Welcome to the World Cecilia!

The look on my face says it all.

Disclaimer: This post is about childbirth, which will naturally involve some TMI.  I have tried to keep it mostly PG though. ;)  I don't have much concept of time throughout these days, but I've tried to place events in the right order.  I've also chosen to leave out some details, but I'm sure this will still be a long post.  I hope you enjoy the story of Cecilia's birth!

I woke up Friday morning 9/12 feeling a little crampy.  When I used the restroom, I discovered some "bloody show".  If you don't know what that is, be careful googling it.  At my midwife appointment I learned that I was 90% effaced and not quite 3 cm dilated.  Cecilia was even lower in my pelvis than the previous week, and Connie could feel a bit of a bulging bag of waters.  We had a good feeling that Cecilia might arrive by Saturday evening.  Things were getting exciting in the Davis house!

By Friday late afternoon/early evening, I started having some minor contractions that were spaced about 15 minutes apart.  I continued about my evening somewhat normally.  At some point I decided it would be a good idea to lie down and get some rest in case things picked up.  I wanted to have as much energy as possible.  I was able to sleep somewhat easily, but awoke around 3:00 in the morning with excitement and a need to eat and time contractions.  By the early hours of the morning, my contractions were becoming closer together.  I thought for sure things were progressing.  I went back to bed, and my contractions had spaced out and weren't so intense.

All day Saturday I had contractions that were spaced about 7-11 minutes apart.  After my first nap, I woke up to an intense contraction, so I thought I should get up and move around some.  I spent most of the day in my room bouncing on an exercise ball and watching TV to distract me.  My parents were here and helped Jeremy attend to my needs and entertain Genevieve.  They were great about supplying me with food and drink to keep up my energy.  Jeremy and I listened to a little Jim Gaffigan as I labored, and the humor helped me deal with my contractions.

Getting a little support through a contraction

I decided to try out my birthing tub just to see what it felt like.  It was so warm and immediately relaxing.  I didn't want to stay in it too long for fear that it would slow things down.  Genevieve was fascinated by the tub and kept touching the water.  She also checked on me a lot throughout the day. She would put her hand under my chin and say, "It's okay mama."  She gave me some hugs and kisses while I was in the tub and then was called out to play with Grandma and Grandpa.

At some point, after hours and hours of this early labor, I began to feel discouraged.  I began to doubt things would progress and my body would ever start actively laboring.  I thought I was doing something wrong and that I should be doing something more to encourage things to speed up.  I texted Connie that I was feeling discouraged and that I was going to lie down and rest again while I still could.  It was hard to actually sleep, but I know that I dozed between contractions that were around 10 minutes apart.  I awoke to a sharp contraction and had several more following that one. Connie left me an encouraging message, and at this point, I just decided to quit over analyzing everything like I always do and to just let my body do what it's supposed to do.  I quit timing contractions for awhile because it was causing me a little anxiety to see them go from being five minutes apart to spreading out to 7 and 9 minutes apart again.  The contractions continued being fairly intense, and it was difficult to tell when one started and ended because I was feeling crampy in between.

At some point, I lost my dinner in the toilet, but I felt so much better afterwards.  Jeremy helped me time my contractions, and by around 11:00 PM, they were anywhere from 3 1/2 minutes to 5 minutes apart and lasting a minute and 20 seconds to two minutes long.  I told him that I felt like I really needed Connie, but I didn't think I could talk to her.  He told me to just wait until after my next contraction.  Unfortunately, another contraction followed that one pretty quickly, so I made him call to update her and tell her I needed her.  She said she knew that I really needed her if Jeremy was calling, so she left right away.    

As soon as Connie walked into my bedroom, I felt immediate relief and a sense of peace and calm wash over me.  That's just what Connie does.  She assessed me and baby at this  point.  Cecilia sounded great on the monitor, and Connie determined that I was still only 2-3 cm dilated.  What?!  How can that be?!  This was the news I was fearing.  However, she said that as she was checking me, since my cervix was just mush, she was able to open me to 6 cm.  She said, "Things are going to change now."  Change they did!  I rolled over slightly to my side and rode out a major contraction.  I had another and then decided to use the restroom.  Connie asked me if I'd been walking around, and I hadn't really been since the baby felt so heavy.  It was decided that I should be walking around so the baby's head can press against my cervix more and hopefully keep things moving in the right direction.

My mom sliced me half an apple and made me some red raspberry leaf tea with honey.  I basically walked from my front door to my back door, picking up an apple slice along the way.  I think I carried and drank my tea as I walked.  Occasionally, I would walk down to my room for a moment of privacy.  For one or two contractions I would lean over my exercise ball or go on my hands and knees to breathe through the contractions.  In through my nose, out through my mouth.  In through my nose, out through my mouth.  Connie suggested holding up my belly as I walked so there wasn't so much pressure.  I did this for awhile, and as I turned the corner to go down to my bedroom, I dropped to my hands and knees to ride out the most intense contraction I had yet to feel.  I told Jeremy that I wanted to get in the tub now, and I crawled down my hallway all of the way there.  I stripped down to my sleep bra and climbed in.

