The Birth Story of Eden Eileen
This
is the story of how our
first daughter, Eden Eileen, arrived into our arms. I hope my birth
story encourages anyone who plans to go intervention-free!
Childbirth does not have to be painful and I am living proof...
I
woke up late Saturday morning at about 8 am to go to the bathroom (38
weeks exactly). I had gotten off late from work the night
before and had gotten my hair cut before heading home. We ordered in
and watched a movie. I snuggled back into bed and noticed
that I was having some rhythmic contractions.
However,
I didn't think much of this because I'd just been to the doctor 2 days
before with no progress at all, no dilation, or effacement and the baby
hadn't engaged at all. I'd been having these contractions off
and on all week. So, I just relaxed through them and drifted
back to sleep until about 9 am. I looked at the clock and
realized that I was still having them and they seemed to be pretty
regular, so I started to time them...7 minutes apart.
Then
I decided to get into the shower. I knew that sometimes water
could kick start real labor or stop a false labor, so I wanted to see
what would happen. Well, I got out of the shower still having
contractions and starting getting myself together-hair, makeup,
everything. Then I started timing the contractions again...3
minutes apart.
Now I started to think
that
maybe this was the real thing, but I still wasn't in any discomfort so
I wasn't sure what I should do. It was at this point-around
9:30 am-that I finally woke my dear husband and told him I thought I
might be in labor. I very much wanted to avoid going to the
hospital too soon and being sent home, or worse, being subjected to a
myriad of unnecessary interventions.
My
husband
called the hospital (an hour away) and was told we should definitely
come in since we were so far away and my contractions were only 3
minutes apart. Since I still had two weeks at least
to go, I hadn't even packed my bags yet. I didn't want to be
sitting around just waiting to go into labor. So, I
started throwing things into my bag as husband went to get gas for the
trip.
While he was away, the
contractions
started getting closer together and much more intense. I
concentrated on staying completely relaxed. I took out my
Hypnobirthing tapes and began listening to them while I used sleep
breathing through the contractions. I then had to the urge to
go the bathroom. I then had some bloody show and
actually felt my baby drop. It was like one minute the baby
was right up under my ribs and the next, she was ready to fall out!
It
was at that moment I realized that this was indeed the real
thing. I was
in labor. The day had finally
arrived. Today would be my baby's birth day.
My
husband came home and I told him that this was it!
He ran like hell to get everything in the van and we left for the
hospital at 9:45.
By the time we left,
I was
shaking uncontrollably. I stared to feel nauseous as well. I
knew this meant I must be in transition. Once in the van, I
just listened to my relaxation script and fell asleep. Yes, I
fell asleep! My husband said my head kept
bobbing up and down
the entire drive. I didn't wake until we reached the hospital
emergency entrance. My husband left the van running
by the entrance and walked with me to the maternity floor. He
helped me into a gown and then went downstairs to go park the van.
It
was about 10:30 at this point. Somehow, we made
the trip in
45 minutes. I think, perhaps, he was speeding just a tad.
The
nurse hooked me up to the fetal monitor and started the whole admission
and history process. We were about two questions in when my
water broke with an audible "pop". I mean, you could actually
hear it break, like popping a balloon. She decided to check
me because she said I seemed kind of far along.
She
took forever to complete her check and finally said, "I'm having
trouble finding your cervix...I can't believe this but...I need someone
else to check, I think you're complete!"
She
then ran full-out from my room, leaving me alone to wonder whether my
husband might miss the birth! In a few seconds, she returned
with the charge nurse for the floor, who efficiently checked me and
announced that I was indeed full dilated and effaced. She
also stated that the baby was starting to crown and the paperwork would
have to wait!
Now they BOTH ran out to
get
help. Five nurses came back this time and started scrambling
to get ready. The only concern on my mind was whether my
husband would get back in time! The nurses told me they'd
sent someone to find him.
At
this point, I felt the urge to push. I told the charge nurse,
who told me to do my best not to push. Yeah, that's really
going to happen. When your body is telling you to push, you
NEED to push. I focused on holding off for my husband.
Seconds
later, my husband ran breathless into the room. I was SO
relieved to see him. He told me a nurse had actually run out
to the parking lot to find him. She said, "Are you Mr.
Beier?" When he affirmed it, she said, "Your baby's coming now, we've
got to move!", and they sprinted back to my room.
The
nurses were trying to find a vein for a saline lock but in the panic,
they were having trouble finding a vein. A nurse actually
started screaming, "Can anybody find a vein?" and I almost started to
laugh. I felt that I was the most calm of everyone in the
room. I think it unnerved them a bit.
Now
I REALLY needed to push and my doctor still wasn't there. We
could actually see the baby's head at this point and knew she had
hair! My dear husband asked the charge nurse if she had ever
delivered
a baby without a doctor present. She said they would if they
absolutely had to do it. He said "You have to right
now!"
The charge nurse
just
looked at me and
said, "Do what you have to do". As luck would have it, my
doctor walked in just then.
4 pushes
later at
11:05am...out came our perfect, beautiful baby...and we both saw she
was
a girl!
Eden Eileen, at 7lbs 6ozs and 20
inches
long with a head full of hair. The doctor immediately put her
on my chest and she started to breast-feed right away!
We
were the talk of the hospital! None of the nurses could
believe how fast I delivered a first baby nor that I went completely
natural and wasn't in any pain! I was able to discuss my
views on natural childbirth with many of the nurses. Even
some who were off came in to see us!
I
believe
we owe our wonderful birth story to our belief that the key to
pain-free natural childbirth is RELAXATION.
I used Hypnobirthing classes to learn the deep relaxation necessary for
natural childbirth. I don't believe that Hypnobirthing is the
only way, but I do believe that relaxation and education are the key
elements to a pain-free birth.
I was able
to
stay so relaxed that I didn't create any pain for myself and was able
to have an intervention-free birth with no episiotomy, drugs, nothing
I
wish you all the best with your babies and hope this story encourages
anyone who plans to go intervention-free!
