Harper's Birth Story-A Peaceful Birth

Harper’s Birth Story-A Peaceful Birth

You sometimes hear of “Peaceful births or Peaceful labors” and really those words just don’t always seem synonymous.  I’d been reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and I had heard terms like that throughout many of the birth stories and kind of smiled dubiously.  Don’t get me wrong my first 2 natural births were beautiful and wonderful and loved them but I don’t know if I’d describe them as “peaceful”.  

I woke up at 2AM with my first contraction.  It was mild and not particularly painful, but I smiled to myself because I knew right away this was not a Braxton Hicks and that this was one of the real ones.  2 previous labors will do that.......you know when it’s real.  I immediately went back to sleep and decided to sleep through as many as I could.  I woke up approximately every 15 minutes after that with more contractions, they lasted about 30 seconds and this went on until 4AM.  

At 4AM I thought they felt a bit stronger.  Also at 4AM my 3 year old woke up and came into our room, hopped into our bed and took my spot. :)  I took this as a signal to get up and move a little.  I decided to see how far apart these contractions really were and if they were progressing.  I took my birth ball into the living room and my book and sat and bounced/read through the contractions.  They were pretty consistently 7-8 minutes apart for about 30 seconds, still really manageable, but a little stronger than the 2AM contraction. 

I wanted to let Ben sleep as long as possible so I waiting until I heard our son stirring in our bed, around 6 or 6:30.  I went in and told him I was having pretty regular contractions, nothing too painful yet, but consistent and I’d been up for a few hours with them. 

He joined me, I made scrambled eggs and toast which sounded good and drank some gatorade (which I’d been intentionally drinking since the day before hoping to stay hydrated, turned out to be a great move).  We ate breakfast, the boys got up, my mom got up.  There were lulls in the contractions.  Sometimes 7 minutes apart, sometimes 10-15 minutes apart.  I tried not to feel anxious with the lulls and decided maybe I should try to sleep some more.  So I texted my 3 “birth team friends” that I thought I might be in labor and was going to try to rest a bit and then I went back to bed. 

I think I dozed in bed from about 7:30-9AM, had a few good contractions but they weren’t getting much closer. I decided I should get up and go for a walk.  Ben and I walked around the neighborhood for a while.  I did have contractions about 10ish minutes apart, but many of them I could walk through.  I felt like I’d moved backward a bit.  But I could tell they were very effective contractions.  I could feel my cervix working to open and was very intentionally trying to relax and be “open” during the contractions.  

After the walk I noticed I had a good amount of “bloody show” and thought I saw a definite mucus plug which I’d never seen in previous labors.  That was very encouraging.  

Ben and I decided to got to town because I needed to go to the Post office.  We went to the PO, stopped by the church so he could pick something up.  Things moved really slowly but the contractions were there, just sporadic and not too painful.  

Throughout the rest of the morning and early afternoon I continued to have lots of bloody mucus and contractions but they NEVER got closer than 7 minutes!  It was so strange!  They were quite strong at times and felt very “good” but I had these big long breaks in between!  Sometimes I played with the boys.  I took a shower or 2. They were very manageable and spaced out.  It was very quiet around the house, I cleaned a little.  Things just seemed really slow.  I diffused some Essential oils, walked around the kitchen.  Trying not to be anxious or feel rushed, but a little baffled by this very relaxed and easy day of labor.  

Ben stayed with me and coached me the WHOLE day.  He followed me around, made me drink water and gatorade, walked with me, encouraged me.  He was amazing.  It must have been incredibly boring.  I know at times I seemed frustrated but he just seemed sooooo relaxed.  He totally matched the vibe of the whole thing. 

