The Birth of Violette Londyn

On the morning of January 16^th I had an apt with my midwife Melissa. I was 41 weeks 2 days, and more than ready to have the baby. Melissa came in and I asked what we could do that might help nudge us towards labor, she suggested sweeping my membranes, and drinking some pregnancy tea, I immediately agreed. After having my membranes swept she said I was still 3cm dilated, and that the baby was probably facing up rather than down, she suggested I do some lunges, spending some time on my hands and knees, and to try sitting on an exercise ball all to see if she would rotate and engage more into my pelvis. I got dressed and she made me some pregnancy tea which I drank, and she suggested we do some walking so we went down to Lowes and walked for about an hour, then headed home. Paul took a nap since he had a meeting at 5, and I went to get the kids whom my mom was watching. I really wanted to stay active so she drove us all to the mall and we walked for a little bit. I was starting to have contractions here and there, they did now feel different than they had before, much stronger, but they were very few and far between.

 Later in the evening I called my friend Sheena and asked to borrow her exercise ball, so I headed out picked it up and came back, I alternated between sitting on the ball, crawling around on my hands and knees, and doing lunges. It got late, I took a bath, all while telling Paul I thought the next day we would have a baby with the contractions I started having that day.

I went to bed crampy at around 1am the 17^th. Paul stayed awake doing this n that. I shot awake at 3:30am to a pretty painful strong contraction, and got up right after it was over. I went to the bathroom and thought, wow that hurt, I wonder if it’s  time here soon. I started timing contractions around 3:30, the first 3 were around 9 min apart, I called Paul into the room and tried to get him to pay attention and understand that I was having painful contractions. He pretty much ignored me, and walked away saying “I’m trying to eat”. I had a few more contractions which had jumped to 3 to 5 min apart. They weren’t killer yet, so I got out the exercise ball and bounced on it through a few more contractions while jamming to a couple songs on my phone. Paul came back in and looked at me like I was crazy. I told him I had been timing contractions and they were coming about 5 min apart, and that I thought they were the real thing. He suggested I call someone, so I called my mom at 5:07 to have her come over to stay with the kids, then called Melissa at 5:10, I told her I didn’t know if I would make it because the contractions were getting pretty painful, she asked if I wanted to try and make it and I said yes.

Paul and I got ready to head out. I had a shirt on, I put my shoes on and my robe, and we headed out. He made the ride pretty quick seeing as we had a long 40 mile drive to the birth center. He was flying down the road with hazards on, all the while I was having painful contractions about every 4-5min apart. They really hurt, and I felt lots of pressure with each one, I really thought she was coming and didn’t know if we’d make it.

We arrived at the birth center shortly after 6:00am. I walked in and Melissa checked me I was 7cm. She had started to fill the tub before I got there so I quickly put my sports top on and got into the water. It felt so good to get into the warm water. It is a funny shaped tub, looks like a giant white cereal bowl, it had lots of room to move around, and that was nice. Paul came in and asked how many cm, and then started to bring in my things. He then sat down and we started chatting in between contractions, and he was texting my friends and family on my phone, and also taking pictures like I asked. The contractions were much easier to get through being in the tub, the water felt really good and it was easy to move around if changing positions helped lessen the pain.

Around 7:30-7:45  it seemed to get a little more intense and I asked Paul to come and put counter pressure on my lower back/buttocks during contractions. I had to get on all fours to raise my back to him, which was easy to do in the water. After each contraction I would sit back down and wait for the next one. Melissa noticed that I was changing and looked like it was more intense so she asked if I felt like pushing and I told her I didn’t know. I got on my hands and knees for another contraction, Paul started with the counter pressure. Melissa then checked me and said I was fully dilated with a small lip in the front which I would be able to easily push past. I then was realizing it was time, but also was nervous to push. 

At 8:04am, while I pushed just a little, Melissa reach in and broke my water, I then knew for sure that she would be born pretty much within minutes. The next contraction came and I started to push and I felt her move way down, and then the real pain ripped through my being, I felt every millimeter I pushed her out. Each little bit she moved out felt like it couldn’t possibly hurt anymore, but each little bit hurt more and more and more. I knew it had to all end soon, and knowing that end to all the pain was approaching the closer she got to being out, and I would finally get to meet my beautiful Violette. As soon as she was born the pain was immediate gone, and I heard her cry, but I couldn’t see her, as I was still on my hands and knees, and everyone was behind me. They told me to sit back and they handed me my little Violette, crying her first little newborn cry, I just stared in awe. It was amazing and very much worth every second, and every pain of the pregnancy and birth.