41 Years, 41 Weeks: The birth Story of our fifth Baby
I’ve never been particularly anxious about going past my due date – after all, all my babies have arrived at 41+ weeks, expect for Tyce, who surprised us by arriving on his due date. As I approached 41 and a half weeks with this pregnancy, I spoke with my midwives about the plan if I went past 42 weeks. While they were not concerned, I would need an ultrasound to ensure both baby and I were still low-risk, especially since we were planning on a birth center birth (it’s their policy). I totally understood and agreed with the policy, but I just didn’t want to deal with the added stress of wondering when baby would arrive and having the feeling of a clock ticking.
On Friday (41+3), I worked by usual shift and then met with my midwife, where we decided to try a membrane sweep. I hadn’t had one before, but felt comfortable with the procedure if it could help get my body into labor, assuming both baby and my body were ready. After picking up the kids from school, I headed to my son’s baseball practice and walked around the fields for about 30 minutes to keep moving. I didn’t feel any contractions, but it felt good to be active.
After dinner and bedtime, I finally got into bed around 9:00 pm/ Just 40 minutes later, at 9:40, my water broke. I felt two light contractions before it happened. I called midwife Rebekah to go over the plan. I also downloaded a contraction timer app to track things and see if my contractions would continue or fade. The only other time my water had broken before labor was with Ace, my first, but labor didn’t start for another 24 hours. This time, however, the contractions- while not too intense- kept coming consistently. It was time to drop the kids off at their grandparents and head to the birth center. Since we live in a remote area, the 50-minute drive meant we needed to leave soon, especially since my previous labors had been pretty quick.
The contractions stayed stead on the drive. We arrived at the birth center around 11:00 pm, and by the time we walked in, Rebekah, Matison, and assistant Anna had arrived too. They began checking my vitals, listening to baby, and filling the birth tub. Fun Fact: Quincy and Tyce were both born at this birth center and in the same room, same tub. However, that room was under construction, so Harlow would be born in a different birthing suite.
Once everyone settled in, I popped in my headphones and turned on my music to get into the zone. I wish I could say it was some relaxing hypnobirthing soundtrack, but honestly, I just wanted music that I enjoyed. I’ve always listened to Pandora’s Kenny Chesney station in the mornings while making breakfast, so that’s what I was listening to during labor. Country music, with Kenny singing about the beach, just helped me feel at ease.
I wasn’t drawn to the birth tub immediately -I needed to keep moving. I stood and swayed my hips, doing side-to-side and circular motions, which helped me feel productive. Rebekah offered a yoga ball to conserve energy but still keep moving. The contractions were steady, at a moderate level.
I heard my husband, Arron, talking to the midwives about it being close to midnight, which meant it was almost March 22nd- my dad’s birthday. After about an hour of movement and using the ball, I felt like I needed a change. The water sounded more appealing, so I got into the tub. As contractions intensified, I struggled to find a position that gave me relief while also giving me leverage for when it was time to push. In past labors, I’d kneel on one knee and hold Arron’s hands. This time. though, that didn’t feel right. Instead, Rebekah suggested that Arron sit near the tub, where I could rest against his shoulders, which was comfortable, but I didn’t feel like I had the leverage I needed to push when the time came. When I started to feel the urge to push, I turned over and placed one foot on the inside of the tib to push against. This felt like the right position.
Honestly, I had feared this part of the labor process- pushing, the ring of fire, the pressure. It’s the hardest part of labor for me. But I knew it would be over quickly. A few intense pushes, and Harlow’s head was out. Rebekah asked me to breathe, and when the next contraction came, to breathe her out. I still had my headphones in, but I thought I heard Rebekah and Matison mention a nuchal cord- meaning the umbilical cord was around Harlow’s neck. This has been a concern for me during pregnancy, though none of my other kids had one. I didn’t panic because Rebekah and Matison weren’t worried, and I knew that nuchal cords were actually common. With the next contraction, Harlow was born at 2:04 am – healthy and perfect. Arron and I were surprised by how small she seemed, though it’s always a surprise what a baby will look like. Her sister had been born with a lot of dark hair, but Harlow had only a little bit of hair.
After spending a few minutes with her in the tub, we moved to the bed. We discovered that her umbilical cord was unusually long- about 5 feet! Since I’ve had trouble with passing the placenta in the past, my birth team was prepared to manage that. I received a shot of Pitocin immediately after birth to help my uterus contract and expel the placenta. Rebekah, who had attended my last two births, and I had discussed active management for the placenta. I have her the go-ahead to do whatever was necessary to avoid a hospital transfer, unless it became absolutely necessary.
It tuned out the placenta release in a very unusual way – backward, called Duncan. I came close to needing to transfer to the hospital for a procedure to manually remove retained placenta parts, but after some prayers, Rebekah’s expertise, a second round of Pitocin, and some Cytotec, it finally released. Praise the Lord!
Meanwhile, Arron and I kept Harlow close, holding her the whole time Rebekah and her team worked on me. Afterward, I began shiver uncontrollably- a hormonal reaction I’d heard of but never experienced. It’s just the body’s way of adjusting to the hormone, changes, but it was intense. I wasn’t actually cold, but the uncontrollable shaking made me feel like I was. The team brought me heated blanks, which helped tremendously. Arron took a nap beside me while I cuddled and sleep-nursed Harlow. About an hour later, the shivering stopped.
After some rest, I enjoyed an herbal bath while the midwife team did Harlow’s newborn exam. Arron and I were surprised that she weighed in at 9 lbs 1 oz. After that, we went home. It was an incredible experience, though I plan on it being my final birth experience. My birth team was amazing, and I can’t recommend Rebekah and her team at Shade Tree Midwifery enough.
