10 Days late...

But worth the wait!!!

Heath Samuel arrived February 27th, 2010 at 4:10am
He weighed 9 lbs. 13.5 oz and was 22 inches long.


The Birth Story
(This is where you stop reading if you don't want to know details)

Let me start with a little background. Our first child, Lathen came at 38 weeks after having a small rupture to my bag. He weighed 8 lbs 14.5 oz and I was told he was shoulder dystocia (I now know with full confidence that that is bull-crap). Kieralee was a c-section. That decision has bothered me ever since. She was a c-section because my first "was" a shoulder dystocia and she was already bigger than my first...that was until she was taken 5 days early weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. After a lot of prayer and fasting Kevin and I decided that our next baby would be a VBAC (vaginal birth after a c-section).

When we got pregnant we started out at a regular OB. He is a great doctor, but he doesn't do VBAC. I had to do something. Again I started to pray about what I should do in regards to delivering this baby. I started pondering a midwife. Then I read this quote (quote starts at 4th paragraph) and knew what I was suppose to do. So I went on the search for a midwife and a birthing center. I came across this website and it just felt right! I called and set up my initial interview and told them my history and they felt like they could help me have the birth that I've always wanted.

Now, let's jump to the end of my pregnancy and get on with the birth story already! At 40 weeks and 2 days Heath had still not come. I went in to my midwives and they checked the baby, he was head down so they stripped my membranes in hopes to get things moving. Nothing. A week later, 41 weeks and 2 days pregnant my midwife sent me over to have a sonogram to check on the baby. When I get there the sonogram lady checks and somehow in the last week Heath had flipped from head down to transverse. She sends me on to my midwives...I was heartbroken. I thought, "I've come this far only to end up with a c-section." I got to midwives, 15 minutes later, they check the baby and he had flipped and was now breech. We still don't know how he did so much moving around in there. The midwives packed me up and took me back over to the sonogram lady so that they could try and turn him. It took the sonogram lady 30 minutes just to figure out how Heath was in there! Finally, the midwife was able to get a hold of his little bottom and she started moving him. When his head finally popped out of my ribs the midwifes assistant was able to get a hold of this head and they both started moving him. Finally, after great effort they flipped him back head down; thank goodness!!! At that point the midwife told me to go home and try castor oil and some herbs to get things moving while we still had him head down.

I took the first 2 oz. of nasty oil at 4pm and the second at 5pm. I also started the herbs. Somewhere around 10pm I called my friend Kym to chat. I was really starting to worry nothing was going to happen and Heath was just going to stay in me forever. But at 10:30pm I had a contraction and then about minute later I had another and then another and then I told my friend I would have to call her back! I decided to jump in the shower and wash my hair, all the while yelling out to Kevin "Mark that time, Oh there's another mark it!" At 11:30pm Kevin called the midwife, Joyce and she said to come on in!

When we got to the birthing center I was dilated to 4cm. And as soon as I could I got into the tub. I refused to look at the time so the next few things will be in order of events but without a time frame. While laboring in the tub my water broke. Oh man did I have a lot of water (you could see there was still a lot of fluid around the baby on the sonogram, but I had no idea it would be that much). I got out and sat on a birthing ball for a little while and twice Heath moved I had two more gully-washers of fluid (seriously, I don't know how it was all in there). I then got back into the tub. I was so tired, from not sleeping good leading up to delivery, having an emotional morning and then being up all night in labor that I would actually fall asleep, snoring in between contractions! They were short 2 minute or so naps, but I think they helped. I got checked again when I hit "the wall." My midwife Joyce said every woman hits "the wall" and she usually has the baby within in the next 30 minutes. I remember when I hit my wall I asked if I could get a time out from labor. No such luck. At that point I was 6cm dilated. One side of my cervix was thicker than the other so they had me roll onto that side in the tub to help it thin out. Not long after that I had this overwhelming, body jerking need to push! Joyce checked me again and said there was still just a little bit of a lip left, but that she felt she could slip it over the babies head if I couldn't help but push (which I couldn't).

I got out and moved to the bed. I pushed once and Joyce cleared my cervix over the babies head. Two or maybe three more pushes after that and Heath was out! It took 4 minutes of pushing, that's it. 6 hours of labor total! And I didn't have one rip or tear.

Immediately baby Heath came to my chest and words cannot even begin to describe the joy. He was here, he was finally here and he was perfect!

Kevin cut the cord and within an hour baby Heath and I were able to take a special herb bath together.

Once two hours past, baby and I were both doing great we were able to head home. I was on cloud nine. I did it, with the Lord's help I did it. After delivering Heath the midwives told me that there was no way my first baby was a should dystocia. They said I could easily deliver an 11 pound baby (that's great, but let's hope I don't!).

I can't even begin to express how grateful I am. First, to my Father in Heaven for looking over me and helping me. To my husband who was just what I needed the entire time. My amazing midwives that saw my dream and helped me achieve it. To a drug free birth and recovery that was a 1000 times better than my other two experiences.