Genesis Doula Care

I got up Wednesday morning (August 10th) and the only set plans for the day were to get adjusted at the Chiropractor,and clean the master bathroom shower (the last thing on my list of "to do's" before it was baby time). But while I was getting dressed I got a call from Jules at the Birth House asking if I would be able to move my prenatal appointment that was set for the next day to that afternoon because Constance (one of my Midwives) had just finished up a birth and would need to do the 24 hour home visit the next morning during my original appointment time. I told her that would be fine, and we would head over right after my Chiropractor appointment. So I got adjusted and made another appointment for the following week saying on my way out the door "I will probably still be pregnant next week."

At the prenatal appointment we talked with Constance about some of our options for the birth, like whether Daniel wanted to catch the baby, if I wanted to labor in the birth tub, and about the fears that I had of stalling my labor because I was worried about the outcome of Tate's cleft. Constance was so good about helping me to work through my emotions and fears and come to a place of acceptance for the situation. This was probably one of my favorite things about having the Midwives from Around The Circle care for me prenatally-they always had the time for me, my baby, and my emotions. As the conversation went on we started to talk about my most recent blood test results for my iron and blood platelet count. My numbers had been dropping consistently the whole pregnancy, and they were now to a point where low was too low. Constance looked up at me and said "this baby needs to come this week." I will admit that I panicked for a second at the thought of having a baby so soon,but just as quickly I got excited at the thought of meeting my baby and not being pregnant anymore. I was worried that if I needed to try to self induce labor, and it didn't work because my body was not ready that things could go wrong very quickly. Constance asked how I felt about getting my cervix checked and I agreed that it was the best place to start to see what my body was doing,and then make a plan from there. I was hoping to hear really good news that I was already starting to dilate,but that was not the case. My cervix was still long,somewhat soft,but Tate was not even engage in my pelvis at that point. He was sitting more on top of my pubic bone (which was probably why I was feeling some pressure) and I may have only been dilated to a 1 or 2 but Constance was having a hard time even feeling my cervix. So the plan was that I needed to get Tate to engage and start putting pressure on my cervix. The plan was to do the Rebozo technique, walking, squatting, lunges, stepping stairs,moving,moving, and more moving! Constance wanted to see me again on Friday at Noon to check my progress. Before I left I had to get another blood draw and I agreed to let the student Midwife practice on me (she did great by the way) knowing that someday I may be in her shoes. One of the Midwives Assistants,Rhonda,who I knew from a Doula group that I am involved with was there helping her. We talked about my plan to start labor and she told me that she was on call until the end of the week and maybe she would be there when Tate was born.

By the time we got home that evening I was emotionally exhausted and cried over the littlest things, looking back now it was probably a good sign of early labor,but who actually figures that out until after the fact,right? I hoped for a good night of rest and a fresh start the next day. I did wake up feeling a bit more encouraged and decided to make the most of my efforts by having a good attitude and doing everything that I could to help my body start labor. After breakfast (which was made by Daniel, fresh raspberry pancakes) he helped me do the Rebozo Technique for about 30 minutes, and then I went to work on the house. I cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed, mopped, and washed sheets. In between the cleaning I was also trying to do some squats,lunges, and duck walking but those were a little harder because my ankles were swollen from the hot weather. After lunch time Daniel headed off to the gym, so I decided to play outside with Tytus and enjoy the sunshine. We read books and played golf, and in between I would sit on my birth ball and soak up the sun. I walked laps around the yard when my back was tired of sitting, I just wanted to keep moving. All of these things were causing "Braxton Hicks" contractions and I knew that was a good thing,but also knew that they were just warm ups and not the real thing yet. Later that afternoon when my sister got home from work I made her go for a walk with me. We ended up at the high school and started climbing the bleachers up and down, up and down...I kept joking that this would not put me into labor, but that I would be really sore the next day-the Braxton Hicks contractions continued to come and go. On our way home I also joked about feeling the same way I did the night that I went into labor with Tytus, we were out taking a walk when my contractions started to change with him. By the time I got home I was exhausted but still needed to finish up a few things around the house. I found enough energy to help Daniel cook dinner, get Tytus ready for bed, do some laundry,nesting much?! Once I sat down to relax for the night I don't remember having anymore Braxton Hicks so I never thought about "labor" and was just praying that all my hard work would at least show some progress when I went in to see Constance the next day. The plan was to leave around 9:00am with my mom and sister so we could get pedicures before my appointment, I wanted nothing more than to have my toes done one more time before baby arrived so I was looking forward to it.

