Hannah’s Birth Story - baby Gabriel
“I had some prodromal labor for a few days when I was almost to 36 weeks. I make large babies despite being small myself and my midwife wasn't concerned and we waited patiently, assuming we had some time. The evening of February 14th, the same steady contractions started and I tried to rest and wait for them to subside after midnight like they had before. They did not subside and I worked through them in the dark on my arms and knees trying to sleep as much as I could in between. Around 4am, they were enough that I had to rock around and make some noise, enough to stir my husband who rubbed my back a little, half asleep. I sent him back to bed, still thinking it would peter out.
Around 7:30am, my 2 year old woke up and we started the day. I was worried and called a friend who knew a lot about birth and updated my midwife. They both recommended doing the Spinning Babies moves to try to change his position thinking it would stop the contractions once he was sitting a little better. We did that and went to the chiropractor as well upon my midwife's recommendation, again to try and get him moved so the contractions would stop. I rode in the back of my friend's car on my hands and knees contracting steadily to the chiro. On the way home, she called my midwife saying that my sounds had changed and instead of stopping labor, we had kicked it up a notch. Back at home I hung onto my husband's shoulders in the driveway while a garbage truck slowly went house to house to house, staring I'm sure as I was not quiet. I labored around the house, dealing well with very intense contractions with breathing and prayer and clinging to my husband's neck. We felt so close to heaven. They filled up our bathtub and we drained the water heater so they kept pots and kettles coming. I stayed there for a few hours and felt like I could push. Pushed in the tub and then on land and then squatting with a leg up on the bed and after a long time asked for my midwife to check me, the first cervical check yet. I was only at a four. I felt so bewildered. I had though I was hearing my body so well and was it lying to me?
My husband and I had been praying and felt so heard, we were floored, what had happened? Contractions continued into the evening some 20 minutes apart and then some on top of each other over and over and over. No one could rest it was so unpredictable and so incredibly intense. At that check my midwife had felt something odd which looking back all of us are convinced was his forehead and brow-bone. His position was effecting labor in a big way and I was fully stalled. At 10pm after 30 hours of no sleep, little food, and very intense contractions, she checked me again and I was still at a 4.
I asked to please be taken to the ER for an epidural and some sleep. My midwife went as my doula since laws for midwives are very interesting in the state we live in. We all agreed that it was the wisest move and I felt like it was fully my own. At the hospital, they placed the epidural three times and it was torture. I hate needles and could barely stay still with the contractions. Once it was in, however, it was almost instant relief. I could feel it travel through my body bringing it to quiet. My midwife/doula was wonderful and my husband napped while she fiercely protected our rest. She reminded me of my autonomy and when they asked to break my water, I said they could only if they didn't come into my room for a single thing for two full hours. I wanted it broken anyways but figured I could get a good deal out of it in the process. I slept that whole time and woke up with energy for the first time in days. About the time I woke up and they broke my water, baby started having decels pretty regularly. I found that I could hold my hands on my belly and breathe deeply and command peace over my body, and his heart would regulate, I prayed "shalom" over and over and we watched the monitor steady again and again.
At 7am as the sun was rising, I could feel him so low I felt my body bearing down. I told my husband and he said, "what if he's born as the sun appears, and what if we call him Gabriel Shalom?" We had decided on Gabriel Kai and threw it out immediately in favor of telling his own story. I didn't tell anyone I was pushing and started to breathe him down slowly. The OB on call came in to check and I nonchalantly said I was probably ready. She didn't even need to check me as she saw a glimpse of his head instead. I asked to push sitting up and they moved the bed completely upright so I was propped up even with the epidural. The OB asked how I wanted it to go and I said I wanted to catch him myself. She said she'd "just make sure I didn't drop him", and indeed she did. I caught him myself and it was euphoric. After a birth so different than what I dreamed, I still felt like I was in charge. Like everyone valued what I wanted and fought for it with me.
We named him Shalom at 7:20am, two minutes after the sun rose and pray that every day this spicy child brings peace to each part of the world he encounters. As I processed with my midwife we think that the time spent at home was enough to let him rotate into a good position in his own time instead of being rushed by a hospital clock or constant monitoring.
We are so grateful for our attempted homebirth and the chance to see medicine work well when it was requested, not pushed!”
