Aldan's Birth Day Story

Aldan’s Birth Day Story

(I am being completely personal and vulnerable sharing my birth story. It is very detailed, please be respectful.)

A little background on the weeks and days leading up to Aldan’s birth… When we found out we were pregnant we weren’t 100% sure on the date of conception and we had two dates to base our due date off of, so we chose the earlier one as we thought that would be the most accurate one. So, we set our due date for June 1, 2012. Of course dates seem to be really important to a lot of people… but when asked, I would usually respond with end of May to beginning of June… oh boy, I SOO wish I would have known at the time how off we were on our dates. But, we did not want an ultrasound unless needed, so it was our best guess. I’m so grateful for our Midwife who was not at all concerned with dates. So… we didn’t feel a clock was ticking.

Fast forward to a couple weeks before he was born. I had been experiencing several days of “time able” contractions, nothing that was painful just more consistent than usual. And since we were close to our “due date” our Midwife was on call and would alter her plans to be prepared to leave at any minute. Bless her. So… my “due date” came and went and we would talk about our options of getting a stress test done once I hit the “42ish” week mark to check on the baby and I truly felt at that point that we were off on our dates. (My previous two children had been born around the 38-39 week mark.) So we decided to wait it out a little longer. Again, I love my Midwife for these reasons.

Up until this point I never felt the need to have my cervix checked, because I truly don’t believe it will tell you when you will have your baby and have never had early checks with my previous pregnancies for reference. On Monday I had been slowly losing my mucus plug (which I’ve never experienced early on) so excitedly I started getting things out and ready. I had all of our supplies ready to go and our birth pool had been blown up, so we brought it downstairs. I wasn’t really experiencing much cramping, but did have just a few contractions. I knew it had to be soon since I was having those labor signs. I let my Midwife know and had already had an appointment scheduled for the next day so I told her I might see her then or earlier! So Tuesday morning I drove up to my appointment (with no kids, thank you MIL!) and met with my Midwife. We talked for a while about what was going on and said it would be soon. She asked me if I wanted to be checked and at first was hesitant, but since I was showing signs of labor, my husband suggested I just go ahead and do it. So she checked me and determined that I was about 2 centimeters, but my cervix was still pretty thick and facing back. This may normally disappoint some, yet I knew this could change quickly.  So we set our next appointment, just in case, and I picked up my kids and went home. We went about our day, put the kids to bed and later went to bed ourselves.

I had a great nights sleep and woke up around 8:00 am with a few contractions, so I stayed in bed for a little bit anticipating another. Another came. Could this be it? I got up with the kids and went downstairs starting our morning routine. I made the coffee and got breakfast started for the kids and I while my husband got ready for work. By this point I was having contractions every 5-10 minutes. So I started timing them and writing it down. This was 8:18 am. The contractions weren’t much to work through so I was able to continue with our morning. We scheduled an appointment with our Chiropractor for 10:45 am. At this point my contractions had picked up and I was slowing down during them. I got the kids and I ready to go, my husband picked us up and off we went. When we got there, I had a contraction and had to stop walking, so my husband took the kids in and got us signed in. I knew these were for real. (I have a history of quick labors, so I was still trying to figure out what was in store… silly me.) While waiting, I had another contraction and was able to talk through them, but also had to concentrate a little on them. We were called back and I decided to go last, trying to avoid being adjusted during a contraction. Our Chiropractor was well aware I was due anytime and we were talking about how we thought it was going to be very soon. (Later that day we had to call him and let him know when I actually had him, because we didn’t realize how close we were at that point!) I did end up having a short contraction while being adjusted, but it wasn’t a big deal. We were back in our van at 11:02 am and I was back to writing times down. Now my contractions were more like 5-7 minutes apart.

When we got home, due to my request, my husband stayed and we started getting the kids settled down and ready for lunch. This was taking a bit longer, because I needed to stop and breath through contractions. I found it extremely helpful to lean over something and have my husband apply pressure to my lower back. (I remember telling him that it was very helpful, and will be when they start getting more intense.) While my husband is getting the kids set down with their food, I was sitting on my birth ball re folding baby clothes I had ready in a tote that my other two children decided to decorate the dining room floor with. (If you don’t know, we did not know the gender of the baby, so I had both boy and girl clothes washed and ready.) Still working through contractions, I sat at the table to eat our lunch. We were planning on laying the kids down for their nap and then have my husband’s parents pick them up for the day after they woke up. But, we decided things were progressing very quickly, so we called them and they were on their way. This was at 12:00 pm. After a few bites of my lunch I just didn’t feel like finishing it.

At 12:24 I stopped writing my times down and decided to go upstairs to pack a bag for the kids in case they stayed over night. The contractions had picked up quite a bit and I had to stop and get on all fours and sway to relieve pain and cope. At that time I noticed some bright red blood had appeared and got a little worried. I got what I needed for the kids came down stairs and gave the bag to my husband to give to his parents. I headed to the bathroom while they came and got the kids. I had been in contact with my Midwife all morning and had my husband call her to ask about the blood. There wasn’t a large amount, and it soon stopped so she let us know it was probably due to the rapid dilation of my cervix. (Makes total sense) While I talked to her, my husband started filling up the birth pool. She said she would be on her way to my home. (She had about a 45 minute to an hour drive with some construction.) I had also planned on having a birth photographer at the birth as well, so I also sent her a text message letting her know things were progressing pretty quickly and she said she was on her way as well.

