Onnika

After a very fast labor, we welcomed Onnika Lyn Nettleship to the world Tuesday, September 26th at 4:46am. She weighed 6lbs 1oz and is 19in. long. She has black hair and baby gray eyes and is adjusting wonderfully to life outside the womb.

I had my membranes stripped Monday morning. I felt crampy all day and kind of weird, but nothing labor like. Although it feels like I’d been laboring for the last month and a half, real contractions started Monday night at dinner. They were fairly strong, but I thought they were because I was hungry. They spaced out after I got home and I was thinking it was another tease– as usual. I called Gunnar around 9:30 to come home early, just in case.

We went to sleep at 1am, planning on getting up in the morning to take Ella to school. I woke up at 2:20am with contractions and having to go to the bathroom (not the first or even second time this has happened.) Although I was maintaining the mindset that this was NOT “it,” Gunnar timed them and my contractions were 5 minutes apart and pretty strong. During my second trip to the bathroom, I had 3 contractions in about 7 or 8 minutes. Gunnar wanted to get dressed, but I was insistent on showering (still thinking that the squeezing would ease up and we would go to bed disappointed– again!)

During my shower, they were coming every 2 or 3 minutes and really strong. We got out and called the OB, doula, and my mom. I had to try to get dressed between contractions– not an easy thing to do! Good thing the hospital is only a mile from our house because when I got in the car and had a contraction, I had the urge to push!! We got to the hospital at 3:45am. They checked me and I was fully dilated and the baby was “right there!” I waited until I had the urge to push again (about 4:20am) and by that time, my OB and doula had arrived. I delivered on my side, 26 minutes later, without an IV and completely unmedicated– just like I was hoping for!! I had some internal tearing, so I have stitches, but no episiotomy!

I’m so thrilled… I still can’t believe I did it! It was such a different experience- mentally AND physically. Sherry (our doula) and Gunnar were amazing support. And Gunnar even watched his baby girl’s birth!!

Ella was sleeping at home during Onnika’s birth, but Grandma Robin brought her to the hospital Tuesday morning around 8:30. She is LOVING being a big sister. She’s sweet and gentle and watches every diaper change. She told me, “Thanks for getting this baby out for me!”

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Natalie’s Birth

I have to admit upfront that I was a bit unsure about the whole idea of giving birth in a Birthing Center…right up to the end! But I have to say…it far surpassed everything I could have dreamed of in a perfect childbirth ideal!

This was my 2nd..having given birth almost 5yrs ago to a 9.7lb son in a hospital(with no epidural). All went well, but I was not thrilled with the Hospital (so many babies..felt like a conveyor belt..and they kept running out of room, plus kept trying to force epidural on me, and I hated all the IV’s , monitors etc.) I had a doula as a coach, and this time she suggested that I was a great candidate for the Birthing Center.

I liked the fact that it was sooo intimate and personal, looked like a nice bed and breakfast, staffed by caring, supportive, highly trained and experienced midwives and nurse practioners, and they let the pregant mommies be in charge of their own care and experience, and they treat childbirth as something VERY normal..not a medical condition.

What worried me was..what if something went wrong (they don’t wait for things to go wrong, they send you to OB-GYN or Hospital..minutes away…at the SLIGHTEST indication of things going off track), and would I feel ok enough to leave with my baby 6 or so hours after the birth?? (I had no idea I would feel so GREAT so soon after!)

My midwives gave me some herbal stuff to ripen and soften cervix in that last 2 weeks of my pg (I had a history of going well overdue), and I also had an osteopath do an alignment that helped straighten everything…which allowed the baby to really move down and engage deeper. I was 1 cm, 50% effaced and station plus 1 at my 39.5 week appt. Then at 40 weeks..on Friday Dec 30th I had accupuncture (which is what also had finally put me into labor for my overdue son), and the next morning, on New Year’s Eve, I had my “bloody show” and was very crampy..but no ctx yet. I was that way all day..and evening. By midnight (“Happy New Year!!”…lol) I was getting some ctx….and by 2am they were getting closer and more intense.

At this point I was breathing, walking, squating, using birthing ball, warm bath, and also hypnosis tapes that I had used with my other labor and birth. Then I was sitting on the couch resting for a moment with my dh, when I felt a strong stream come out..thought I had pee’d! But it was actually my water! At 3am it was getting intense, and time to go to the Birthing Center. We left my son at home(with my dad) b/c he was asleep, and my mom drove us. It was a kinda cool drive b/c it was the first day of the New Year, and at that hour, no one was out..and it was so quiet and peaceful. It was 4 am when we got there…and my doula got there just as we did and so did the midwife.

