to fetch some more drink, the poor love was as amazed as I was when he came running back to see his daughter's head being born. He checked and unwound the cord that was around her neck and helped Julia into the world on the next push and handed her round to me. It was 2.30am.
She was already breathing, pink and had her eyes wide open. She didn't cry until she was bathed about three hours later but spent her after birth time looking about cuddling and nursing. She was without a doubt the most alert at birth of all our babies and although she came into the world quickly, it was of her own choosing and a totally gentle and intimate experience.
My fears all proved groundless at this point; the baby was breathing easily, she didn't seem to have inhaled mucous, there was no meconium and the placenta came intact about twenty minutes later without too much bleeding. We left it a good two hours before cutting the cord. Apparently the waters had gushed out as her head was born, which was great protection for the GBS.
I later realized that I hadn't had the during-labour fears that had been present during my hospital births, I had just given myself up to what my body was doing and it was the most easy thing in the world to do so.
I had a beautiful two hour labour in my own home and we'd been spared car rides, IVs, antibiotics (essential for GBS), an epidural for BP, Pitocin for my 'tired' uterus and all the possible complications they may have caused.
After tea and biscuits and clean up the three of us snuggled down on the floor in front of the fireplace for a couple of hours sleep. I remarked to dh that it wasn't the first time the room had seen birth (our house was built in 1603). Later that day we called our lovely family Dr. out (yes, they still do house calls in France). He gave the babe a quick exam including taking some blood for the GBS test at our request and wrote us a note to take to the mayor for her birth certificate, best of all he didn't moan at us once but was delighted that our daughter shared the same birthday as his son!
The next day, when Dh went to register the birth, he was told that in the last 15 years there has only been one other birth in our village as everyone now goes to the hospital in town. Amazingly, that birth 15 years ago was a little girl, at 2.30am at our house...seems like the room vibes were right!
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