Noah's birth story

After looking into several different options for prenatal care, we knew we wanted to have Noah at home using a midwife.  
My first labor was LONG….like 37 hours long. There was NO way I could do that at home, so I was really praying for a short labor. 

During the last couple weeks of my pregnancy, I felt a decrease in Noah's movements and his heart rate was in the low 120s and we could not get it to increase.  My midwife was concerned enough that she thought it would be best for us to schedule an ultrasound.  So on January 18^th, 2010, 5 days before my due date, I had an ultrasound.

We went and were grateful that everything looked good. Noah was “sunny side up” and had not dropped. Our midwife suggested a few things for me to do to help him turn and told us not to expect him anytime soon. 

So of course I went home and got busy. She said to clean the floors on my hands and knees, so I scrubbed all afternoon. She also told me to lay on my left side to help Noah turn.  And so lay I did. I was one determined pregnant lady. 

Around 5:30pm that same day, I started feeling light contractions that were about 4 ½ min apart. They were not too painful but definitely enough to notice.  After about an hour they were coming every 3 minutes. I called my midwife and talked to her through several contractions. We decided it was probably just the baby turning since I could easily talk through the contractions. She suggested that I get in the tub to try and space them out. 

The water felt great! I soaked for over an hour and my contractions slowed significantly. Then I got out…and I felt like labor was coming full on. 

But I was used to a 37 hour birth.  I thought I had hours before the baby came. However, these were intense contractions. I knew there was no way I could endure them all night. I called my parents and told them to have their bags ready and we would call when it got closer to time. 

Thankfully I have an awesome friend and neighbor who also happens to be a labor and delivery nurse (she was there for Taylor’s labor and delivery). At 9:30pm when the pain was becoming extremely intense, I called her to come and check me. She came over and I was 6 cm and 80 percent effaced.  Whew…I was SO glad that all that pain was not for nothing!

We called the midwife. She lives 30 minutes away and somehow managed to get here in exactly 30 minutes from the time I called.  Speedy little midwife!

Mark also called my parents and told them to come on. They live about an hour and a half away so we wanted to give them plenty of time. 

When my midwife got here I was in transition and everything from there was a bit blurry.  Our midwife and her assistant were running around like crazy getting things ready for the birth, monitoring me and the baby, and gathering all our supplies. 

I have a friend who also got here around 10pm. She was WONDERFUL. During every contraction, she would pray for me and recite encouraging Bile versus. In the midst of the pain, it was exactly what I needed to hear.  

Around 10:30pm my water broke and I felt an immediate need to push. It was some of the most intense pain I have ever felt. But in 10 short minutes, at 10:42pm, or sweet baby boy was born. After he was born, it took him 10 LONG seconds to make a noise, but after being suctioned and rubbing his back, he gave us a nice loud cry!

Somehow, Taylor managed to sleep during the entire delivery…VERY thankful for that! My parents got here around 11pm, 20 minutes after Noah was born. Their first thought when they walked into our bedroom was “who’s child is Lindsey holding?” Just like us, they were expecting a little bit of a longer labor! I loved the shock on their faces when they realized it was Noah. 

A funny little side story…we rented a birthing pool to have at Noah’s birth. I did not know if I wanted a water birth, but I did want the option. Mark began blowing up the tub about 8:30pm. He worked on that thing right up until Noah was born. Apparently he was not doing it correctly, but it did give him something to do. And now we know to set that thing up EARLY for the next baby!

I have had a hospital birth with an epidural and I have had a home birth without any pain medicine. I had a good experience in the hospital, but I will say this; there is a certain sweetness that I just cannot explain about having a child without any pain medicine and in the comfort of your own home.  

Noah’s labor story was not super eventful, but I want to remember it. I write this 2 ½ years after he was born and I know so many of the little details lost. For the next baby, I won’t wait so long :)