The Easter Stork-Daniella’s Story ⇒

I've always liked Easter. Maybe it's because my birthday sometimes falls on the long weekend. Maybe it's the chocolate. Maybe it's the turkey and ham dinner my Mum makes. Maybe it's because it's spring. Now and forever, I can add to this list "It's because of Daniella".

Her story started on Friday, April 6th. I had lots of contractions during the day and by the evening I was pretty sure (yet again!) that I was in labour. We called Rosemary, the midwife who was on call, and she came over. When she checked, I was less than 1 cm dilated and only 50% effaced. I wasn't happy about this news, obviously, because I was already having trouble coping with the contractions (Erin disagrees--he said I was coping fine) and I had been having so many false labour symptoms that everyone kept telling me would be doing a lot of work ahead of time. I recognized that it was going to be a long night and potentially a long couple of days ahead. I didn't get much sleep, only in five minute increments because the contractions woke me up. This continued through the day on Saturday.

Erin's dad picked Elise up early on Saturday morning. She seemed to know something was up over the last few days. She was very loving with me and wanted lots of hugs. She didn't want to leave with Grandpa which tells me something because you have never seen two people so much in love as Colin and Elise.

I spoke with Rosemary a couple of times on Saturday, having a bit of a crying breakdown when she said she was pretty sure the contractions I was having were only effacing not dilating and that because the baby hadn't dropped yet, it could still be a while. Call her back when the contractions pick up a little. "Try to hang in there. Have a bath." At this point, I thought my dream of having a home birth were going out the window because with the back labour I was not coping with very well again. I couldn't help but be reminded of Elise's labour and I didn't think I could do it without drugs again. Our friends Charlotte and Chris made a little trip to the grocery store for us for apples, peanut butter (It's a great combination and I had to eat something that would give me energy!), Gravol, and milk.

At 5:30, the contractions were a bit stronger, though to me they hadn't made the big change Rosemary said they would. However, Erin thought we should start timing them and they were 4 to 6 minutes apart. It's a good thing he was there because I was still waiting to "know" it was time to call. Erin called Rosemary at 6:00. She arrived at 7:00. I was exhausted and defeated. I was dreading the worst when she checked me, thinking she would tell me I was only a couple of cm, if anything. She checked and I was 3cm. While she was checking I had a contraction and my water broke and suddenly I was 5 cm. Nice! Then I started to feel a little more with it and ready to get it done. So I got up and we went to work bringing Rosemary's birth stuff in and making the bed up with old sheets. She told me she would check me again at 9:00. I moaned and groaned my way through a few more contractions. I always seemed to be alone when they started but by some miracle, Erin always seemed to show up to get me through each one. My love, my hero.

A funny sidebar about my contractions: after each one, I hiccoughed twice. I didn't remember this until it started this time, but the same thing happened when I was in labour with Elise. That, by the way, is the last comparison I will make about the two experiences.

I decided to have a shower which seemed to be the only thing that eased the pain on my back--maybe something about the heat equalizing the heat inside my tailbone. While I was in the shower I had a couple more contractions then all of a sudden I had three on top of each other and on the third one, just started pushing. The moaning quickly escalated to screaming and some other noise I have never made before in my life, not because the pain got particularly worse but because there just didn't seem to be anything else to do. Rosemary quickly got on the phone with Deb who would be the second midwife present (a requirement of a home birth) and Surrey Memorial Hospital to let them know the status. Erin helped me out of the shower and I had three more contractions while I was literally hanging from him, panicking and saying "Something must be wrong! I'm only 5 cm!" They somehow got me onto my bed during a bunch more contractions and then Rosemary checked and told me I was 8 cm but I just couldn't stop pushing! I vaguely remember Rosemary and Erin telling me to pant at one point, which I did. I vaguely remember being instructed to put my lips together and push, which I did. I vaguely remember Rosemary telling me to reach down and I felt the top of my baby's head. I remember Rosemary ORDERING Erin to look, even though he didn't want to so HE could tell me the baby was coming. Then I had another contraction and pushed and suddenly there was no more pain, the room went silent (I suppose because I had stopped screaming), Rosemary was holding the baby up and I was just waiting, waiting to hear her cry...which she did...and it was as beautiful as the most beautiful singing I've ever heard. I swear for a moment time stood still.

She arrived on my chest wrapped in a receiving blanket (I think) and Erin said "It's a boy" so I peeked, moved the umbilical cord that was hanging between her legs and said "No, no...it's a girl!" and Erin said "But I don't have a girl's name picked...now I'm really out numbered!" (Note: I am in no way poking fun at Erin's case of mistaken identity--he only go a glimpse as Rosemary was putting her on my chest and babies' bits are quite swollen and the same colour as the cord so it was an easy mistake to make! No teasing allowed, gentlemen)

Then Deb arrived and time started again. We got the baby latched on to nurse right away (well, being born is very hungry business, don't you think?) We all admired her for a while: lots dark spiky hair and the resemblance between her and Erin is striking. I got up to pee and get cleaned up (I think I had a record number of showers that day) while Rosemary and Erin took care of all the newborn business: weight 7 pounds 14 ounces, length 21 inches. Then I got into my jammies and hopped back in bed to nurse her for a while longer. Deb left at some point. Rosemary left at around 11:00.

I have experienced birth in a hospital with an epidural and at home completely drug free (that Motrin just didn't do anything to help!) and I can't say that one experience made me braver or more of a woman than the other. I needed that epidural to get me through my birth with Elise--taking away the pain when we did allowed me to be present during the birth. I remember it more clearly than Daniella's. I really wanted a home birth and you can't do that with drugs so I guess that was right, too. However....

As Rosemary was leaving us for our first night with our new baby girl, she gave me a big hug, looked me in the eye so kindly and said "You are a goddess" and just for that fleeting moment, I sure felt like one.