Micah’s birth story (long!)

Here it (finally!) is:

I woke up around 7:00am on Saturday morning, January 23, 2010 & was having contractions that were more painful than usual, around the under part of my belly, and radiating around to my back. I thought to myself, “These are different” and figured that “today may be the day”. Addison woke up before anyone else around 7:45am and since I knew it was probably the day she wouldn’t be the baby anymore, I got her up & spent some time with her. Chris stirred around 8am & I asked him how he was feeling (he had been sick) and told him it may be the day. My mom had come into town on Wednesday, so she was there to help out. I told her I thought it may be it too. Samuel woke up shortly afterward and everyone started going about the day. My contractions were pretty bothersome, painful, and about 4-5 minutes apart for the last hour. As I would soon discover, I also was nauseated with each contraction. This was the worst part of the labor for sure. I called my midwife, who wanted me to call her early in labor to warn her (she had an hour drive to get here) and she said since I had been sick (just got over bronchitis) that my body may just labor “off & on” all day then pick up at night so to get some rest. I really felt like I was supposed to be “up and moving” though to get things going. I was supposed to meet my online & phone friend & doula, Celeste, at 10:00 that morning. I called her at 9:00 and told her she may wanna pack her bag cuz I thought I was in labor. She got here around 10:30 and I came downstairs to meet her. The kids were downstairs, as were my mom & Chris, so it was more chaotic than upstairs where I had been laboring alone. After talking with her awhile, we decided to go upstairs. She showed Chris some massage techniques (hip squeeze & counter-pressure) which really helped. Around 11:30am, she said we should start timing my contractions to kinda get an idea of what to tell Linda when we call her to give an update. Apparently I was laboring so quietly & calmly that no one really knew “where I was at”. Celeste (doula) said she couldn’t tell when I was getting a contraction unless I told her. During this time as well, Chris blew up the birth tub. It was so loud & sounded like it was sucking all the air out of the room. I am so glad it only lasted one contraction or I would’ve probably started hyperventilating. After about a half hour of timing contractions, we called Linda. The contractions were 2-3 minutes apart & lasting 60-90 seconds. I was in active labor. Linda asked if I was calling her to just “let her know” or if I wanted her to come. I wanted her to be there already so I told her to come. Celeste then talked with Linda in the other room and they hung up. Linda got Sue (birth assistant/lactation consultant) and began their trip up here. I labored for awhile on my bed on my side, on my knees kinda leaning on the bed (which is on the floor), on my knees leaning against the birth ball, and on the toilet when I had to use the bathroom. Celeste was an awesome help because during my whole labor Chris was trying to fill up the birth tub. We didn’t take it for a trial run (oops!) and the hose kinked in so many places it was impossible to get it straightened out. He eventually started filling it with water from the tub using totes. We ran out of hot water very quickly, and it was disappointing to look at the birth tub, with about 2-3 inches of water, wanting so badly to get in. My mom was boiling water on the stove, we had the crock pot with water in it, and Chris would fill up the tub with water as soon as it got warm again. Did I mention it was torture to see the tub without water in it? Linda & Sue arrived at about 2:15. They came to check on me & I think I was deceiving everyone. I had been ready to push for a half hour or more before they got there but I wasn’t in a comfortable enough position (side lying). I told Linda I didn’t want to get up and push if it wasn’t time. She said I could always try pushing a little bit and if it was time, my body would take over. If it wasn’t time, I’d feel a pinch & should quit. I got up on my knees, leaning into Celeste’s lap as she sat on a chair. I also found out later that Celeste was praying for me throughout my labor. I have no doubt that is why my labor/delivery went so smoothly. Celeste’s position in the chair was too high & I was too uncomfortable & holding myself up so much that I couldn’t fully relax during a contraction. I tried pushing but just couldn’t “do it”. At some point Celeste asked me that when I was getting a contraction if I felt like I was “on top of it” or if it was getting the better of me. They were definitely getting the better of me (meaning, transition!) but I didn’t really understand what to say so I didn’t answer, except to say, “I don’t know what you mean.” I had some bloody show during the next few contractions, I wanted to be DONE with it all (and said so, hoping to hear someone say the magic words that “you’re almost done then” but they didn’t!), and I just felt like it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Finally, a little after 3pm, Chris put the last little tea kettle full of boiling water into the tub & got it just warm enough. They asked if I wanted to get in and I immediately said yes. I had been thinking, “I could get in while it’s cold. I labored in it lukewarm with Sam!” So I got in (how I got my laboring body over that high wall is beyond me) and immediately got on my knees, the same position I had birthed my first two kids in. I was faced toward the futon, and Chris sat down across from me. As soon as I got in the position, my water broke. I said, “Water broke!” and had just enough time to catch my breath before the next contraction. The next contraction, however, was the “pushing contraction” that lasted 3 1/2 minutes, with about a 5 second break in there somewhere for me to catch my breath. Chris said, “You can squeeze my hand” but I said no cuz I wanted to be able to relax my whole body. Apparently, however, I did end up squeezing his hand so badly he thought I’d break his fingers! I didn’t grunt or moan this time; I sang. I sang notes up & down the scale for 3 1/2 minutes (he came out so fast there were some capillaries in his eyes that burst!). While singing, I was pushing, but no one knew it! Celeste said, “That’s it. Sing it out.” All 3 ladies took turns going to the bathroom quickly because they didn’t know I was so close! I wanted to tell them, but I couldn’t. When Linda got back from the bathroom, I looked over & saw her getting her gloves on. I felt the baby’s head come out, but no one said anything so I thought, “What?! Is this just a bulging bag of waters? What the heck? Does that mean the head is going to be even harder to push out?” They just didn’t know it was happening yet. (Pretty funny, looking back on it!) My body kept pushing, and I felt like he was stuck. (Later I found out that Linda said he was kinda stuck – he was trying to put one shoulder through first, instead of both at the same time.) I then thought, “Oh no. I’m going to have to try a new position… I think he’s stuck!” Then he came out the rest of the way. He apparently caught everyone by surprise, slipped away from Linda, and next thing I know I see a baby in front of me at the bottom of the pool. I thought, “Oh. There’s a baby. I guess I should pick him up.” I think I may have even asked, “Should I get him?” I sat down with him & tried to see the gender. His cord was in between his legs & it took me a bit to move it. Then I saw he was a boy and said, “It’s a boy!” We told everyone the name shortly after, Chris went to get my mom & the kids, and they came up to see him. Sam RAN up the stairs, very excited, and we told him it was a boy & his name is Micah. I told Addi, “Look, it’s a baby!” and said, “OH!” We tried to get the kids to touch him, and Sam did – barely poking him, and acting a little scared – and finally Addi did (in Grandma’s arms) too (also a poke). We decided on a middle name shortly after he was born. Micah Andrew Chowdhury was born at 3:12pm, 57 minutes after the midwife arrived, and after 2 meconium poops & one breastfeeding session weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces. He was 21 inches long. Apgar scores were 10/10. He’s perfect – a miracle only God can do!

Micah – “Who is like God?”

Andrew – “Warrior”

Chowdhury

= MAC 😉