Natalia's Birth Story

Natalia was born at home at 10:15 pm on Monday, November 25, 2013, weighing 5 pounds 10 ounces, measuring 18.5 inches.
             

Natalka just a few hours old.

I was in labor for a total of 18 hours and some change, going into active labor shortly before my water broke 13 hours into it.  Oscar ended up going into work for a few hours when we realized it was either that or once baby came.  It was a tough call, because I did not do well laboring alone.  He finally got back home around 7pm, and at this point my contractions were lasting a minute and were 2-3 minutes apart.  I was not a happy camper.  I think not having Oscar really messed up our hypnobabies system. I tried laboring with the CDs but it wasn't helping.  I ended up doing a lot of vocalizing.  Birth assistant came shortly after Oscar, and midwife wasn't too far behind.  I ended up not getting antibiotics for GBS (group B strep) as midwife felt baby was going to come very soon, not the 4-8 hours after the first dose that is standard.  Indeed, she was born 2 hours after midwife arrived.
They spent a good deal of time trying to fill the birth pool, but they were having problems with the water not being hot enough.  I only got a little bit of hydrotherapy in the shower before all the hot water in the house apparently went out.  Never got in the birth tub.  :( Huge disappointment.

The tub all ready, except that the water never got hot enough :(

I labored on the toilet for a while, but didn't want baby born in there, and they were telling me that I was sounding "pushy".  I labored on all fours on the floor for a while, then agreed to have a vaginal check and was almost fully dilated.  They had me move to the bed, midwife pulled the lip of my cervix over baby, and when she came out, she came flying out!  I birthed Natalia on all fours, leaning on a yoga ball, and the placenta was delivered with me in a squat.

I'm including a few shots from my labor, because I feel that this makes it real and normalizes birth.  As an aside, some of you may know that my PhD dissertation (which I opted not to complete) was initially about the medicalization of childbirth in pregnancy magazines.  So I think it is good to expose what delivering a baby can be like, especially for anyone curious about what birthing at home might look like.  For the purposes of this blog, I kept the images as PG as possible while still attempting to provide a glimpse into the hours preceding Natalia's birth.

Laboring on "the throne" of all places.

Oscar providing counter pressure on my lower back during a contraction.

A break in pushing.  Oscar's mere presence was incredibly reassuring for me.

The following are images that capture Oscar's and my first reactions to seeing and holding our daughter.  Since I lost all inhibition during labor, it was difficult to find an image of the three of us that didn't also show a bit more of me than you all probably want to see ;)
 

Apparently, Natalia is a miracle baby in more ways than one.  She had her cord wrapped around her neck and torso, and the cord was not directly linked to the placenta, which is known as a velamentous cord insertion.  They asked if I had had any ultrasounds done, because this normally would've been found at the 20 week sono.  The problem is that if the veins and artery connecting the cord to the placenta happen to run over the cervix (vasa previa) instead of above the baby, then if the water breaks, the baby can cut off the blood supply and not survive birth.  Midwife was shocked that my last sono was just last week!  Oscar and I are just amazed at what a humongous blessing this baby is.

In this photo, we don't yet know if we have a girl or a boy.

We held Natalia for about an hour before finding out if we had a girl or a boy.  I finally cried when Oscar peeked and then introduced me to her by name.  We have a daughter!  That's when it became real for me.

I ended up getting a shot of pitocin to cut down on bleeding, a couple of pills under my tongue that were supposed to give me cramps to expel whatever may have been left of the cord/placenta in my uterus, which I think is what ended up giving me horrible chills, which then led to a fluid IV.   Luckily, I had a chance to hold Natalia for a bit before I started with the chills, and after that Daddy got lots of hands-on time with her because I was a hot mess, just laying there half asleep. My perineum stayed intact, but I got little tears on my labia, so I got a couple of stitches.

Weighing in at 5 pounds 10 ounces (she did not enjoy being weighed!)

I had just gotten belly henna done Sunday evening, on our way home from our Ignatian retreat.  I originally was going to get it the Friday after Thanksgiving, but something kept telling me that Natalia may be early. The henna artist advised me that it was unlikely that the henna would still be there for the Birth Day 2 weeks away, but I couldn't risk waiting too long.  So it was pretty cool that I got to have it done just on time after all.  I feel like so many things lined up for us!

My belly henna design.

Why did I get a henna tattoo?  I wanted a creative way to celebrate the new life growing inside of me, especially after all that we had been through to get to this point.  I requested the following features in my design:  lotus flower (the light within / the awakening of the human soul. Grace, beauty, creativity, sensuality, femininity, and purity); butterflies (which represent transformation, and I was being transformed from woman to mother, and Oscar from man to father - there are two butterflies, one on each end of the design); flowers (for joy and happiness); paiseleys (representing fertility and good luck); and vines and leaves (longevity, devotion, perseverance, entwined lives and vitality).

Day after birth.

Our midwife and birth assistant stayed until about 4 in the morning.  They cleaned up, started a load of laundry, and after doing a medical check on both me and Natalia, they left.  Our midwife returned the next evening for a follow-up visit, and our birth assistant made a house call that Friday.  It was incredible to have these visits at home and not have to lug baby and myself around.

We did have to take Natalia to see her pediatrician on day 3, and I did not enjoy that.  I was a hot mess still, walking around in my workout clothes/pjs, my special postpartum underwear peaking out (lol).  I don't understand why it's not standard protocol for pediatricians to make house calls for that first checkup.  I could have sent Oscar by himself with Natalia, but I couldn't imagine being apart from my little girl.  I needed first-hand knowledge that all was well per the pediatrician.  That, and of course I had to be available to nurse Natalia whenever her tiny little tummy got hungry.  Oscar, bless his heart, was trying to cover us up as I would just whip out a boob and try to latch Natalia on.  (A big reason for why we wanted no visitors in those first couple of weeks.  Natalia and I needed to get acquainted and learn how to breastfeed.  When that ideal went out the window, I had to accept letting relatives see her, since who knew how long it would be before we were nursing the way I had hoped and envisioned.)

My first impressions of Natalia:  She's so tiny!  Has a balding head and crossed eyes, oh no! (lol)  Smiling already?!  And oh my goodness, she has dimples!!!

Natalka was born smiling, here grinning for her birth announcement. See the dimples?

NOTE: To read Antonio's birth story, go here.