My Giving Birth Story #2

Today was not what I expected. 

With Oliver's birth I had no contractions until the morning he was born. They came regularly and increased in intensity over time until my water broke, I went to the hospital, and he was out in 10 minutes of pushing. It was 3 days before his due date. 

(This photo is called ready to go!)

So naturally I assumed I would go early and easy with my next baby. Thursday after lunch (4 days ago) my contractions had picked up to painful minute long ones consistently every 3-4 minutes. So Cal left work early, our parents congregated (my Dad was in Edmonton on business) and I called the midwifery clinic. Then nothing happened. For almost four days.

(Notice in the photos I go from happy to what-the-heck?)

Contractions continued, but infrequently with no pattern and the intensity was inconsistent. 

My due date came and went. My dad arrived back in town safely (so did my little sister, my other one is still in Barbados working on her masters studies). My primary midwife was now the one on duty. And nothing happened. 

(In these photos I am a} doing laps at the indoor BMO track and b} at an out of town pizzeria, hoping the exercise or bumpy drive would knock me back into consistent contractions.)

Today, the 27th, is a day after my due date and also my dad's birthday. I woke up at 5am with the same old frustrating story but these contractions were intense! I realized even if they are 13 minutes apart I need to do something. I called my midwife Hayley and she came over. 

We have mostly planned to give birth at the hospital with a back up plan of home birth. Hayley said if we wanted to go, it was time. So we did. And met my parents and sister and Calvin's parents. 

(Upside down bathroom floor selfie.)

We checked in around 7am and I walked all around the hospital to get labour going harder. Eventually Hayley asked if she could break my water and I said yes and she realized it was already broken. I hadn't noticed! I laboured all around the room, and the hospital, with the help of my family - and even Oliver - until I realized I had to push. I excused everyone except Calvin and Hayley, and our 2nd midwife Karen. 

Pushing felt great because at this point contractions hurt badly. I pushed and pushed and pushed, and was confused by baby wasn't out in 10 minutes like Oliver had been. 

Apparently baby's head was stuck behind my cervix. The midwives had tons of suggestions for how to get past it but I was so tired and uncomfortable I just curled up in fetal position and braced myself for the next onslaught of pain. 

Finally at 10am we were getting somewhere. Cal and I joke because it's obviously when baby is near because I start making noise. Until this point I was almost silent. Just a "coconut water please" here and there. I pushed my heart out and finally 11 minutes later our baby was born. She was immediately placed on my chest. 

Cal said - it's a girl - and I made him check 5 times. As much as every mother says they have no preference, to hear I have a daughter was music to my ears. 

Next I breast fed, Calvin cut the cord, he announced the news to our waiting family, we weighed her (6 lbs 12 oz: Oliver's exact birth weight) and I showered. The usual. 

We named her Dakota which is a Native American word for friend or ally. We gave her the middle name Forrest because on the weekend we drove to that very town to get our favourite pizza and there was such a huge blizzard we were almost stuck there. And we thought it'd be funny to give birth in a small town pizzeria. 

She is happy and beautiful and loves breast feeding and sleeping (so far). Oliver is as in love with her as we are and calls her Koko. When we drove up the driveway he said Please Ollie show sister house? And he introduced her to her new home. He gives her lots of kisses. 

It's already a clear challenge having a newborn and a toddler but we are up for it and excited knowing we have the support of family and friends. We couldn't be happier with our family of four!