Congratulations to new mama Colleen, who prepped her body with prenatal yoga (read on to find out which pose helped her most), and relied heavily on the soothing effects of water during her labor. Way to go, mama, and welcome to the world, baby Oliver!

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

{By Colleen}

Oliver Thomas was born at 5:48 a.m. on Friday, March 8th, weighing 8½ lbs and 21 inches long.

I had contractions (“monkey labor”) during the evenings and overnight for several days. On Wednesday, 3/6, I had a routine MD appt and was feeling like labor would start any day. At the appt I was only 1cm dialated, and “still really high.” My doctor told us she was going out of town for a weekend ski trip (Th-Sun), but she assured me that most first time moms deliver late and she would see me the next week. She did have me go in to the birth center for a non-stress test because I felt like my uterus was not fully relaxing between contractions; everything checked-out fine and the nurse at the birth center said, “sorry, probably see you in a week or two.”

I hoped she was wrong, and she was! I had been feeling really uncomfortable at work. Everyone says to work right up until you go into labor, and I wanted to. I certainly didn’t want to be sitting at home, using up PTO and impatiently waiting for labor. But work was getting really uncomfortable as a home health nurse. I was having contractions during the day now, too (not particularly painful, but uncomfortable), had back pain, had to pee all the time, and I was just physically difficult to maneuver.

Thursday was a really rough day at work, and I finally decided I just could not do full days anymore. I felt like a wimp and was really worried that I could go another two weeks with “monkey labor” and no productive contractions.

Fortunately by Thursday evening it became clear that I was going to have this baby soon! My contractions were becoming more consistent and stronger. My husband, Russell, got home around 7 p.m. with dinner, and I tried to keep ignoring labor and eat some, but I had to stop and get on hands and knees to try to cope with the pain (and of course, had to go throw-up what I had tried to eat!).

I had imagined I would labor at home for a longer time, but the contractions seemed very strong and regular, and getting to the point where I could not talk or walk during them, so I decided I should quit ignoring them and starting counting. Contractions were coming at least every 2 minutes and lasting 45-60 seconds. We finished packing, taking care of our cat, etc. I was able to help/direct Russell between contractions, but needed to stop for each contraction and get on hands and knees.

We drove the short distance to the hospital. I stayed in the back seat so I could be on hands and knees for contractions. I was excited knowing that next time we came home it would be with a baby, but nervous that the contractions were already very painful. I had hoped to experience the birth with no medications or unnecessary intervention, but wasn’t sure how I would cope knowing the pain would only become more intense.

The first nurse I had was just finishing up her shift. She checked me and I was 3 cm dialated, 50% effaced. She explained that she would check again in an hour and if no progress I would go home. I knew I was making progress and these contractions were active labor. After an hour I was 4.5 cm and 70%. At this point I was still using hands and knees position during contractions to cope. I was worried that I really could not find any rest/comfort between contractions.

At 11 p.m. shift change I met Emily, the nurse who would be with us for the rest of the labor. She was wonderful. She got an order for “intermittent monitoring” so my movement wouldn’t have to be limited by the monitors. She was supportive and recommended position changes, including offering to set-up the tub room for me.

From about midnight to 2 a.m. I labored in the tub, where I could more easily rest between contractions. I started to feel confident that I could and would go through the labor without an epidural or pain medication. Partly, I could feel the effect I had learned about; endorphins were kicking in. Labor wasn’t becoming less painful but I somehow felt mentally more able to cope, “in laborland.” Mostly, as uncomfortable as I was, I could not image sitting still to get an epidural, or having my movement limited by the monitoring, catheter, etc that would go along with an epidural.