Around 2 or 3PM I decided I wanted to have this baby today (Monday February 24th) so I decided Nipple simulation might be a good idea.  It really got things started with Rowan’s birth and is the only thing I’ve heard midwives say is actually effective in started labor.  So Ben and I went into my bedroom, turned on the oils, he got me a snack of cheese and crackers and we did some nipple stimulation.  This definitely brought on stronger conractions immediately.  They still weren’t closer than 6 minutes but I felt the intensity increase right away.  In fact, right around this time I started thinking I was losing control of my bladder during contractions!  I spread towels out and stood on them during contractions.  About the 2nd or 3rd time I came to the conclusion that my bladder could NOT hold that much urine.  This must be my water breaking!  I felt it, yeah it felt different, kind of slimy.  I smelled it.  Didn’t smell like urine.  I also noted that it was clean and had now foul odor (important for Amniotic fluid).  Ok so things should start moving along now!  My contractions DID become more painful but didn’t get closer!  Still 6 minutes, often more.  I noticed if I stood up I had more contractions.  If I sat on the ball, I had less.  Ok......so gravity was helping.  

After being in the room, having strong contractions until about 4PM we decided to go on one more good long walk.  If I had regular close contractions during the walk then we would come back and go to the hospital.  I kept feeling like these contractions would feel SOOOOO much better in the birthing tub and I was getting anxious for a change.  We walked twice around the blood.  WOW.  3-5 minutes apart the entire time and they were much more painful.  Also when I returned back to the house I started throwing up and feeling shaky.....so it was time to go.  We grabbed out bags and I texted Leanna who was planning on coming to the labor.  On the way to the hospital we called ahead and let them know.  Also I had consistent 5 minute apart contractions the entire time and handled them well which was good as I was worried about that.  We texted our family and told them were headed in.  

We arrived around 5:30pm and were checked in.  I just love the nurses at St. Elizabeth’s.  Our first nurse was so so sweet.  She assured me the water birth sweet was open (yaaay!) and said she’d check me and then call Pam, my midwife for me even though Dr. Shea was on call.  She checked me, confirmed I’d broken my water and said I was a strong 6 cm dilated and baby’s head was right down on the cervix!  SWEET RELEIF!  I think this was the high point for me of the labor thus far.  I was SO SO happy and so glad we’d waited as long as we did.  I texted Leanna and she said that she and Lindsey were on their way.  This made me so happy and excited to have my 2 amazing friends on their way.  i was pretty euphoric.  To make things even better I then hopped in the birth tub and OH MY GOODNESS it was like I went back to the beginning on the pain scale.  My contractions were still 3-5 minutes apart but they didn’t hurt nearly as bad and I was able to relax so much better.  I was very excited because now I knew for sure that this baby was coming, I was close, I was progressing and I could tolerate the pain.  I’d done this twice before and I could do it again.  Also I wasn’t having any back labor so I was confident that baby was positioned very well which was great. The Girls arrived and we all just chatted and hung out while I had contractions in the tub.  I took ice chips which was nice and didn’t upset my stomach as much as water (lindsey’s idea).  Ben was amazing, he just stayed there with me by the tub, held my hand during contractions.  The Birth music was playing on my laptop.  My favorites were Rend Collective and (AGAIN) All Sons and Daughters just like during Rowan’s birth!  

Pam arrived around 7 PM.  It was so wonderful when she arrived.  SUCH a relief and encouragement to see her.  She arrived strait from a trip to the hot springs!  She said she didn’t even take a shower because the nurse said it would be quick! lol Ben and I chuckled and said “oh it could be a while!”.  Things just felt so relaxed and so easy!  I wasn’t in too much pain, we’d hardly been at the hospital for any time at all.  I also knew in the past I’d stalled in progression right around 7 cm so I was trying to prepare myself for that.  She popped in and out a few times and chatted with us.  

Around 7:30 after being in the tub an hour and a half i started to get more uncomfortable.  I also felt a little warm.  I thought it would be good to get out and sit on the ball.  I also didn’t want to be “stuck” in the water if I go toward the end, but I was really really skeptical that I was that close.  It just didn’t feel that bad yet.  We got out and was really shaky.  Like transition shaky.....but.....It couldn’t be transition yet.  Things weren’t intensifying yet....I felt so relaxed....everything was calm and peaceful still.  I said I was feeling some pressure.  We decided to check to see if I’d made any progress.  

