MY HOME BIRTH STORY
It's been almost 6 months since Kaiden has been born. What a crazy busy 6months it has been!! I Havn't had time to write my birth story until now so here goes....
For those of you who know me, know I'm one of those all natural organic type of people.. I try to eat clean and use all organic products as much as possible! I'm one of those people who check labels and read ingredients on EVERYTHING! YOU SHOULD TO! I COULD VENT FOR HOURS buttttttt I WONT! ANYWAYS.. Of course laboring was a big deal for me and to be honest I knew nothing about my options.. All I knew was.. I didn't want a epidural because of the bad things I have heard about them and I wanted to be as NATURAL as possible. I didn't want my baby on drugs and I didn't want him to feel any pain.. him coming down the birth canal is traumatizing enough! I did NOT want a bunch of random hands on him for testing, shots or even a bath!! So, I do what I always do when I don't know much on the topic... I research non stop , read books, google for hours, and ask every single person I could. Bottom line came to .. my birth plan was to have a unassisted home water birth. No medication at all. No epidural. No interventions. No inductions. Oh yeah and MOST IMPORTANTLY a healthy baby boy delivered into my arms! ;)
After MONTHS of research I hired a doula/birth coach.. Claudia Silvia from enlightened birth services. SHE WAS A GOD SEND! WE LOVE YOU CLAUDIA! She taught me all of what I know that doctors and hospitals DONT want you to know. She also taught me of my patient rights and gave me and my boyfriend birthing lessons. People always ask me " ARNT YOU AFRAID OF DELIVERING YOUR BABY AT HOME??" my honest answer is Im WAY more afraid of delivering in the hospital!( From all the horror stories I've heard) If I had listened to my doctors I would have had a totally different birth story and definitely would not have been happy with it. I fought the majority of my pregnancy to get what I wanted.. what I felt was best for me and my baby. If woman years ago can deliver babies naturally with no medical assistance .. I can to! I believe god has made our bodies to be able to birth naturally!! I don't really understand how you can't take advil when your pregnant but you can inject a needle into your spine to numb your body?! think about it!!
My due date was OCT 17 2014. After fighting every doctor NOT to be induced and waiting for my body to naturally go into labor ( when kaiden was ready to make his appearance).. OCT 24 2014 Friday at around 1pm.. I woke up feeling extra tired and my belly finally felt heavy like everyone said I should have been feeling throughout my pregnancy.. FINALLY I FELT PREGNANT! I ignored those feelings and went on with my morning workout and walked to get lunch with my friend Miriam .. it wasn't a far walk but it felt like forever. I had to keep sitting down and I was out of breath. I had small contractions.. every hour on the dot. They felt like bad period cramps and gradually got stronger and closer together throughout the day. My back was KILLING ME! Miriam gave me a back massage that felt amazing!! I called my doula Claudia to update her and she said I would probably go into labor in another day or two. Miriam went home and I went on with my day.. very exhausted. I also was leaking slightly throughout the day. By 10pm my contractions were much stronger and closer together. I looked over at my boyfriend and said 'UMMMM.. I think this is it.. should we call Claudia??" I called her and told her my contractions were starting to become painful and are 5min apart for about a minute long. She told me to fill up the birthing tub and sit in it if I wanted to and she would be right over. I Was soo happy labor has begun! This meant the day I was waiting for .. for months.. is here and I didn't need to be induced! I told my boyfriend to start filling up the birthing tub that was in my living room and I went to take a hot shower. I was getting bad back pain almost more painful then the contractions.. this is known as BACK LABOUR! its the worst!! The hot shower made it feel amazing! Through the contractions that were coming every 5minutes I managed to wash my hair, do my makeup and put on a pink dress. =)
The time I was done getting ready I took a 'selfie' then walked out of my room and Miriam and Jessica were there! I gave them my phone and I was ready to get this baby boy out! I walked around, took a bunch of pictures (posted to @thekidkaiden instagram or mine @kristinways) Claudia got there about 2hours later. I then got into the birthing tub.. MARTIN was on tv. I didn't pay much attention to it as pain worsened...my god the warm water made contractions a lot easier!! Claudia told me I was in early to mid labor at this point. They had put relaxing music on, dimmed the lights and put candles. Essential oils for many different purposes. It was very relaxing setting, like a spa. I was riding those contractions like a champ. I was so still. Miriam was still massaging me and helping me breath and relax.. Jessica was making sure all the supplies were in order and assisting Claudia. My boyfriend ran out to get a list of things we didn't have in the house. As the pain got worse.. Claudia read my mind and shut off the lights/tv and made it a more soothing environment with more candles and meditating birthing music! It was amazing how still I stayed through EVERY SINGLE CONTRACTION!! my back labor go worse and worse.. I would yell CONTRACTION and everyone would run and press my pressure points as HARD as possible (they said they're hands hurt for days later) I rotated between the birthing tub, my couch and the bathroom toilet. I ate fruit, drank water and juice to keep my energy up! I walked back and forth.. that helped my contractions SOOO MUCH!! swaying my hips back and forth.... also sitting on the birthing ball by bouncing slighty on it helped to.
