February 16, 2010
Zachary’s birth story
So I have been avoiding posting Zach’s birth story for a while because his birth was so unlike what I wanted it to be. I, of course, don’t think less of him for this fact. If the birth was less than what I hoped, the blame can lay squarely with me.
I originally wanted to have Zachary at home. I believe that home birth can be the best thing for you and your baby if you are prepared both mentally and physically for it. I am not of the stuff that un-assisted home birthers are made of. I know that I would need a bit of assistance (so the law in MN that states that some type of birth professional must be at a home birth does not really effect me). I could not find a mid-wife near me, or rather I could not find one that I would feel personally comfortable asking. My only option would have been the local Mennonite lay midwife and I am not even sure if she would do it, much less how to contact her. That option was out.
I started contracting on Friday November 6th, about mid-day. My contractions continued through Saturday evening. Saturday at about 8PM I thought my water had broken (although I thought it was a small rupture as it did not continue). The nurse told me to come in to be checked, so I did. According to their test, my water had not broken, but I was contracting and was dilating (albeit slowly) so they kept me.
I was moved to my room and within about an hour they stripped my membranes to try to speed things up a little bit. It did not work, that night was to be the longest in my life, I walked and walked around the hospital. Even after all that walking, I only dilated to 5 cm by 4AM Sunday morning. I was beginning to think I was going to be in labor forever. At about 5 AM the Dr. came in and decided it was time to break my water, I knew that this would get things going and it surely did. My nurse ran me some water in the whirlpool and the pain went from a 3 to a 10 very fast. This labor was different from either of my other 2. Turns out my Dr. suspected that I would have back labor after my back surgery a little over a year before, not sure how she knew it, but she was right. I have never experienced pain so horrible as that. Each contraction felt like my spine was being crushed into dust. After living with chronic back pain, and having 1 completely natural birth, I really did not think this birth would be a problem. Boy was I wrong. I lasted about an hour and a half after they broke my water and I was begging for pain medication. I did not want an epidural, and I did not have them put in a line at first because I knew I would not want to have it. I had a dose of nubaine when I had my first, about 15 before she was delivered so I was familiar with that, and that is what I asked for.
The nubaine was administered at about 7AM, I will say that it effected me differently this time than it did with Mikayla (probably because that was IV, this time it was subcutaneous). I went from periods of being so sleepy I could not control my own wakefulness, to being alert in the middle of a slightly dulled contraction. That was probably the most “under the influence” I have ever been. That is what left me feeling somewhat negative about my birth experience. This is possibly my last birth, I wanted it to be natural. I wanted it to be special.
Zach was born at 9AM Sunday the 8th of November, an uncomplicated birth. The Dr. put him on my stomach and I declared that he was a heavy little boy, a 9lb’er. The Dr. did not agree, she thought he would be about 8, they put him on the scale and he was 8lbs 15oz, guess I won.
Zach was just beautiful. I was not sure how I would feel about a little boy, as I all knew was how to raise girls. He has me completely wrapped around that tiny little finger.
Here he is, my little Zach man, all 8lbs 15 oz and most of his 21 1/2 inches. 