8CM!!  And pam said with a contraction I could possibly be a little more.  WHAT?  I was totally in shock.  She said to let her know when I felt “pushy”.  I started to think about pushing.  What I ready?  Could I do this?  Pushing is hard.  I felt a little nervous.  

I stood and bounced through a few more contractions, I felt nauseous.  I could tell the nurse and Pam were preparing for the delivery and I was still in shock.  It was going so fast!  I was progressing!  Was I ready to push this baby out?  I was still feeling in great spirits, laughing between contractions, managing the pain ok.....Things still seemed very relaxed and peaceful.  

I decided to move to the bed....just in case.  This wasn’t the most comfortable but I just had a feeling.  I had a contraction where I thought maybe I felt the urge to push.  Suddenly things got a little harder.  Ouch, more painful.  My hips and bottom started to hurt during contractions.  Even now though I STILL had breaks between contractions, but they were shorter and was feeling lots LOTS more pressure in my lower back.  I look back now and see that she was moving down the birth canal.  I was very uncomfortable on the bed but didn’t dare move.  Pam checked me and YEP, 9 1/2 CM, very floppy cervix, i could try to push. 

Then came the one where I knew it was time.  I said that “it’s time, it’s time to push, she’s coming”.  

So I started to push.  I consciously thought about how fast Rowan came out.  I also warned Pam “he hit the tarp last time, you might want to get ready” haha!  But i really had visualized pushing slowly so I started with little pushes.  Everyone is SO encouraging when you’re pushing out a baby lol!  “good job!” “wow great push!” 

I tried a harder push and FELT her move down.  Yep Pam confirmed, +2 station and she’s RIGHT there.  

That’s when my body took over.  I gave it all I had, decided it was time for her to come out start pushing hard and then.....STOP.  Suddenly everyone was scrambling....I couldn’t figure out why!  I heard several things: 

-I thought I heard someone say “neck” which made me a little panicky my first thought was cord around the neck. (turns out it was MEC-short for meconium)

-I heard Leanna say “Everything’s totally fine Steph.” which was seriously reassuring.....i have to remember to thank her for that. 

-I heard Pam say my name.  I opened my eyes.  She looked right at me and said.  “You need to stop pushing, your baby has “poo-poo’d” in the bag of waters and I need to suck her out.”  

I was really beyond the point of stopping, but somehow i slowed up, halted, started blowing through the urge to push, the people with the “sucker thing” rushed in and I heard some yucky sucking noises.  I said “I can’t Pam” and then I just had to push her out.  Out she came and YAY she started crying!  I heard Pam say “And we have a crying baby!” and then she was there!  She was SOOOO purple!  and boy was she MAD!  Everyone was happy and relieved and excited!  She was here in about 4-5 pushes, about 10 minutes total.  It probably would have been faster if they hadn’t made me stop pushing.  

I thought to ask if anyone had checked to see if it was a girl!  lol!  We checked and YES she was definitely a girl!  A very perfect, very petite, round headed, SCREAMING, blue baby girl!  It took her quite a while to calm down, she did NOT like being suctioned out as she was arriving into this world!  

Turns out pushing slowly is a veeeeery good thing as I didn’t tear at all.  hooray!  And I also didn’t hemorrage which was very very good news.  We didn’t even start the IV of pitocin, this made me very happy.  

And that’s it! That’s the story of how Harper Joan Gurczynski, 7lb 1oz, 19 inches long made her way into the world.  Peacefully and naturally and perfect.  I just pray that this is a preview of what she will experience on this earth, Peace and Love and knowing how amazing and cherished she is.  We are so happy to add you to our family little girl!  

Thanks for reading through my journey with me!