I have to say I don't know how anyone can give birth in a hospital bed laying straight on their back!!! I would have given in and gotten the epidural that way! laying strapped to a bed not being able to get up seems like torture and the only thing that helped me get through contractions was being able to get up and walk around or lay down on my side! ANDDD my friends pressing my pressure points!!! I can not stress that enough!! ANWAY…
It is now about 2am and I am in the worst pain ever!!! dreaming of what it must be like to have a epidural and not feel shit! I considered my self crazy at this point but told myself to not give up! My boyfriend was there trying to be helpful but for someone reason I did not want him near me lol I would say.. "can you go away ..please.. im so sorry" I felt so bad but he was the only one irritating me lol so he watched from a distance, I guess. I just felt like he made me "soft" sort of speak. I was trying to be strong and man up over this pain that was unbearable!! He meant well though. If Jessica even tried to go to the bathroom I would freak out " WHERE ARE YOU GOING??!" she was not to leave my side!!!
3am I was just SO EXHAUSTED.. everyone was napping which made me feel even more tired.. the pain felt worse bc I was so tired and getting weaker by the moment. It was getting harder for me to believe I could endure any more pain! I just wanted to sleep!!! Claudia looked at me and asked do you want to go lay in your bed? I jumped up in excitement! "YES!" I laid in my bed and it was so comforting to be in my own comfy bed.. I told everyone to nap bc I knew I needed they're energy mostly later on.. I laid in bed and feel asleep in between contractions.. only for about 2minutes till contractions would wake me up!! of course! I was about 5cm or so at this point. I swear it felt like forever... I just wanted the sun to come up bc I knew it would trick my body into thinking it was a brand new day and give me NEW ENERGY! I kept drinking fluids to stay hydrated and having to pee... I swear using the toilet was the best feeling of relief ever.. anytime I had to pee I would love it LOL In between contractions I would race to the toilet and sit there for a few contractions!
I think it was 6am I was around 6cm dilated. Still in my bed. Miriam was taking the babys heart rate.. which was now dropping! My fever was slightly going up as well. My pain was worse and worse and I was losing track of how to breathe!! I didn't feel so good.. I gave myself anxiety bc I didn't like to feel out of control of my body and what was going on and I really wasn't sure if I was okay.. I thought I was dying.. I was cold and hot.. and I lost it and started moving around and screaming! I couldn't calm down... Jess said " look at me! you need to calm down okay!! you know this is going to hurt.. so just go with it!! you don't have a choice" I said "I CANT I DONT KNOW HOW, I DONT KNOW WHATS HAPPENING TO ME>> IS THIS NORMAL?? JUST TELL ME THIS IS NORMAL AND ILL BE OKAY??" and she said "yes your going to be okay I promise.. here comes another one just breathe with me ready??
..... I looked out the window and told Miriam to take a picture of the sunrise that was gorgeous !! I begged and cried to get into a hot shower or the birth tub again.. and I couldn't understand what was taking them SOO LONG to fill up the birth tub! I was irritated! Then I realized.. my fever was going up so much so I couldn't make my body temperature rise anymore! So, they didn't allow me in the birthing tub =( I wasn't even allowed a heating pad! THAT WAS A DEAL BREAKER BC CONTRACTIONS WITHOUT THAT WARM WATER WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE! I was dying in pain.. only at barely 7cm.. I tried not to ask what time it was but each cm dilating felt like hours... I swear, If I had known how much longer exactly .. it wouldn't have been so bad!! So everyone had a meeting in the other room and agreed things were taking a turn for the worse!!!
