Birth story - Krissy and baby boy

*Trigger warning* - Use of the word contraction.

At 42+1 with no sign of labor I was tired of waiting without trying anything to Jumpstart labor, and without knowing how much longer it would be! So, I talked it all over with my wonderful midwife and decided to try a labor circuit to try and get labor to kick in. If it didn't work then we knew baby boy was just not ready to come yet and we would just keep waiting on him! Well it definitely worked!

After 2 hours of doing this circuit, which consisted of things like pumping on an exercise ball, abdominal lift and tucks, sideways stair walking, exaggerated left side lying ect, I really wasn't feeling anything that I would say was labor. I definitely felt a bit discouraged and tired, and wasn't sure if I wanted to keep going going the other 2 hours! I did decide to go ahead and start hour three and within a half hour I started feeling some mild cramping. I had my husband go ahead and blow up the birth pool at this point.

At about 9pm I texted my midwife that I thought I was in labor, the circuit I was doing is done in 15 minute increments and I was having 4 contractions within a 15 minute time span, which as I calculate now is about a contraction every 4 minutes. if I had the mind to figure that out then I probably would have told her to come right away, but I wasn't timing them because I wanted to stay out of my thinking brain so I could breeze through the contractions pain free (which I definitely did during that stage!) So she told me to let her know in an hour how I was feeling. I stayed in the left side lying position and just welcomed each contraction as it came and within a half hour they had increased in intensity enough that I told her to go ahead and head this way.

I continued laying on on my bed and my tired husband laid on the couch and fell asleep (More to that story later.) I texted my dear friend who has a photography business, and is my neighbor to come on over at 9:36. I turned the water on to start filling the pool and moved from my bed to hands and knees for a couple contractions, and laying over the ball for a couple. By this time it helped to breathe down a bit. My midwife arrived at 10:31 and I went out to the kitchen to meet her and had one contraction on a chair in the kitchen. After it was over I said hi and that I thought they were coming ever few minutes! Later she told me she saw me sitting on the chair the way I do and breathing through it the way I do (I've had one birth with her before) and she thought to herself, "oh baby's gonna be here soon!" I went back to my room and had a couple more on my hands and knees, then I asked if I could get in the water and she said yes! I tried to empty my bladder before I got in and tried to wake up my husband, keeping in mind I have maybe a minute before another contraction comes on...so this is how that went..

*shakes husband sleeping on couch*

"Greg get up I'm about to get in the pool"

"OK ok I'm getting up."

"No really get up now!"

"I'm up I'm up" (with eyes closed still laying down)

"NO GET UP NOWWW."

Finally wakes up!

I tell him to wake up the 2 oldest girls who wanted to watch him be born into the world this time (they were woken up after their sister was born).

I run back to the pool in my room and, with great relief, step in! I have one contraction in there, more down breathing. Then decided I needed to poop..*cue laughter from all the mothers who know what that sensation really is*.. So I jump out ignoring the replies of my midwife saying she could get me some towels so I don't slip. I run to the toilet, sit, realize I don't need to poop, immediately hop back up and run back to the pool saying, "nope, not poop, just baby!"

I get back in the pool and sit on my knees leaning over the side of the pool. Another contraction comes on, definite downward movement and involuntary pushing. I decide to see if I can feel his head, and to my surprise it was right there! So encouraging!! At the end of that contraction his head went back up, which was totally fine, I knew the process of birth and that the next one he'd come down and out probably (just because of how I birth!)

Next contraction comes and there his head comes bigger and bigger! That's why pushing is soo satisfying! Not only does it help to do something with the intensity but you feel progress! Out comes his head, and here's me thinking I'd have a break for his body but, nope! The contraction keeps pushing him down so I just pushed him the rest of the way out all in one! And there was my baby boy! What joy and relief! I pulled him up and told my midwife she could unwrap the cord, which was wrapped twice around his head, because I couldn't let go of him he was so slippery! When that was done, I turned to sit back against the wall of the pool and soak in all the good hormones!

Pretty soon after I decided to get out because it was getting pretty cool in the water for my liking. So I moved to the birthing stool and pushed the placenta out when it was ready. We wrapped it up so he could stay attached to it until he got all of his blood. They helped me into bed and we got all the snuggles and started his first feed pretty soon after getting in bed!

Labor started at 9 and he made his appearance at 10:56!