After a little false labor on my “due date” of August 19, I decided that I wouldn’t call anyone, or do anything until I was absolutely, 100% positively- sure that I was truly in labor. I had planned for my mother, godmother, and a few close friends to be present at the birth, so when I thought I was in labor on the 19th, I called them, and they traveled to my home- each from about 2 ½ hours away!! Luckily my godmother was planning to stay with me after the baby was born to help with Marissa and two year old son Blaise, but my mom and friend had to go home!
For the next two days, I wasn’t really feeling that well. I thought I might be coming down with a cold, so I just took it easy and lay around the house. On Sunday, the 21st, I woke up and felt better, so my godmother Laura, daughter Marissa, and I decided to go out and spend the day shopping. We ran lots of errands, and did quite a bit of walking, so I wasn’t really surprised by all the contractions I was having. I was still feeling okay, and to be honest, not much different than I had during the last few weeks of my pregnancy.
We got back home around 5 p.m. and ordered a pizza. The contractions were still coming pretty regularly, but nothing that I had to stop and think about. We all sat around and wondered- Will this be the night?! It’s funny, because both of my children had been born during the day; I thought for sure Sunny would never be born at night. Well, apparently, she had other plans. . .
My husband and I went to bed around 10 p.m. Around 12:30, I woke up breathing through a pretty painful contraction. I lay in the bed for a few more minutes, and after another one came and went, I decided I would get up and get in the shower. As soon as I did, another contraction washed over me. This time, I found myself moaning through it- I told my husband to call Kim, my doula, Sharon, and my friend Deborah. I am pretty sure this is it.
A few weeks earlier, I made a C.D. to listen to while in labor. I thought Sunny Day sounded like a hippy name, so I felt I wanted to listen to 60s and 70s music. We put this on and I’m enjoying it.
Kim seems to get to the house pretty quickly. I am relieved to see her. There is something about being surrounded by women when in labor that I find comforting. She brings the birthing ball- this feels good to sit on. I ask Pat to sit on the floor in front of me so I can lean forward on him. During my contraction, he is quiet. I tell him that he’s not being very vocal- he’s not telling me what a great job I’m doing. He tells me I’m killing him, squeezing him during the contractions- laughs all around. The contractions that I am having at this point are pretty painful and productive, I’m sure. During them, I remind myself to relaxxxx my shoulders, and melt into the pain. I Breathe deeply and moan a lot. I know each contraction is bringing me closer to meeting my baby and I am okay with everything that’s happening. I am also okay with the little break I get in between the contractions!! : )
What has happened to all my grand labor plans? I wanted to bake Sunny a birthday cake during the early part of labor- I’m guessing that would have to have been sometime during the afternoon, because there will be no cake baking for me right now! My Godmother gets up and joins us in the bathroom- what do we do now? Put makeup on, of course! Kim, Laura (God mom) and I get dolled up- a little blush- Contraction, a little lip liner- Contraction, lip gloss- Contraction- we laugh at how funny this must look!! I’m glad my lips are shiny!!(If you know me, this does not seem strange to you!)
I get into the tub and am relaxed by the warm water. Laura pours water over my contracting Belly and tells me that I am Beautiful. I thank her during my contraction, everyone laughs. Around this time, my 11 year old Marissa gets up and joins in the festivities, she’s excited to meet her sister (and that she won’t have to go school the next day!) My husband Pat is in the kitchen cooking something, I think. (See Blaise Kennerly’s birth story) He appears in the bathroom with a kitchen towel over his shoulder and a glass of wine. That is my husband for you! I ask him for an ice pop and I don’t like it once I get it.
It’s funny, now that I am in Labor; some songs on my C.D. are irritating me. The Mamas and the Papas, change them, please. “Age of Aquarius,” by the Fifth Dimension- next song, please. I Can Not stand to hear that right now. Okay I can listen to this one, “Summertime” by Janis Joplin fills the room.
Sharon gets to the house, followed closely by my friend, Deborah. I get out of the tub and go to the bedroom so Sharon can check me- I am 7 cm dilated. WOW! I am cold, I want my robe. Getting close. . .
I labor on the bed for maybe a half hour. Sometime during this period, Sharon’s assistant Kristen arrives. I am not aware of the time. I am more comfortable being on my hands and knees. I feel that the sheets are wet- has my water Broken? Maybe, we’re not sure. I apologize to everyone for having my butt in the air; Sharon covers me with my robe. . .
Okay, I need to go the bathroom. We all walk back into the bathroom and I sit on the toilet. I feel a little pushy. Sharon asks me how I feel and I tell her I want to get back into the tub.
It seems that as soon as I get into the water, I experience A LOT of Pressure- I feel a POP, lots and lots of PRESSURE now. Okay, I need room. I am sitting sideways in the tub, with my legs bent and open. I can feel my bones OPENING. This is not working. I move around and lay back in the tub OHMYGOSH, she is right THERE. I can feel Her taking up all the space in the lower portion of my body. She is FILLING me and it Hurts. Not in the way that would make me cry, but a LOT of pressure spreading open my bones. She is coming right NOW. The tub is too small for me to open up and make room for her. I lean back as far as I can go and feel tremendous BURNING and tell Sharon that I am Ripping. She tells me to take it easy, don’t push too hard- just do little grunts and ease her out. This helps a lot. I am doing my little grunty pushes and she is easing out of me.
In the background I can hear the words to Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talking at Me”, great song. I ask if she’s almost out. Yes, I’m doing great, she’s almost out. Her head emerges, what a relief. Her body slips out of my body within the next minute. Kim tells me reach down and grab my baby. I try, but her umbilical cord is looped around her body. Sharon and I are both trying to hold her at the same time, and finally Sharon unwinds her, and hands me my beautiful baby Girl. I look down at Her and the first thing I notice are her red lips. It has always amazed me to see me children for the first time- they look nothing and exactly like the way I imagined them to be. A new Life is truly a miracle. I cry and thank God that everything is okay and that everyone is Healthy. Sunny is so beautiful and so Pink. I lie back in the tub with her on my chest and hear the words to “her” song, “Sunny”, by Bobby Hebb. Hey everyone, listen, her song is on.
I’m smiling, crying, happy, thankful, amazed, and a million other thoughts and feelings are rushing through my mind and body. What a beautiful way to bring my beautiful girl, Sunny into the world.
Sunny Alana Day
August 22, 2005
2:25 a.m.
Email