Daniel and I headed to bed around 11:00pm (Thursday night) and I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow...12:43am the first contraction woke me up! I knew it was different but went right back to sleep. That didn't last long as I had another contraction a few minutes later,and could not go back to sleep. I grabbed my phone and started timing the contractions (using a contraction timing application that I had downloaded months ago for this very reason) after about 3 or 4 more I couldn't stay in bed any longer so I got up to use the bathroom and walked around the house a bit to see if they would stop or not. I was so hungry and decided to try and eat a snack (trail mix) while I checked my e-mail. The contractions continued and were anywhere from 4-7 minutes apart and lasting about 30-50 seconds.This is what threw me off because I was looking for more consistency with the numbers before I would admit to myself that this was the real thing. Around 1:30am I decided to wake Daniel up,poor guy just about came out of his skin when he opened his eyes and I was sitting there staring at him,sorry Babe!

I told him that I had been having contractions for almost an hour but I didn't know if it was true labor or not. While we sat there and talked about it I had a few more contractions and he was timing them for me. When I started to feel sick and went to the bathroom, Daniel sat on the edge of the bathtub to make sure I was okay. I felt bad asking him to stay up with me because at that point he was still planning to go to work at 6:00am. I continued to walk around the house, sit on my birth ball, and time the contractions until about 3:00am, and then I sent Daniel back to bed knowing that he would need to be up in two hours to get ready for work. I kept telling myself that I would be fine until Noon when I went in for my appointment with Constance. The contractions were uncomfortable and I had to remind myself to relax through them, but I was definitely handling them just fine. After Daniel went back to bed I was starting to feel tired so I laid on the couch and dozed off in between contractions that were still coming about 5-6 minutes apart. Finally at 4:15am I decided to take a shower and see if that would either stop the contractions or help them to become stronger and closer together. I was only in the shower for about 15 minutes and I had 3 very strong contractions that I had to breathe through and really focus on. At that point I knew that I was in labor but still didn't feel like it was time to head to the Birth House until they were more consistent. I dried my hair and did my makeup to kill some time before Daniel had to get up for work. He slept through his alarm so after about 5 minutes I went to wake him up. We decided that he needed to stay home from work so he called in to let them know that I was in labor, and I called my mom to let her know what was going on,but told her that we were not ready for her to head up to the house yet because I didn't feel like it was time to go. I wanted to try and rest because I was feeling very tired at that point so we decided to lay back down. As soon as I got on my side I felt a contraction starting, and that contraction turned out to be the biggest and most painful contraction that I had during my whole labor. I just about came out of my skin,I could not get myself to relax, I could not move, and all I wanted to do was get out of bed! It really was all I could do to get through the contraction,I totally lost control at that point and I knew it was time to go. As soon as the contraction ended I told Daniel "We have to go right now." It scared me to have such a strong contraction all of a sudden and I had flash backs from when Tytus was born and we almost didn't make it to the hospital. I kept thinking that we had waited to long to head to the Birth House and he would be born in the car...Daniel called my mom back (it may have only been 5 minutes after I talked to her) and told her that we were getting ready to leave so she could come up to the house and stay with Tytus. In between contractions I finished gathering up items that I needed to take and waited for my sister to get here because she would be going with us. I needed to page Constance and let her know what was going on so I grabbed the paper with her number and tried to call, but it was telling me the number had been disconnected. I thought maybe I dialed wrong while having a contraction so I tried again, got the same message. I was worried at that point about not being able to get a hold of her, but shortly realized that I could call the Birth House and get the number from the voice mail. It took me about 5 minutes to do all of this because I had to keep redialing after I had a contraction. Why didn't I have someone else call for me? I don't know...Finally, I was able to leave Constance a message that went something like "Hi, this is Cierra. I am having some contractions but don't know if its early labor or not so I wanted to talk to you about it, but I also want to head in just to be close in case I am in labor." Kind of funny now because I should have just said "I'm in labor!!!!" Constance called back as we were loading up in the car at about 5:30am, and I basically said the same thing over again when she asked me what was going on. She said that she would meet us at the Birth House and we would go from there (I don't think she thought I was in labor though because I was totally calm and collected on the phone.) I had been dreading the car ride to Olympia because I thought my contractions would be much harder to handle while sitting down, but as it turned out, they were not bad at all. That got me thinking that I was really not in labor since I only had about 5 or 6 contractions in the car and I was able to just breathe through them, and during my rest periods I was having conversations with my sister and Daniel. Just before 6:30am we arrived at the Birth House, and I instantly felt better when I seen Constance's smiling face greet me at the door. We talked about how I was feeling, how close together my contractions were, and what I wanted to do next. We decided to check my cervix and see if I had made any progress,but I was really starting to feel like maybe I had not progressed because the whole time we talked I didn't have any contractions. I went to use the bathroom before Constance checked me and once I shut the door I had a really good contraction. So at least then I was feeling like something was happening, but still needed to hear it first hand before I could really believe it. I headed towards the birthing room and felt very at home as soon as I walked through the door. Constance had put music on, lit candles, and even had a glass of water waiting for me-I felt much more relaxed and so taken care of.