Upon entering the tub, I felt immediate relaxation.  I could still feel every contraction like a dagger, but being able to hang over the side of the tub and let my body just melt into the water was the best feeling.  I just concentrated on breathing through the contractions as I hung limply over the side.  My fears of the water slowing things down were quickly assuaged as my contractions continued coming.  All of a sudden, I felt a POP!  I looked at Jeremy and said, "I think my water just broke!"  Then I said, "I need to go to the bathroom!"  I hopped out of the tub and took care of business.  As I stood up. my water poured out onto the floor along with the membranes.  Jeremy flew around the corner to get Connie, who already happened to be coming down the hallway.  She assessed that my water was clear, which is a good thing.

My favorite place to be while in labor

Connie checked me again at this point and determined I was 9 cm dilated.  I couldn't believe we were so close to meeting our daughter!  Connie says that I pretty much hopped back into the tub at this point, and that's how I remember it too.  I hung over the side again, and my contractions were coming closer together - like every minute and a half to two minutes.  I had my eyes closed and completely shut out the rest of the world.  I could hear Connie typing on her computer, and then I felt the urge to push.  I said so, and Connie said something like "Go ahead and push."  Push I did.  I hung there in a somewhat seated position with my legs out to the side, and I pushed through a couple of contractions. I mentioned that I thought I felt the "ring of fire", so Connie asked me if I could get up on my hands and knees so she could take a look at where we were.

Hands and knees felt like the right position to be in anyway, and I continued pushing with each contraction.  I took a deep breath in (or tried to anyway) and breathed out through my mouth as I pushed Cecilia down.  I was surprised that I could feel exactly where I needed to push.  I was in awe of the human body.  Roxanne, Connie's birth assistant, who arrived right after I felt the urge to push, monitored Cecilia's heart rate and supported Connie in other ways.  Cecilia's heart rate was great the whole time.

Connie had me try lying on my side in the tub and holding up one leg to push through a contraction, but the water was just too deep for me in this position.  Back to hands and knees I went.  I braced my feet against the side of the tub.  One hand gripped the opposite side of the tub, and the other hand was on the bottom of the tub supporting me.  Connie encouraged me and guided me in pushing through the contractions as my parents and Jeremy looked on and provided positive words.  This was my favorite part of labor because I could feel the progress I was making.  Yes, it was painful, but it was a good pain in a weird sort of way.  All of labor is a productive type of pain, but pushing felt more so for me.

At 3:48 AM, on Sunday, September 14, 2014 Cecilia Giovanna Davis was born after about 40 minutes of pushing.  She popped out and I immediately turned my head around to see her.  I had to lift my right leg over her umbilical cord, and that's when Connie handed her to me.  I just remember immediately resting my head on Jeremy's shoulder with a feeling of pure elation washing over me.  I held Cecila and looked at her marveling at what I had just accomplished.  It is a moment in time I will never forget.  When her cord stopped pulsing, Connie clamped it, and Jeremy cut the cord, something he wasn't able to do with Genevieve.

Cecilia looked so beautiful!  I don't remember when she cried, but I remember hearing it.  Roxanne gave me a shot of pitocin in the right arm since I had a lot of bleeding after my c-section with Genevieve; we were just being cautious.  I got out of the tub and onto my bed to deliver the placenta.  It, however, did not seem to want to come out.  Connie had me squat (I'm sure I just painted a lovely picture for you), but it still wasn't coming out.  After Cecilia was wrapped up in a blanket, she was brought to me to nurse.  Nursing is supposed to stimulate uterine cramping/contractions that help the placenta detach and deliver.

Nursing Cecilia for the first time

This did not work, so Connie gave me a couple of herbal treatments and spent some time massaging my abdomen to help release the placenta.  She stitched me up at this point while waiting on the placenta.  Then she gave me some Cytotec and still nothing. Roxanne massaged my abdomen some more and did what she could to help the placenta release.  She kept me company as Connie bustled about packing and cleaning up.  It was so comforting having her there. After giving me some more time, the decision was made to transfer me to the hospital to figure out why it wasn't detaching and to get it removed.  Connie called Thunderbird Hospital to let them know we would be coming, and then we started packing up while Grandma and Grandpa got some snuggle time with Cecilia.

I was so bummed to have to transfer.  I was really looking forward to getting some rest with my new baby and then having Genevieve come in to meet her new sister when she woke up.  I told Connie that with me, there's always something!

I am so blessed to have had the amazing birthing experience.  I am thankful for my loving husband Jeremy who massaged my back and did anything I asked during labor.  I am thankful for my parents and their care of Genevieve and me.  I am thankful for Connie, a gifted midwife, and her loving assistant Roxanne.

Connie and Cecilia

Roxanne and Cecilia

My next post shall tell the tale of my hospital transfer.  Stay tuned.