Monday, March 03, 2008

Our new baby, installment #29

One more contraction, and our baby was out, a successful and stunningly uplifting home VBAC.

"It's a boy!" the midwife said, her first words in a long while, as his body popped up to the surface.

Although his head had emerged with the cord wrapped around his neck, the midwife had reached into the birth tub to check on him, felt the cord pulsing, and knew he was OK. All through the two hours I spent kneeling in the water, she never once told me to push. And I never did. My body did the work on its own and I let everything take its time. I think the reward was in not needing a single stitch.

I sat in the tub holding him, transfixed, looking in his dark eyes, his hair curled from the wetness. He was breathing just fine, very alert, not crying, checking out his new bedroom, moving his eyes across the room. His body, covered with creamy vernix, was incredibly soft and I held him close. He took to nursing like a champ. My husband finally decided it was OK to take a picture (maybe I will post one tomorrow)and we all rejoiced in the moment.

A couple minutes later, our second midwife, who had gotten caught in a construction tangle on the turnpike, arrived -- deflated she had missed the birth.

All seemed well. But where the heck was the placenta?

11 comments:

randiepdx said...

Virtual hugs to you, Tina:)

Tabitha said...

Oh, what an exhilerating journey! I am glued to this story. Congrats, Tina!! :)

Natalie said...

Yea baby and mom!

mamaofquiteafew said...

Incredible! What a beautiful birth!

Enjoy Birth said...

Horray, he is finally here! Congratulations!

CNH said...

Woohooo!!!!!! Congratulations on a beautiful HBAC.

Can't wait to hear about the placenta. At my UC mine took 5 hours....

Tina Cassidy said...

CNH -- 5 hours? Unassisted? Wow!

CNH said...

Indeed! I was a touch concerned but two things:

I was not bleeding heavily (really, barely at all until it detached).

My fundus was nice and firm.

That meant that I was not bleeding behind the placenta, which would cause my uterus to blow up into my abdomen. And I was not hemorrhaging. So we waited. Actually, I let someone who WAS concerned do cord traction and fundal massage which was a huge mistake and I should have just left it alone. I retained pieces because when the fundus is massaged before the placenta detaches it can cause the uterus to not sheer it off in one solid piece. Unfortunately, I found that out afterward when I began studying midwifery.

Anyway, we waited, it came out when she woke up and nursed, and all was well!:)

Molly said...

Yay! Congratulations! I've been following your story with great interest and I'm so glad the baby is finally here! (well, I know he was here before you started writing, but "here" to the rest of us now!) It was particularly interesting to read your blog because I started reading your book *after* I started following your blog and it was neat to see how your self-confidence has "evolved" since you wrote your book.

Best wishes,

Molly
(also of Citizens for Midwifery--http://cfmidwifery.blogspot.com)

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