I could not have been happier to hear Constance say that I had decided to head to the birth center at the perfect time because I was a good 5-6cm dilated! That gave me the boost of energy that I needed to stay on top of my contractions. I wanted to get off the bed after that because being on my back was awful-I am so thankful that I had the freedom to move around and be in any position that felt best to my body. Constance checked Tate's heart rate while I was standing and let me know that she would move with me if I needed her to. After that I started to walk around the room and would stop to breathe and sway during contractions. Daniel would talk me through them and hold me up,he was even reminding me to relax and breathe. They brought me a birth ball to sit on, but every time I looked at it, it just screamed uncomfortable to me-so I listened to my body and kept walking around the room. I really wanted to go for a walk outside and Constance knew it so she mentioned that we could go while she filled the tub for me,but again every time I tried, my body kinda just told me to keep doing what I was doing. I think it was around 7:30 when Constance started to fill the tub,but I didn't get in until about 8:00am. I really wanted a water birth,had planned to labor in the water, and was hoping to get some relief from the contractions while I was in the water. After the tub was filled I kept staring at the water,but couldn't bring myself to get in right away. I had control over the contractions while standing and swaying, and the thought of changing it up scared me because I didn't want to lose that control. Finally though,I did get in...I sat down and put my legs out straight in front of me. This was great...until I had a contraction...And then I wanted to die from being in that position. I remember looking at Constance and saying "I can't sit down like this" but I couldn't move either. As soon as it was over I thought about getting out of the tub,but instead got on my knees and leaned over the edge,hoping this would be okay. It took me a few contractions to get my rhythm back but once I did, I wanted to stay in the tub. I have heard so many great things about laboring in a tub and how relaxing it can be,but for me it was just okay-kinda strange.

Daniel said that he went through about 5 bowls of ice water trying to keep me cooled off with wash clothes. I remember thinking it was so hot and I had a hard time taking a deep breath after a contraction. I continued to labor for about an hour when I started to feel exhausted and kept looking at the clock thinking it was taking so long. Really though, we had only been at the Birth House for about 2-2 1/2 hours. My body started to give me longer breaks in between the contractions which I was grateful for, but also afraid that my labor was stalling. At one point I asked Constance if she thought my labor had stalled, but she reassured me that my body was allowing itself to rest up before it was time to push. I finally started to feel some pressure,and about the same time I also started to get very emotional. My mind started to think about meeting our little man,but the fear of the unknown was standing in my way. He was safe inside of me,and once he came out we would have to face everything that we had tried to prepare ourselves for. Daniel got in the tub with me and I changed my position to more of a kneeling squat which felt more natural.

Around this time (maybe about 9:00ish) my sister in-law,Sarah,arrived from Portland (could not believe that she had made it before Tate was born) and now I had both of my sisters there with me for support. I remember looking up at both of them and being thankful for all their prayers during my pregnancy,and happy that they were there with Daniel and I. They were both so good about talking me through the contractions, giving me water, and just being by my side. I remember Sarah kneeling by the tub and praying for me,asking Christ to give me the strength that I needed. Her words were so comforting and perfect at that time.

After I had tried to push through a couple of contractions, Constance, knelt down beside me and spoke the most amazing words to me. She talked about it being time to meet my baby,that I was the perfect mom for him and I would know how to take care of him no matter what the outcome was going to be, and that I needed to face my fears. I pretty much lost it at the point and starting bawling, but she gave me the confidence that I needed to bring my baby into the world and overcome the fear that I was holding onto. I wont ever forget looking at her eyes while she spoke to me and knowing that I had made all the right choices during this pregnancy and I was bringing my baby into the world at the perfect place, in the most perfect way,with the most perfect people surrounding me. Even the Midwife's assistant was perfect because it was someone that I already knew and was comfortable with (Rhonda). God blessed me when he orchestrated the plan for that very special day!

So this was it, it was time to meet our little miracle, and once I let go of the fear that I had it was so natural and easy to birth him. I do remember pushing and thinking at the same time "note to self, I do not want to do labor again." And I kept looking up at my sister, Beka, and worrying that this would make her swear to never have a baby! I so hope that is not the case though...

Daniel was not sure if he would want to catch Tate,and I had said that if he didn't want to, I would. But at the moment it was all I could do to just focus on my body and baby that I couldn't wrap my mind around how I would actually catch him without falling over. It all worked out because Daniel was a total natural and talked me through the whole thing-he was amazing! I remember him telling me that baby was crowning, that my water had broke, that his shoulder was out, and then all of a sudden, just like that...he was here! Daniel caught him in the water and immediately passed him through my legs and into my arms.

