Wild. Intense. Fast. Sacred. Primal. Painful. Awe- inspiring. Awesome.
Words really can't describe my birth experience but those are a few that come close. (that's one way I could start this birth story. Here's another way:)
Remember last month when the circus came to town? (did that get your attention?)
Okay, so, on Sunday July 3rd I was woken up around 3 am by a very intense contraction. WOW, thought I. I had to concentrate and breathe through it. Then I went back to sleep. ANother around 4, then 5 am at which point I got up and ate a bowl of cereal, thought "This may be it" and proceeded to cut out fabric from two pillowcases for a lightweight robe. Here I was thinking about what I wanted to wear to the hospital, and making it the day of! Went back to bed and Lupe woke me around 7:30. I started to make strawberry swiss cheese pancakes, and had to sit down during contractions. I called my doula Megan and she said she oculd come, or I could continue with the morning and call her later.
Okay, so, on Sunday July 3rd I was woken up around 3 am by a very intense contraction. WOW, thought I. I had to concentrate and breathe through it. Then I went back to sleep. ANother around 4, then 5 am at which point I got up and ate a bowl of cereal, thought "This may be it" and proceeded to cut out fabric from two pillowcases for a lightweight robe. Here I was thinking about what I wanted to wear to the hospital, and making it the day of! Went back to bed and Lupe woke me around 7:30. I started to make strawberry swiss cheese pancakes, and had to sit down during contractions. I called my doula Megan and she said she oculd come, or I could continue with the morning and call her later.
We continued with our morning, I told Pedro this was probably the day, and then we went to the Circus at noon.
Pulling into the field where Circus Vargas was set up, finding that I did not do well having a contraction and driving over a bump in the field. And I was wondering how long we would last at the circus, so we parked right in front of the tent in the handicapped zone. I said to the ticket girl: "We parked in front, I don't have a handicapped sticker but...I'm in labor I believe and we may need to leave early". "Oh! Yeah, ok!" she responded. The tent was crowded and hot and the contractions were coming a little closer together and I would close my eyes and breath and concentrate. By intermission I told Pedro, "Get me out of here!". Luckily Lupe got to stay with her grandparents.
Leaving, I made Pedro stop the car when a contraction came because honestly, I thought those potholes would just do me in. I called my mom who lives next door and asked her to get the bath ready; she has a nice deep tub that I knew would cover my belly. We got there, Pedro driving very cautiously the whole way and all I could think about was getting in that water. My mom took care of me and Pedro went home to eat. After a time, I started to moan.
Now, having had an epidural with my first birth, this felt new to me. I was way more advanced in this labor than when I had gotten the epidural before, so I was finally able to listen to my body and trust it and just do what I needed to do. This was a toally new experience and it was so primal and felt so right. But then my mom started timing between contractions and realized they were getting closer and said, "We need to call Megan".
And now with the contractions I started to arch my back and felt, for the first time ever, the urge to push. It was so amazing, I had no control over it. I grunted and pushed and it was simply what my body needed to do- no planning on my part. They were coming every two minutes. My stepdad is a former firefighter and has actually delivered a baby before so my mom asked him to brush up on delivery cause she thought this baby may very well be born in the bathtub! She remembers him sitting at the computer and saying something like, "Oh this is easy". By the time Megan got there she checked me and said "Let's go the hospital- now."
WHAT? Get me out of the tub? Get me out of the tub and into a car? I just couldn't fathom it, but somehow, with towels draped around my naked body, we made it into the van. Pedro took out the middle seat and I got in and stayed on hands and knees with Megan beside me. Moaning and pushing. Pedro is trying tobe careful and driving very slowly, while my mom is saying Hurry up! and Megan is saying The baby is coming! (ended up being my bag of waters bulging). And while I was very much focused inward, I think I imagined having the baby at the gas station by Santa Rosa Park, moments away from the hospital.
Leaving, I made Pedro stop the car when a contraction came because honestly, I thought those potholes would just do me in. I called my mom who lives next door and asked her to get the bath ready; she has a nice deep tub that I knew would cover my belly. We got there, Pedro driving very cautiously the whole way and all I could think about was getting in that water. My mom took care of me and Pedro went home to eat. After a time, I started to moan.
Now, having had an epidural with my first birth, this felt new to me. I was way more advanced in this labor than when I had gotten the epidural before, so I was finally able to listen to my body and trust it and just do what I needed to do. This was a toally new experience and it was so primal and felt so right. But then my mom started timing between contractions and realized they were getting closer and said, "We need to call Megan".
And now with the contractions I started to arch my back and felt, for the first time ever, the urge to push. It was so amazing, I had no control over it. I grunted and pushed and it was simply what my body needed to do- no planning on my part. They were coming every two minutes. My stepdad is a former firefighter and has actually delivered a baby before so my mom asked him to brush up on delivery cause she thought this baby may very well be born in the bathtub! She remembers him sitting at the computer and saying something like, "Oh this is easy". By the time Megan got there she checked me and said "Let's go the hospital- now."
WHAT? Get me out of the tub? Get me out of the tub and into a car? I just couldn't fathom it, but somehow, with towels draped around my naked body, we made it into the van. Pedro took out the middle seat and I got in and stayed on hands and knees with Megan beside me. Moaning and pushing. Pedro is trying tobe careful and driving very slowly, while my mom is saying Hurry up! and Megan is saying The baby is coming! (ended up being my bag of waters bulging). And while I was very much focused inward, I think I imagined having the baby at the gas station by Santa Rosa Park, moments away from the hospital.
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