Claudia came over to me and asked if I wanted to go to the hospital.. kaidens heart beat was dropping, my fever was going up, I felt sick, hot and cold, and I couldn't remain still .. which made the pain worse.. and I couldn't breathe. When she said HOSPITAL.. my heart rate went through the wall!!! I had the biggest anxiety ever! that's how much im afraid of birthing in a hospital.. I said.. NO HOSPITAL!!! I AM FINE!! I PROMISE I CAN DO THIS! MY BABY WILL BE FINE. but inside my head.. I seriously didn't know if I was okay. Jessica talked me off a ledge again... somehow she got me staying still as anything yet again and breathing insync with her.. I just let go and did it. I didn't want anything else to eat or drink.. but they made me drink more to hydrate which is very important .. I threw up twice..my body was done for!
About 11am now.. nothing had changed.. Im still at about 7cm or so dilated .. the baby didn't move any further down, my fever is going up and kaidens heartbeat is dropping. Everyone looked really worried!!! I was out of it.... Claudia then said... "we need to go to the hospital now" I was in so much pain I didn't know how I was going to be able to get dressed. I don't know how I did .. but I did!!
My boyfriend rushed me to California Hospital in downtown LA. They suggested to go to cedars bc it was closer.. but I refused being they were to "medical" and if I was going to go to a hospital at least I wanted to go to one that I was being delivered by midwives. They must have thought I was crazy.. this was a emergency!! Something inside me told me it was going to be okay.. there was so much traffic ! ahh I just prayed out loud to god over and over again!! When I arrived at the hospital I was screaming help help im in labour!!! The lady there had the nerve to tell me to sit down and wait my turn and didn't believe I was in labour bc she said I didn't look 9months pregnant! WTF?
My doula Claudia backed me up and they wheeled me right in after I signed some papers quickly! I was at 9cm and my body just automatically started to push!! I couldn't help it and they yelled at me to stop pushing but it felt SOO good to push!! AMAZING!! it was SUCH a relief!!! PUSHING WAS THE BEST PART OF LABOUR!! They were trying to tell me how to breathe to make the pushing stop but it wasn't working much.. I was so confused!! The midwife delivering me helped me get to 10cm and I was like finally!!!!
I pushed and pushed and by this time I wasn't even tired bc of my adrenaline ... I just couldn't figure out how to hold my legs, being in a crunch position and push for ten seconds then relax breathe and repeat.. I WAS SO CONFUSED .. I thought I was doing it right.. but apparently it wasn't good enough... everyone looked worried!! I was giving up and didn't care what they did to get him out!! Jessica said "look at me!!! the midwife is only giving you 3 pushes or else!!!" they didn't want to scare me but pretty much.. I would have had a emergency C-section if I didn't push him out within 3pushes.. because his heart beat was still dropping fast and he should have been out by now! 1 push.. failed! Jessica goes "listen to me .. this is the one okay!! this is seriously the last one.. you don't have a choice DO IT!! 2nd push.. FAIL... the midwife did a episiotomy on me bc kaidens head wouldn't fit passed my pelvic bone!! 3rd push..... jess was now screaming at me saying "YOU DONT WANT A CSECTION PUSH NOW!!!! HARDER!!"
I did all I could.. just like every other time.. laid back down and was so sad bc I failed again and knew I would now need a csection... and then.. I Heard crying..... and everyone clapped and said yayyyyy!! .. I LOOKED DOWN and saw a head full of hair!!!.. OMG BABY KAIDEN WAS BORN!!!!!! NO CSECTION NEEDED!! AND I COULDNT FEEL A THING AT THIS POINT!! AMEN!
KAIDEN JAY BORN OCTOBER 25 2015 1:50pm 21in/ 7lbs 2oz
I checked myself out of the hospital about a hour or so later.. and I was home with my beautiful baby boy. Traumatized as anything but my baby and me were both healthy as can be =) blessed! People ask me if I could do it again would I? my answer = most certainly ;)
