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Eleanor Katherine's Birth

May 27, 1997- Our Post-Flood Baby

Let me begin by saying that on April 19, 1997 I was 36 weeks pregnant &
living in Grand Forks, North Dakota when the "500 year flood" hit our
city.  Our hospital was closed, my husband & were living on the Air
Force Base with friends & no one would let me do anything for fear I
would go into labor.  Lucky for us our daughter waited till May 27, 6
days past her due date & 10 days after the hospital had re-opened to
make her grand enterance.  My mom, an OB/GYN nurse practioner, Lamaze
instructor & former L&D nurse, arrive from California on the 24th and my
friends who would be attending the birth were also back in town.  I was
ready to go.  

On the evening of the 26th I began to have a bloody show.  I tried not
to get to excited, knowing that it could still be a few days till I had
the baby.  We all went to bed around 11:00 pm.  I didn't sleep real well
& woke up at 4:00 am feeling "funny".  I went into the nursery and read
for half an hour.  Then I woke up my husband Tom & made him go get my
mom- I wanted her to check me.  I was a good 3 cm & fully effaced-
"we'll have a baby by tonight", she informed me.  I layed in bed trying
to relax listening to a CD of rain.  My contractions where mild & 18-20
min apart.  My husband got up & went to work around 6:30 am planing to
leave at lunch.  My mom told Tom she'd call him if things got going
before that.  I had an 11:00 apointment with my family practice doc & my
mom figured I'd be close to 5 cm then & that Dr. Hovet would send me to
the hospital at that time.  Little did we know!!!

The next hour, 6:30-7:30 am, I was up walking around the house, I took a
bath & my mom made me some tea & toast.  My favorite postion during
contractions was facing the sofa with one knee on the seat, rocking back
& forth.  At 7:30 I called my girlfriend Stacy who was to be my other
coach & Chad-another friend & nursing student who was to video tape the
birth, just to put them on "alert".  I then called my incredible
childbirth instructor Cindy (pillar of strength & wisdom -6 totally
natural births).  After I had 2 contraction while talking to Cindy, she
asked my mom how far apart my contractions were.  My mom "the
profesional" didn't know- she wasn't timing them!! She was going off how
I was doing.  At that point Cindy suggested we might want to call my
husband home. At 8:00 am Tom was on his way home.

I started to feel really cranky & got back in the shower to relax.  When
a contraction came I would sway back & forth under the water- it was
really relaxing.  Tom got home while I was in the shower & tried to get
me out.  I was in my robe when I had 2 HUGE contractions.  I totally
lost focus, didn't breathe & just rolled back & forth on the bed yelling
"OWIE".  My mom got in my face and said, "We're taking you to the
hospital.  Now pull it together.  If you walk in there like this they
will throw you in bed & strap you to a moniter.  Is that the birth
experiance you want? You have a choice".  That pulled my focus back.  I
had 2 more contractions on the way to the car, I was in the slow dancing
position with Tom, again swaying- hmm a patern?

On the three minute ride to the hospital I had 2 more contractions.  My
mom told me I was probably 5 to 6 cm, maybe 7 if I was luck.  It was
9:15 am.  Tom went with me to the ob ward while my mom parked the car. 
Once in the room I changed into a gown & the nurse tried to hook me up
to a EFM.  My husband, my advocate literally pushed her hands away &
said, "NO!  My wife is not to be hooked up to that".  "But sir, we
MUST", replied the nurse.  "Our doctor has agreed with us that EFM is
not need in a normal labor & it's in our birth plan".  The nurse was a
little put off & said she'd have to get an OK from our doctor & left the
room.  My mom came in & Tom went to get all our birthing stuff- CD
player, scented lotion ect.  My contractions were getting stronger, but
I just tried to ride with them. In my childbirth class we saw a video of
a woman give birth to twins with no meds, she was so serene.  She
delivered one baby facing the back of the bed, flipped over began
nursing the first baby while pushing out the second. I just remember
thinking that is how I wanted my labor to be.   

While Tom was getting our stuff the nurse returned.  My doctor wanted
her to check me.  She did, looked at me an said, "You are completely
dialated.  You can start pushing if you feel like it". My mom almost
fell over with the news.  I have never in my life heared such wonderful
words.  I think that even before we left for the hospital I was feeling
the urge to push & trying not to.  My poor husband returned to find me
laying on my side with one leg pulled up pushing.  My mom called Chad &
Stacy to tell them to get here right away or they might miss it.  The
time was 9:30 am.  

Dr. Hovet walked in a said, "guess you really wanted to have this baby
today!" Chad arrived next & took over the video camera from my mom. The
last to arrive was Stacy. She couldn't find her shoes in such a hurry &
afraid of missing the birth came in just her sox. Stacy said it was easy
to find me because I was a bit of a noisey pusher.  And boy did it feel
good to vocalize.  Chad later described it as a roar.  Dr. Hovet applied
warm, moist towels to help reduce any tearing- we had already agree that
an epis. was not in the plan.  A mirror was brought in so I could watch.
This to was great because I could see the head crowning & it made me
want to see my baby even more- we did not know the sex.

At 9:58 am-after 30 minutes of pushing, 43 minutes after arriving at the
hospital & 6 hours after labor began- my beautiful 7 lbs. 12 oz., 20
inch baby girl was put on my stomach.  Her daddy cut her cord & she
nursed right away.  Eleanor had a perfectly round head- not pointy at
all.  The doctor said it was because Eleanor spent such a short time in
the birth canal. We held her for almost a full hour before they did all
the "routine" exams- all in our room.  I was on the phone right away. 
Nobody could belive that I had just delivered and was calling people.  I
felt wonderful.  I went home the next afternoon.

I was raised with the belief that birth was a natural, normal
experiance.  My mother had me 28 years ago with no meds- she says it was
such a great experiance she made a career out of it :) I belive that I
had such an awsome birth experince because of the people I chose to
support me.  My doctor was wonderful.  On our video, right after the
head is out she looks up at me and says, " OK now you are going to
deliver the rest of your baby".  She was totally supportive of a
minimalist mother directed birth plan- no meds, no EFM, no restricted
movement.  My worst fear was a c-section.  But I had such trust in Dr.
Hovet, I knew that if I had one it would be because I needed one.  My
husband was great.  He was very suppotive of my chices & read quite a
bit so he could be an effective advocate for me.  I do kid him about not
really being around for much of the labor & he promises me next time he
'll know bwtter and stay home.  

My labor was quick, but that doesn't mean it was easy.  It's not called
picnic- it's called labor.  I worked hard but I can say I never would
call my contractions painful, intense yes, uncomfortable yes- but not
painful. I now realize that I was in transition when Tom got home from
work & if we had waited much longer I'd have had a baby in my bed.  I
think if I would have known how far I was when I had my 2 huge
contractions at home I would have delt with them better.  But I wouldn't
change a thing.  The best things in life take hard work.  And nothing
could be better than my darling, still nursing, one year old daughter.

Andrea