Aisling's birth story of baby #1

Saturday, December 19, 1998, I began to have contractions in the morning at about 10:00 a.m. only I didn't realize it was real labor! From 10:00 until about 1:30 p.m. I relaxed, took a bath, read my book, and even slept. I began to think something was up when the contractions were waking me up. However, I dismissed the thoughts because I was only 37 week along and I was expecting to take after my mother with late deliveries.

At 1:30 p.m. my husband left to play in a soccer game, asking me if he should stay and commenting that the pains seemed to be coming very close together. I think they were less than 5 minutes apart at this point but I told him to go ahead and go... I'd be fine... just take his pager.

After he left I tried to sit down at the computer to take my mind off the pain, but the contractions were just too strong and I couldn't concentrate. At a little after 2:00 p.m. I paged Jason and asked him to return. I had been timing my contractions and they were coming about every 3 to 4 minutes and were almost a minute long!

Around 3:00 p.m. I called my mom (Jason wasn't home yet) to ask her opinion. I still didn't think it was real. She said she would be right over. Jason, my mom and my father-in-law (from the soccer game) arrived and my mother suggested I take a shower to "check" and see if it was real labor. The contractions should stop if it was false. Well they didn't stop so we called Molly, my midwife, and she told me to come and get checked at the birth center. By now my mother-in-law arrived too.

Everyone helped me throw a few more things into my half- packed bags and off we went to the birthing center! Oh, before we left I just HAD to stop and shut down the computer. I still didn't think I could really be having my baby! Jason and I led the way with two cars behind us. We realized later that we should have had someone drive the two of us over there so he could have helped me through the contractions but, oh well, you learn the hard way!

I was 4-1/2 centimeters dilated and 100% effaced! I was in the "blue room" but decided I wanted to get into the whirlpool tub for my labor. Molly helped me get settled in there and then turned on the jets. With each contraction I would kind of relax and "float", while Jason poured water over my stomach (that felt good). While in the tub I ate chicken noodle soup and drank lots of water. A little later Jason's dad picked up Taco Bell for the two of us, since Jason hadn't eaten anything all day. I told him he better hurry up and eat!. Molly made a joke that I wouldn't have the baby until he finished eating. So I had tacos and nachos and herb tea in between contractions.

It was about this time that Molly thought I was in transition because I'd get 2 contractions, one on top of another, then there would be a 3 to 5 minute break, then 2 more. In one way it wasn't so bad because in between I had more time to eat (I was hungry).

I went to the bathroom and Molly checked me again... 8 centimeters! Back in the tub until I felt like pushing. I decided to go to the bedroom and Molly checked one last time. I was 10 centimeters. Molly said I was almost ready, so everyone got prepared, the video camera was turned on, etc. I tried 3 or 4 different positions before finding the one I was comfortable with. I started with the side lying position, then the semi-sitting, then kneeling over the birthing ball, back to the semi-sit, squatting at the end of the bed holding onto it, and then back to the semi-sit! In the middle of trying all these positions, I drank tons of water and then threw up!

By this time I was exhausted and ready to just get my baby out. I even asked Molly to "just cut me open and get it out!" The final position I used was lying flat on my back, with my legs way up. Molly got out a pulling "rope". During the contractions I held onto one end and someone held the other end for me. By pulling it helped me to bear down and PUSH. I was trying to keep my mouth shut, and make as little noise as possible each time I pushed, because EVERYONE kept telling me to conserve my energy. I got mad at Jason because he kept reminding me of what to do and I told him he didn't understand how hard it was!

Molly was doing perineal massage like crazy, to try and keep me from tearing. Near the end she wanted to cut - just a little bit - but I said no, so she didn't. Later she said she was glad I had said no because I didn't tear as badly as she thought I would...only a bit and not needing stitches.

Molly held the mirror so I could see my baby's head as it progressed down. From then on, after seeing my baby's head (lot's of black hair) I worked harder. At 9:10 p.m. Jeric Gage Jones was born! Molly placed him on my stomach/chest and covered him with a towel and put a little hat on his head. My mother didn't get to help catch like we had planned because she was on one side of me holding my hand, with Jason on the other side.

We still had no idea whether we had a boy of girl, so Molly told Jason to peek under the towel..."It's a boy!" His Apgar score was 9/10/10

The rest of the time is a blur. I delivered the placenta (after my 6 lb. 4 oz. baby it felt like nothing!) Someone cut the cord (my mom?). The whole family came in to see him. Then it was time for our herb bath. I got in first and then Molly put Jeric in. I was scared to hold him because I was feeling shaky so Molly held him for me in the water. He cried at first, but relaxed as soon as he was all the way in.

I think that labor was an awesome experience. One I can't wait to go through again.