The Dappled Odysseys

Forty weeks has finally arrived! Not shore when baby will come, however, not too much longer now.

I had an appointment on February 9^th.

    As I wait in the room for the OB, I question myself if I should come back at all, this should be my last visit. Then the craziness arrives.

The lady doctor comes in and asks if I would like a cervix check, which is when they feel inside you to see where your cervix is and how much you have dialated. I agree, why not. So as she is checking she says she is going to do a membrane sweep.

Um, no! I do not want this. However, at this point it is too late because she is already inside me of course and I cannot really push her away. I am very frustrated at this point. Now, I am only 1 day over my “due date” and the doctor is starting to talk about how I might need a C-section. How she is worried about baby.

I sit there utterly confused and a little upset, not only did you violate me by not asking if I would like a membrane sweep, but you are also now telling me about having a C section? Are you even listening to yourself, you sound crazy!

I take a few deep breaths and calmly say “We will see, I am only 1 day over my due date.”

She said she wanted to do a stress test to just make shore baby is fine. Ok. I agree.

     This is a test where they put a monitor around your belly and you are supposed to click this button every time you feel baby moving. The monitor is also capturing the movements and heartbeat and all.

This goes on for about 15 minutes and she says the numbers aren’t what she is hoping they should be so she would like me to have a quick ultrasound to see how baby is.

IN my head, I know baby is fine, however, I said ok, why not.

I get the ultrasound done and the tech says everything looks good, baby is head down “Which I already knew” and nothing to worry about.

However, the doctor comes back in and starts talking about a C section again, how the position that baby’s head is in doesn’t look right, she is looking to the side and she should be looking down. Um, at this point I was done with her.

“Baby’s can move there heads perfectly fine and just because she has her head this way doesn’t mean it will stay this way.”

The doctor, of course is not hearing any of this and suggests another C section.

I abruptly leave this clinic hoping to never come back again! This is crazy!

This really got under my skin, got me all worked up because I know nothing is wrong and she is pushing a C section! How many other women who do not know any better go through this and get this horrid treatment!

Anyway, the weekend went by uneventfully really. We went to an Indian restaurant Friday night and then during the weekend went for our walks in the park and let the kids play in the playground.

Monday rolls around and we went to, at least my favorite place now we call the stair place. It is a walking, biking, running trail area, however, in order to get down to the trail you have to go down eight flights of stairs. This place also is right next to a river and very quiet and peaceful.

That day we ended walking up to 2 miles. Down the trail, then up a road and through a nice little neighborhood that is on the side of the mountain and round back to the parking lot. It was a wonderful day outside, a little hot, not too bad though.

When we arrived home, I started to feel a little nauseous and didn’t feel like eating much. I fed the kids and we all went to bed.

     I woke up around 2 AM, as usual, and proceeded to finish watching the show Bosch on Amazon prime video. Then I started to feel contractions. They were light and not overly concerning. Although, once they started to happen every 10 – 20 minutes or so, I knew this was the beginning of labor. I got excited and decided to make shore everything was cleaned up around the house, what I could do before everyone wakes up. Then, the contractions stop for a while.

     Once everyone wakes up, I told my husband and wanted to finish some shopping beforehand. Off to Walmart we went to get my daughter pants and a little bit of groceries.

While in Walmart the contractions came back, not too strong, however, enough where I had to stop or walk a little bit slower.

Once arriving home, I decide to go to take a little nap.

Around 12 PM I feel a pop and immediately knew that was my water breaking. Luckily, I had an adult diaper on and when I stood up, I could feel the water coming out. I told my husband and then we started to prepare the room, filling the water birthing tub, getting the kids in one area, gathering towels and supplies that we might need. I went to the toilet and knew baby would be coming very soon.

I grabbed a towel and stuffed it between my legs to capture more water. Now, the contractions were coming more frequently.

     I slowly walked to my bed and immediately knelt down on the floor, any fluids that are coming out would get absorbed by the towel and the rug that is on the floor. At this point, I didn’t care. I leaned against the end of my bed breathing through the contractions. I called my doula and she started to remind me about what to say, remembering ALLAH and praising him, and when the contractions became very strong, breathe down, push the air downwards. I realized at this point, that I will not be having a waterbirth, because the tub wasn’t ready, water wasn’t the right temperature, and I just did not want to move. I gripped onto my bed shouting through the contractions and remembering to use that energy to push downwards.

     Then all at once I started to push. I yelled at my husband that the baby is coming, to get here now.

My husband wasn’t understanding at first, he was asking who and what is happening. I just yell, “Baby! Get baby!”

Once he realized what was happening her head was poking out. Then all at once, she came spinning out, crying and into my husband’s hands.

     He immediately grabbed a blanket and moved her between my legs towards the front of me. Because I was positioned on my knees leaning forward. I gathered her up and held her close to my chest as I slowly lowered down onto my butt to sit and rest. The placenta did not come yet. However, as soon as I sat down I know it was about to come now, so I immediately raise one leg and push it out. Lol

     It was over. Baby was here. Breathing. I was exhausted and so thankful it was finished.

As I held my new baby, a wet, slippery wiggling thing, I knew the adventure was just starting. Now I have three girls. Three kids. How is this going to happen and work?