Tate was born with the water sack over his face (this is known as being born in the Caul and it has been calculated that Caulbearer births may be as few as one in eighty thousand births. Babies born in the Caul have been known to be great spiritual leaders, many are great natural healers, which trait may be manifested by the laying on of their hands, or remotely from a distance. Many are considered to have great ability in matters of judgment and ruling nations and often possess insights which are difficult to appreciate by other people. ) so I was a little shocked when I first seen him, but Constance was right there and she just gently peeled it off, and before we knew it he was letting out his first squeak. I pulled him into my arms and fell in love!

The tears were flowing, but it didn't really hit me until I looked at his face and realized that his cleft lip was so small, so minimal, so cute! The whole room was filled with the sound of everyone crying and rejoicing with us!

After just a few minutes though my placenta detached and I needed to quickly get out of the tub. My first thought was that I was going to hemorrhage or pass out due to my low platelets, but Constance was so calm and reassured me that I was just fine. She had me hand Tate to Daniel and I got the honors of cutting his cord! Once that was done I needed to stand up but my legs were jello from sitting on them during the pushing faze. They helped me up and out of the tub but I could not make it to the bed before my placenta was birthing, so I ended up squatting and semi-sitting on Sarah to have some support.

During all of this Daniel was bonding with Tate and checking out his cleft,but was still not sure if his palate was intact or not. Once I got into bed Daniel handed Tate back to me and we got to cuddle skin to skin. I honestly had not thought about his palate until Constance asked me if I had checked to see if it was intact or not. When I told her that I hadn't checked, she offered to check for us. Those were probably the longest few seconds of my life while she felt and looked in his mouth,but then she spoke the words that I didn't think I would hear, "His palate is fine. Cierra, nurse your baby." I was overwhelmed with emotions and burst into tears. He latched on right away and even had a great suction. As I nursed him for the first time I thanked God for answering my prayers and allowing me to have this special bond with my baby.

My uterus wasn't contracting down as fast as it should so I ended up getting a shot of pitocin to help with that. Even though the pitocin doesn't make the after pains any worse than they would be with out it, mine were horrible and I felt like I was in labor all over again. While Tate was getting his first exam, being weighed,and measured, I was having to breathe through contractions and couldn't remember much of what they were saying during that time.

My Mom brought Tytus to the Birth House so that he could meet his new baby brother soon after he was born. Nothing was as sweet as the smile that Tytus had on his face when he came into the room and seen Tate in my arms. He climbed up on the bed, gave Tate a kiss and said, "He is so cute."

Once Tytus lost interest (probably about 10 minutes later) he moved onto bigger and better things like the juice box that he got from the midwife (as he would call Constance) which totally made his day even better!

Tate also got to meet his Nana for the first time and I was so happy to have my Mom share in that moment with us, along with my brother. We were surrounded by loved ones who had prayed for Tate's perfect arrival everyday.

After visiting for a little while the family decided to head home so that Daniel and I could rest up before Constance sent us home. Beka brought us some lunch and then we relaxed in bed for a few hours. I tried to sleep but was on such a high from birth that I couldn't stop thinking about it long enough to go to sleep...

After being at the Birth House for just 8 hours, laboring for 3 of those hours,and it really felt like we were only there for about 4 hours, we were ready to head home. Constance helped us load up in the car, gave me a big hug,and sent us on our way!

I honestly cannot describe with words the emotions that I felt that day. Everything from the pregnancy had been building up and it took me until minutes before Tate was born to really release those emotions and let go of all the fear that I had been carrying around. I had given my fear to God over and over again while pregnant, but could never fully let go because I didn't know the outcome of Tate's health. What a burden to have lifted off my shoulders and be able to enjoy those precious first few moments with my baby boy.

Even after all the stress during the pregnancy,the fight to not have any unnecessary testing done, and the misdiagnosis, I do not think that I would change a thing. Daniel and I both grew so much from the experience,we will never be the same again, and I believe that God wanted to bring us to a new level of trusting and growing in Him.

I feared even up until the day that I was in labor that my birth plan would have to alter and I would lose my chance to truly birth my baby the way that I wanted to,but it all came together and could not have been more perfect!

We are truly blessed with a beautiful baby who will forever be our little miracle!

The update on Tate's cleft is that he will only need one surgery to fix his lip around 6 months old,the doctors said its the most minimal that a cleft can be,and he will just have a small scar to always remind us where we came from. I believe that Tate will use this in the future to help others even though he will never remember his cleft lip. We truly had our prayers answered,what a journey it has been!