Birth Story

It's hard to believe that 4 months have gone by since Jonah was born. I wanted to write down his birth story while it's still semi-fresh in my mind. Warning: this is going to be long.

I started having BH contractions about 2 weeks before his birthday, I definitely was fooled once or twice and definitely did not know what to look for. On Jonah's due date, June 16 2010, Jason and I decided to go see one of his favorite bands, Dead Meadow, at The Jewish Mother in VB. We figured maybe putting ourselves in an inconvenient place and an inconvenient time would coax our little one out.

Basically the only thing that happened in my body was nausea due to Dead Meadow's very heavy bass. So still no outside baby.

I tried everything...bouncing on my exercise ball incessantly, taking black cohosh, evening primrose oil, walking walking walking. It's funny how when you get to that end stage of pregnancy and you want to meet your child so bad it hurts, you'll do anything to urge them along and now looking back I miss being pregnant.

Anyways, that Saturday the 19th I started having the most regular contractions I'd had around 11pm. We went to bed and I was still having them in the morning. June 20th, around noon they are about every 7 minutes. Around 2pm even stronger, even closer...

Our power goes out.

Mind you, this is the hottest day of the summer so far and it's getting hot, quick. Jason calls the midwife and she tells us to come in.

Everything gets a little blurry now as I was in pain. I remember screaming on our bed, I guess Jason loaded the car up, and I remember screaming on both sides of the Midtown tunnel. Finally we get to DePaul, they get me in a gown and check me. I was not ready and we were not about to go back home.

The midwife had me walk around the hospital a little bit which was almost impossible since my legs were buckling at every contraction. After I don't even know how long I was checked again. Progression!

Jonah decided he wanted to face my right hip so I had to get in all kinds of crazy poses to get him facing my back. I lay on the bed just waiting and working through each contraction.

I want to tell you that how women in labor are portrayed on TV. is not how I was at all. I became extremely introverted and wouldn't even talk. My eyes were closed most of the time and all I wanted was silence. No screaming or cussing my husband out took place.

When I did speak I asked to go into the hot tub to relieve some pain. It was too hot and I can remember glancing up to see the nurse and midwife dumping buckets and buckets of ice into the tub to cool it down.

Midwife checked me again, 9cm! For those of you that don't know, you have to be 10cm to have the baby.

Finally I am allowed in the hot tub. It feels good initially but there is really no relief for the pain of each contraction. Before each contraction comes I say in my head "no, no, no!". Which is not what a doula or midwife will tell you to think. Some of the only words I could mumble out loud were "let it go" which for some reason helped me to relax (in the loosest sense of the word).

At this point in the tub I can see it raining hard and lightning outside. I think to myself "I hope the lightning strikes me dead." so silly to think back on now, but that's really how badly it hurt. I am not aware of what time or day it is either.

Finally I get to my breaking point. Having had no drugs whatsoever I look up at the nurse "There's gotta be something you can give me!" she says "oh, you're so close!". They take me out of the tub and put me on the bed. My water was still intact. The midwife comes in, breaks my water, and tells me I can push.

Oh, sweet relief.

Each time a contraction came I was allowed to push with all my might. Essentially pushing cancelled out the pain of the contraction so I was all for it.

After 20 minutes of hard pushing (which is not long) out came Jonah and he was placed in my arms. I was in complete and total shock. He latched on right away and Jason cut his cord. I remember feeling his tiny butt in my hand and his eyes were wide opened! He had no blood or anything on him since my water was broken so late. He was beautiful.

I always say it was love at first sight when I met Jason but I don't think you really know what love at first sight is until you meet your child. I would have died for him after the first second of meeting him.

Jonah was born on Father's Day June 20th 2010 at 11:48pm, 7lbs4oz and was 20in long.