A Late Arrival

Witten came exactly on time. Isn't the first baby supposed to "cook" the longest? I am sure this baby will arrive before the due date...but the day comes, and then goes.

39 Weeks Pregnant

2 year old fashion sense

At the driving range trying to persuade this baby to come out!

The day after my due date and I am sitting on the exam room table, waiting for the midwife, with Will, my Mom, and Witten crowded into the small room with me. Despite being cramped, it is a nice change from being the only one at my final prenatal appointment with Witten.

A check reveals I am still, frustratingly, only a few centimeters dilated. The midwife lists off some "natural" methods to get labor started: dates, primrose oil, walking. A stop at Whole Foods results in dates and primrose oil pills, and a significantly lighter wallet.

In the evening I eat a few dates, take a primrose pill, watch the Olympics for a while, and head to bed. How long will this take? Do these silly methods even do anything?

Within an hour I am up and experiencing contractions. This time around I know exactly what they are, but no longer confusing contractions for cramps does not make them any less painful. Mom is on the air mattress in the living room, so instead of walking the whole apartment, I pace back and forth from one side of our room to the other. Poor Will.

In the early hours of the morning I talk to the on-call midwife, explaining that contractions have been about every five minutes for an hour or so. The contractions themselves aren't lasting more than 30 seconds. She suggests I wait for longer contractions before heading to the hospital.

"Are you sure? I arrived dilated to almost a 9 with my first baby."

"It doesn't sound like you're far enough along yet. ...But I supposed if you really feel strongly about it, you could come in and get checked."

We decide to head to the hospital. If I wasn't far enough along to be admitted, we would get breakfast on that side of town. Now that we live further from the hospital, we didn't want to get caught in the middle of the morning commute towards the end of labor.

"Well, to me it feels like...a six...um...I don't know. I'll be right back." We have been checked in to triage at the Birthing Inn (the Natural Birthing Center will only be opened once they are sure I will be officially admitted). The nurse has checked me, and then left. There's a commotion in the hall outside. It sounds like someone has just arrived in need of an emergency c-section. Another nurse appears.

"Hi! I'm here to check you." I stop my pacing and return to the bed just in time for another contraction. "Okay. I'd say your a very soft six. I can easily stretch you to an eight. See? But I don't know if I should admit you...just hang on. I'll have someone come check you."

By the time the third nurse arrives I have been waddling around the tiny triage room for a half hour. "Well, you certainly are a six, but I think we can admit you if you like. Do you want to head over to the NBC?" This nurse tries to talk me into using a wheelchair, but I know from experience that the pain will be more bearable if I can walk through it. It's a strange procession down the hallway: me flanked by the nurse on one side and Will on the other, with my mom and a bright and chipper Witten following behind.

The birth center is big and beautiful. Mom and Witten set up in the kitchen/living area, and Will and I are shown into one of two large birthing suites. We are the only ones there. I change into my bathing suit as the large soaker tub starts to fill. I am ready for the relief of the warm water.

During labor with Witten the comfort and pain relief of the water was enough to make it through contractions. Not this time. The pain is so bad, I stand up and pace back and forth in the tub while Will holds my hand to keep me from slipping. I think back to the day before when the midwife at my appointment had said primrose oil would make my contractions "more efficient." I blame her. There was hardly a break between each contraction. I did not have a chance to collect me thoughts, let alone recover from the pain, and was becoming increasingly more upset that there was no pause. All the birthing books explain there will be a pause between contractions!

After maybe an hour and a half in the tub, and a switch in the on duty staff, the new midwife, Julie, suggests trying to use the bathroom and then we can check my progress. I feel a need to go, but there is no break in the pain long enough for me to bear sitting down. Suddenly I feel the need to push. "It hurts so much!" 

I waddle quickly out of the bathroom, and Will moves forward to prevent me from slipping as I am still dripping with water. But, I have reached the point in labor where I don't want to be touched. Will calmly tries to explain that he just doesn't want me to slip on the hardwood floor. But who has time to be sensible when there are no breaks between contractions? Poor Will.

Unlike with Witten--pushing while lying on my back--this time I feel my body telling me to be on all fours. This actually works quite well. I can use my whole body to push and move this baby down the birth canal. Just like last time I must wait between each push. And it is the worst!! Julie explains I need to give my body time at each stage to stretch and prevent any tearing.

My water breaks. I thought the 'ring of fire' only happened with the first baby? Crowning hurts! And they keep telling me not to push?! After only three or four pushes, baby is here and I collapse on the bed.

A sweet, crying baby girl is wrapped in a towel and placed in my arms. My body shakes violently and there is so much blood, more than Julie is comfortable with. No tears and no stitches, just so much blood. In fact, I ended up in the ER a week later for excessive bleeding. Nothing more came of it, but it felt like a fitting cap to an unpleasant labor.

But, Camden Elyse Davis was beautiful from the moment she arrived at 8:40 in the morning on August 4th, 2016. I loved that Witten could come in almost immediately to meet his sister. I think it helped him feel involved and loved even though his whole world was changing. Will and I were also able to go home after twelve hours. Twelve hours in a big, relaxing room at the Birthing Center, and then home to sleep in my own bed.

This labor and delivery was more difficult with anything I experienced with Witten, but I am still grateful for it. There is real power and strength in being able to overcome difficult things, and this sweet little baby makes every moment worth it.

Meeting Nanna

Meeting Granna

Meeting Great-Grandma and Yes Yes

 Theme Song: Isn't She Lovely, Stevie Wonder