Eli's Birth Story- warming up

Birth stories are vivid and detailed accounts of birth- so if reading about labor and delivery freaks you out... I would suggest you not read on. 

That being said: birth stories are also beautiful accounts of just exactly how your baby came to be- and I love mine... So hold on to your pants because I've waited YEARS wondering what my birth story might be like- and now I know!

This is the FULL ON version, so it's long enough that I'll share it in sections.
Stage 1 (Warming up)
Transition (Tub Time)
Delivery (Probably some sort of clever title)
After-Baby (Meet Eli)

As stage 1 of labor IS the longest, this is likely my longest post.

It started on my birthday. I had told Eli not to come on my birthday- as I am "not a good sharer". I spent the day at work being asked why I was there, "Aren't you over your due date?"

Yes, by ONE day. ONE day people.

During passing period between first and second hour I was standing at my doorway, greeting students as they came into class. I felt something. "Gush" is too strong of a word, but clearly SOMETHING was going on. I walked away from the door and it shut in the face of one of my students, "MRS. BROWN!" she teased me. Oops, I was clearly distracted. I went to the bathroom in my room (in one of my Child Development courses we run a "preschool" so I get a bathroom in my room). Clearly I rarely do this, as it is SUPER awkward for your teacher to be peeing in the same room as you- even if there is a door. I looked down- there it was. I wiped- there was more. I looked down into the toilet- STILL more. 

I walked out of the bathroom with a giant smile and announced to the class, "I would like you all to know that for my birthday…I lost my mucus plug!"

(Yes, I realize this is very weird for MOST teachers in MOST classes. However, I teach parenting. To all girls. AND we just got finished with the pregnancy and labor unit where we talked about this sign of upcoming labor. Teachable moments people, teachable moments.)

I CONSIDERED taking a picture- but lucky for everyone- I don't keep my phone in my classroom. 

By third hour I ALREADY had students coming in my class "I heard you went into labor!" 

Clearly we may need to re-visit what "early" in "early signs of labor" means.

I emailed Rico to let him know. He was CLEARLY excited. 

I spent the rest of the day eating all the amazing treats people brought me for my birthday. There were muffins, and cake, and (because my student teacher let me request what I wanted) there was ALSO chickpea cookie cake (don't knock it till you try it). 

I went to my chiropractor appointment and got nice and adjusted. We made an appointment for Monday…clearly I didn't make it to that one. 

I came home and Rico asked where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner. All I knew was that I needed protein and that I wanted rice and beans in some form. I ate ANOTHER piece of cake (Rico bought me a second cheesecake to eat during my birthday week since the first one was NASTY.) We debated between Jose Peppers and Chipotle. I decided on Chipotle because I had made enough unhealthy decisions for the day. To make it a little more special- I asked if we could eat outside (it was a BEAUTIFUL day- but Rico hates to eat outdoors)

We saw our friends Nate and Niki at Chipotle and DID get to eat outside. I even got guacamole…as a special birthday treat. By this time it was about 8pm and I was pretty tired. I asked if we could go to target to look for a photo album to put the labor quotes. Off we went. 

At Target, I had my very first contraction. It was in a WHOLE new location than any tightening I had ever felt before. It felt like I had to pee- but that I had been holding it in for about 3 hours too long.  I told Rico and he freaked out. "Let's do this". He encouraged us to walk around Target to see if we couldn't get more to start. They obliged. I had 2 more contractions. One that made me stop in the baby aisle pretending to notice some cute striped swim trunks so I wouldn't freak people out. I looked at Rico and said that I thought we might need to go. He lit up. 

I returned a call to my sister, and threw this fact in- still thinking there was NO way this would turn into something. 

At home, they kept going. We tried to go immediately to bed- to get sleep while we could, in case they turned out to be the real thing. Well, contractions started kicking in about every 20 minutes at this point. I was able to sleep in between, but Rico couldn't. Contractions got stronger, longer, and closer together. Eventually we started timing them. Once they moved into the 7 minutes apart stage, we were fairly certain that we were going to be headed to birth sometime within the next day, and that sleep wasn't happening- so we moved to phase 2: prep.

Rico picked up the house. We both took showers. I did my hair AND make-up (yes, I am that girl). At our doula's recommendation, Rico made me scrambled eggs and toast. I made Rico get the birthing ball we had downstairs when contractions picked up- BEST. DECISION. EVER. I believe at about 3am I declared my love to the birthing ball and that I wanted to have its babies. (I promise that under the duvet you will find a top AND a birthing ball-but I was cold)

I learned that I, not unlike Monica from friends when she gets a massage, make sex noises when I go through contractions. 

