As They Grow Up

Monday, May 5, 2008
4:00am
Amanda wakes up with cramps, has a snack and decides to listen to "Easy First Stage" of Hypnobabies course "just in case" to get back to sleep.
4:30am
Cramping intensifies while listening to track, frequency now every 5 minutes, so decide to take a shower before trying to get back to sleep.
5:00am
Give up on sleep and turn on HGTV. Good ol' HGTV...mmm...Mike Holmes.
6:30am
Wake up again and give up on sleep all together. Have a real shower, get breakfast, plan out my day, start wave (birthing wave is another name term for contraction that has no implication of pain) chart.
8:30am
Head out to take Monkey to the sitters. Decide I'd better get some last minute errands done so go to mall for receiving blankets, and to pick up my medic alert bracelet in case this really is it. Waves are still cramp like and between 20 and 50 min apart depending on how much I walk. Decide to walk around the mall for a bit to see if things pick up.
11:30am
Stop home to drop off purchases, grab lunch, and freak out Matt by telling him about my waves.
12:30pm
Get back home from picking up Monkey from sitters. Ask him if he's ready to be a big brother. Chill out and try to take a nap while Monkey is at school. Sister, Mel, calls to chat about some wedding stuff (July 5th). Waves now 20-40 min apart, so getting closer, but still not 100% sure this is it.
4:00pm
Get Monkey from school and run into LCC worker who comments on how low I'm carrying today. Noticed that myself at 6:30 when I gave up on sleeping. Hmmm... Get home and Matt decides that Monkey is going to stay home from karate because he's worried that I'll need him sooner than later.
6:00pm
Call SpiralScouts to let them know Monkey won't be there this evening. (Later found out that Misha had thought I might be having our baby, and she was right! *high five*)
8:00pm
Same time Scouts would have been finishing, waves move to 20min apart, but still not strong at all. Decide to listen to next Hypnobabies track just in case.
8:30pm
Waves now 10-15min apart, take hot bath and soak for 40min as suggested during chats with our midwife. Waves lessen in intensity, but move to 7-10min apart.
9:30pm
Manage to get my colosal self out of the tub, get ready for bed, finished Monkey's hotdog and try to sleep.
10:30pm
Wake up and have a snack and something to drink.
11:30pm
Repeat
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
12:30am
Waves are 5-7min apart but no real intensity. Decide to get up because sleep isn't working out!
2:30am
Things are starting to pick up now!
3:30am
Waves are between 2-5min, decide to call our midwife after pacing, rocking, and having to focus a bit more on Hypnobabies. Waves still not too strong, but pretty sure this is it.
4:00am
Midwife calls back and listens for a contraction. I let her know I've had a couple while on the phone (rocking on the dresser). She asks if I'd like her to come over, I say "uhhuh."
4:30am
Midwife arrives. Waves build in intensity, begin dancing with Matt to ease intensity.
5:00am
Midwife checks to see what sort of progress I have made: fully effaced, 7cm dialated. Matt wakes Monkey, calls parents to meet us at the hospital.
5:30am
Last washroom break, decide to go to hospital for delivery.
6:00am
Arrive at hospital, felt urge to push en route, takes 6 waves to get down the hall to check in. Go to waiting room, tell nurse our midwife should be here soon if not yet, she takes us back to a lovely birthing room that was bigger than our bedroom. It had a tub, dresser, warming table, attatched washroom and kitchen, wow!
6:10am
Water breaks while pushing in squatting position. Midwife checks for heart rate of baby, can't find heart rate, helped onto birthing bed. Wayne and Olwyn arrive, Matt takes Monkey out to sit with them. Midwife not ready for delivery yet, back-up not there.
6:20am
June arrives in waiting room, nurse attending for back-up lets us know.
6:25am
Baby girl (here after dubbed Kanga) is born, no cord around her neck. Put immediately on my chest for hugs, I open her legs and ask "who are you?" to see that we have a baby girl. Lungs suctioned by RT and checked over by pediatrician who arrived moments after birth having been called "just in case" when couldn't find heart rate. (Who gave Midwife trouble for not braceleting her!)
6:30am
A heads out with Matt to meet the grandparents and big brother waiting outside!
6:30am-9:30am
Visits with family, Mel and Ross arrive, Kanga gets her going home giraffe outfit.
10:30am
Home we go!

Overall I was happy with how the Hypnobabies program worked for me. With my first birth I used meditation and was able to control the wave intensity enough. This time, hypnosis being a similar technique, I had better focus, and was able to go striaght through without thinking about pain relief other than "what do I need to do now?" Tried the brithing ball by the way, and this was not a labour I could sit down for. The walking brought her down very effectively and by the time I decided I might want to sit, it felt like I was sitting on her head if I was on the ball for a contraction!