This is when times get a little foggy, but mind you, the rest happened within an hour! While my husband finished filing up the birth pool I laid a few chucks pads on the floor and kneeled on them hanging over the edge of my couch. This seemed to be the most helpful throughout labor. I was still having my husband place pressure with his hands on my lower back and he would talk to me during a contraction. I would let him know when I was coming off of the peak of a contraction and he would ease up on the pressure, pretty perfectly. (He is an amazing birth partner.) I stayed like that for a little bit, but it started to hurt my knees, so I got on the couch to lie on my side. I stayed that way through a couple of contractions and this time would have my husband hold my leg up so I could completely relax my lower half. (Holding my leg up to keep my hips open would make me tense, making the pain worse.) I started to feel some pressure with the contractions so I decided to “check” myself. (I felt extremely comfortable doing so and knew what a head would feel like.) I could feel the bag of waters bulging. It was a fingertip away! I remember saying “It’s right there.” I was almost there!

I completely trust my body and felt confident but still wanted that “go ahead” from my Midwife to get in the water. My husband convinced me that now would be the time to get in if I was going to. (I had two previous home water births and had every intention on getting in.) So, I got in the water. (Can I just say, that if you ever have an opportunity to labor in water, DO SO! I don’t know if I can describe the relief being buoyant in the water provides. It is amazing!) I was still surprised that I was already to the point of pushing. (My contractions were completely manageable with vocalizing and focused relaxing; the length in between them was still long enough to relax and I was having conversations with my husband in between them.) This was probably around 1:30 pm. My husband was down right outside the pool applying pressure to my lower back, talking to me, reassuring me. I was once again, on my knees, burying my forehead into the edge of the pool. Breathing through the intense urges to push. I could still feel the bag of waters and then with a contraction, felt a pop; my water broke while my husband’s hand was on my back. Amazing! I felt a huge relief of pressure. I reached down and felt the top of a head, a squishy hard head. I could feel the hair on my baby’s head. Complete motivation that he or she is almost here!

Soon I will know whether it is a boy or girl. That is when I heard our photographer walk in the door. She walked in and asked how I was doing and progressing. I proceeded to (not so nicely) ask her to be quiet. (Sorry!) With each contraction I kept my hand on the baby’s head. I was letting my body tell me when and how hard to push. I was telling my husband I didn’t want to do this (while thinking I don’t need to say that, but something in me wanted him to reassure me that I could do it) and he reassured me that I could and that we were going to meet our baby soon. (He is such an amazing support.) So a few pushes later and the baby’s head was born. Still on my hands and knees, I expected the rest of the body to just follow right after, but it didn’t. I felt the baby turn, and waited for the next contraction and pushed the rest out. (The chest measured the same diameter as the head, so of course that would need a little help getting out.) If you have ever been to this place, it is Heaven on earth. I then turned around and brought my baby up to my chest. The baby was born at 1:46 pm.  My husband immediately told me we had another boy! I started looking at all of his fingers and toes. Calling him by name. He was perfect! Again, more than I could ask for.

Our Midwife called my husband to let us know where they were and he told them our baby was born, everything was fine and they said they were just around the corner! We had planned on delayed cord clamping, so we were in no rush to mess with any of that. We just loved on our baby! Our Midwife and her assistant walked in minutes later with big smiles on their faces. I will never forget that. She came over to me and we just talked and laughed while she checked the baby over. The cord stopped pulsing and shortly after I delivered the placenta. She clamped the cord and my husband cut it. It was so beautiful. I decided I was ready to get out of the water to get cleaned up and love on my baby some more. So I handed him to my husband while I was checked, cleaned up. I sat down and he was handed back to me. 

I rested for a moment and my Midwife asked if I was ready to take an herbal bath, so they filled up our bathtub and I got in. He snuggled up with me and started nursing. We stayed in there for a little but while they got what they needed to finish checking us out. Once we were finished in the tub, my Midwife loved on the baby, measured and weighed him while her assistant helped get me cleaned up and dressed. He was 7 pounds 4 ounces, 19 ¼ inches long with a head circumference of 13 ¼ inches. He was determined to be a 38-39 week gestation baby, like my previous two children. Not a 42+ weeker! We sat down with our little baby boy, cuddled him, dressed him, and took pictures of him. I couldn’t stop smelling and kissing him. Brand new life, so precious. We talked birth and empowerment that comes from that experience. We took in the oxytocin high that filled the room. Smiled and laughed with one another.

The Midwife talked with me and we set up our post partum visits and her, the assistant and photographer left shortly after and we called for our other two children to come meet their new baby brother. They were so sweet and curious. (I must admit, they were mostly interested in the pool that was being emptied!) I got to love on them. They got to have fun and spent the night with their grandparents while we got to spend some one on one time with our little boy. I am so incredibly satisfied with his gentle and peaceful birth and the joy that comes along with telling the story of how he entered this world.

(One month old)

Aldan Foster, you are so loved.