So, there's that. 

I rocked my way through contractions until we decided to leave for New Birth Company at about 5 am (after a few calls back and forth between us, the on-call midwife Whitney, and our Doula). Contractions were averaging 4.5 minutes apart.

I made Rico let me have one more contraction with my ball before I had to face contractions in the car.

We arrived at New Birth Company and Whitney (a midwife) calmly welcomed us and unlocked the building. She took us back to the same exam room we'd been in on Friday and did a check. 

"What if I'm mid contraction?" I asked. 

"We actually prefer that" (WHAT?! That sounded like torture to me at the moment.)

What made it bad wasn't the getting checked- it was that I would have to have a contraction just lying on the table. 

I survived and learned that I was about a 5. She re-checked out room preference (each room at the birth center has a unique theme and feel, and you can request which you prefer). She told us that all the rooms were open.  Rico just looked at her, "So we get to stay?"

"You get to stay"

Then, one of the weirdest moments of the process. 

There we were. Just Rico and I in our birthing suite. 

We were for sure having our baby. In this room.

I immediately went straight for my new birthing ball. 

We both commented that we remembered it feeling small during the tours- but that it seemed massive and empty right now.
These were our last moments as just us.
A couple…about to become a family.
No nurses, no midwives, no doulas, no friends and family, and no baby.
It was still dark outside- quiet, dark, and empty.

We hugged, we kissed, and we chuckled at how surreal this all was.

We called the doula, Rebecca,  and our friend/ birth photographer, Katie.
We called our family and told them they could start heading our way (they live 3 hours away)

Once our doula got there, she suggested that we take advantage of the beautiful weather to go for a walk.
I warned her of my noises during contractions and she, because she is awesome, responded with: "Oh, it's going to get a WHOLE lot sexier than that by the end of all this"
The birth center is in a place called "Corporate Woods"- tons of office buildings surrounded by walking paths. Clearly I wasn't going ANYWHERE without my beloved ball, so Rico carried it and put it down whenever I needed it.
Sidewalks.
Parking lots.
You name it.
Contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart at this point. Everyone had said it- but here's photographic proof: one of the things you forget about labor is that while contractions hurt… you have time in between them- and you feel like a normal person and you can have normal conversations- at least this early on. See?

SO, there I was walking around office buildings, rolling on a ball, and making sex noises.
Thankfully it was a Saturday and no one was at work.
 I hope.

After we returned to the birth center, Katie arrived- so from here on out you are going to get to see the blessings of having a birth photographer.
Check her out here:
http://www.joyfulbeginningskc.com

I didn't share ALL her photos, because she blessed us with over 200- but these sum it up beautifully.
I love them.
LOVE them.
I kept up my love-love relationship with my birthing ball (and being covered by a blanket) while Rico massaged me.

My 4am breakfast at home had finally worn off, and I was ready for the smoothie the birth center had offered when I first arrived.
(one of the reasons I love New Birth Company- they know and appreciate that labor is hard work and requires energy- rather than keeping laboring moms from eating for hours on end, they ENCOURAGE you to eat and keep your energy up. They even have a mini fridge in each room. We kept some fruit we packed from home in ours)
It would be interesting to try it again now, but I swear it was the TASTIEST smoothie I have every had in my whole life.
Ever.

 Here's what we looked like for a while- Rico, Me, our doula Rebecca, and, of course, my birthing ball.
Shockingly, I never named it.

I tried a contraction on the bed. 

That was stupid.

I remember this contraction. 

It sucked.

 Then one sitting up, swaying…better, but still only ok.
At this point you can tell I was starting to hit my "serious" phase.

Rico read my quote cards and the messages from my friends and family members while I quietly rested between contractions.
Apparently I am a quiet laborer.
I also keep my eyes closed.
As in, I remember opening my eyes at one point and realizing that there were 3 more people in the room than I thought.

That's when the magic started. Rebecca suggested that I try the tub. 

I felt like a little kid being offered candy.

Really? 

It's really time?

I can get in?

THIS is why you get a doula. Because they are geniuses who think of the things you would if your brain worked. 

So, they filled the tub while I got my swimsuit on.

Here. We. Go.