Starting in my second trimester, I had taken prenatal yoga classes at Blooma a couple of times per week. I don’t think I would have had such a good labor experience without the work at Blooma. In the classes we would hold certain poses (especially Goddess) for about a minute (8-10 breaths for me). The instructors taught that since contractions last about a minute, it can be helpful to count your breaths to know how far you are through each contraction. I remember thinking that would not be helpful for me, but I was wrong – it was so helpful. Russell could hear the change in my breath/moan when a contraction was starting, and he would count outloud each breath for me. I tried to “accept” the wave of intense “sensation” (pain!) and felt like, “I can do anything for 8-10 breaths.” And if the contraction ended at 7 or 8 breaths instead of 10, it felt like such a treat!

After an hour or so I was getting pruney in the tub and ready for a change, so we moved back into my labor room, which had been cleaned up and set up with the foot of the bed down and a bar to hold onto. During contractions, I would stand and lean forward holding onto the bar and Russell, peddling my feet back and forth and taking deep, loud breaths/moans. After a contraction I would sit down and lean against Russell to rest. I labor this way for another couple of hours.

I was now starting to really feel pelvic pressure and the urge to push, even though I knew I was not yet fully dialated. I’ve read and heard so many birth stories where women talk about the feeling that they have to poop, even though they don’t, but still, I could not believe how much I felt like I needed to poop! After almost every contraction I thought/said, “okay, that time I must have pooped!” but I had not. So now the pain with each contractions was less troublesome than the overwhelming need to push when I knew it wasn’t time yet.

Somewhere around 3:30 a.m. the nurse came in and checked me. I was somewhere around 8 cm dialated. I was getting tired of laboring in the room again but didn’t think any other position would be helpful, except maybe going back into the tub, which I didn’t want to ask to do… I had already made a mess of the tub room once and when I returned to my labor room thought I was there to stay. Fortunately my wonderful nurse asked if I wanted to get into the tub again and I did. It was the best thing to get me through another hour or so of labor as contractions became more intense. She checked me again in the tub, and I was at around 9½ cm dilated.

Time to move back to my labor room where I would hopefully soon be pushing the baby out! When the doctor checked she said I was fully dialated but just a little “lip” was left of my cervix that should could try to push back during my contractions. She did this and after a few more contractions said I could start pushing. I really couldn’t help pushing some with each contraction at this point anyway, but now I could really push! I used the bar and Russell to squat during contractions and pushing. The doctor and nurse told me I should just push during contractions, stopping to rest between. Now that I was pushing they kept the monitors on me.

After just a couple contractions with pushing, I could feel the baby’s head and was so excited; “I’m going to do this!” As the next contraction was ending, Russell reminded me again to stop and rest, but the doctor interrupted and said, “no, actually, keep pushing!” I could hear her tell the nurse that the cord was around the neck. The doctor stayed calm and I think tried to avoid alarming us, but she was very focused and I could tell we really needed to get the baby out fast. They didn’t have to tell me twice – the urge to push along with the fear that he needed to be delivered now made for some hard, fast pushing. In addition to the cord around his neck, one of his shoulders was stuck, so the doctor really had to tug on his head and other shoulder to get him out.

It was very scary to see that he was quite blue, quiet, and floppy when he came out. Fortunately it was only a few seconds with the bulb suction before he start coughing, I could see he was breathing and I knew everything was probably okay… still had to wait 4-5 minutes while he was checked out by the Children’s neonatal team in his bassinet before he was plopped on my chest, but the doctors and nurses were assuring me all the while that he looked good. His Apgar scores at birth were very poor, 2/10, but had improved to 8/10 by 5 minutes.

Finally I had him on my chest, the best thing I have ever felt.

And a good distraction while the placenta was delivered and my 3rd degree perineal tear was repaired!

I’ve never been so happy or unabashedly impressed with myself. ☺

I was able to keep Oliver skin to skin and breastfeed him right away, and I felt like we were so amazing.

*{A little note from Blooma: We joyfully share birth stories sent to us by Blooma families, however, Blooma does not claim responsibility for and does not endorse individual choices made by families or their care providers. We seek to share an array of birth stories to showcase a wide range of experiences.}