She checked me and I was completely soft, effaced, my water had broken, and I was a good 4cm. I had a slight fever cuz I was a tiny dehydrated, so I drank and then it was fine. (no IV’s…YAY!!) She wanted me to walk while they got the wonderful warm bath ready. It was so cozy, intimate, and peacful and when I got into the bath…it was heaven! (the ctx had been getting pretty intense..but the bath really helped!) My dh was WONDEFUL..so soothing and calm..and rubbing and massaging. The Doula and midwife were great..and kept trying to focus me on USING the ctx..and getting the most out of them.

They had dim lighting everywhere..and I brought this wonderful music that was playing softly in the background. I got out of tub..and they checked me again..and I was 7 cm already! And I was moving quickly into transition..so they kinda thought it might go fast..and had to hurry to reach the other staff to hurry and get there! (2 nurse practitioners..who are really mostly for the AFTER birth and baby stuff) The baby was handling the labor and ctx just great. I got on all fours for a bit..and then went back in tub b/c it was getting a bit rough to keep my focus. Again, the tub did the trick..and I felt the urge to push!

I got on the bed on all fours again (they just let you chose you positions..or make suggestions too)..and she checked and I was 9cm..but had a tiny lip of cervix…so midwife took care of that! (ow!!!) Then I was ready to push..and stayed on all fours..in a backward semi squat…and in 3 pushes…at 6:20am (2 1/2 hrs after arriving at the birthing center) my darling Natalie Raquel was out!! Right at the dawn of a new day…the first day of the new year! My dh cut the cord..and I laid back on the bed…and they put her to my breast immediately! She sucked like a champ right away!! It was so wonderful!!

Her apgars were 9 and 10…and she was so alert! 8lb 6 oz and 20 1/2 inches…w/ lots of jet black hair! I felt great..altho I did have to get a couple stitches on the inside for a couple small tears, b/c it had been so quick. They never took her away from us..except to be weighed. They did everything right there on the bed with us. My Dad brought my son and he got to hold her, and they even let him hear her heartbeat on the stethescope. Then he rocked her while singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “A B C”. My Mom was there the whole time, and my Grandma got there just as she was born.

I felt so well when I left and was home by 12 noon that day! After having a non-medicated birth in a hospital..and one in a birthing center..I NOW know what the differnce is…and it is truely amazing! I felt so empowerd, so supported, so special, and so in awe of the whole experience!

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Xavier

I started to the hospital at 11pm, crying the whole way. I just couldn’t believe that my baby was about to be born. Hormones, you know? Wishing Geno was with me, wishing someone was with me – I went in alone. Anyway, I arrived at 11:30p only for them to tell me I had to wait until exactly midnight before they could admit me…uhhh!

I was admitted at midnight and received my first dose of cytotec at 1am (1cm, 50% effaced). No real contractions so they gave me a second dose at 7am(1cm and 50% effaced). I still wasn’t having regular contractions so they started my pitocin at 11am(1cm and 50% effaced). My doula was AWESOME! She was massaging my feet for about an hour…HEAVEN!

A journalist from the Cleveland Magazine arrived at about 11:30a and stayed in the room the whole time. They are doing a story about Xavier’s birth.

They upped my pitocin about every 30 minutes until it was about 6mg. My contractions started to get very intense (measuring more then 100) and right on top of one another. So they discharged the pitocin at 2pm so that the baby had time to recover between contractions. At 2:30p they told me I could get in the shower and try to relax(at this point I was 3cm and about 90% effaced). I was in the shower for about 5 minutes when the contractions started to come full force.

Again, my doula and nurse were awesome…my doula helped me breathe and take my mind off the pain (which actually helped). My md came to check me at 2:45p while I was in the shower but my cervix was still high so she told me to just relax under the hot water. About 5 minutes later I told them I had to sit or do something because the pressure was really bad and I felt I had to push (md checked and I was 4cm and 100% effaced). So they sat me on the birthing ball which I was only able to be on for about 2 contractions. I told them I felt the urge to push at about 3pm. Again my md checked me and I was 5-6cm and 100% effaced. At 3:10 I said that it was time and sure enough I was 10cm!

To tell you the truth at this time I WANTED the drugs… I kept telling them I wanted drugs but I knew it was too late. I pushed probably 9 times and on the 7th and 8th I wanted to give up. My md got right in my face and said “Sarah, the next push you will have a baby with a TON of hair”…sure enough I pushed one more time and out popped Xavier’s head…He was born at 3:17pm. I must say it was the most exilerating feeling delivering without any drugs. I felt such a relief afterwards.

The fact that this birth was faster then my first son’s is amazing. To go from 3cm to 10cm in about 45 minutes!!!!

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