Cass's Birth Story

This baby, our 4th child, was due March 22nd. On Thursday, March 20th, I had a bit of bloody show. I lost a bit more of my mucus plug after that, but nothing else was really going on. I was having some contractions every now and then, but nothing unusual. Almost every night, though, I would feel like it was surely going to be that night. By the end of the day every day, I was having more contractions and lots of pressure. Still, nothing happened. Until...

The morning of March 25th I woke up at 5:30am with a huge contraction...a this-is-for-real labor contraction. I went to the bathroom and lost a ton of my mucus plug/had bloody show and felt like labor would start immediately. I went back to bed, but contractions were not really coming. So, I decided to get up and walk around a little. I again had to go to the bathroom and lost more of my plug. So, I then just decided to go ahead and tell Joel about it. I wasn’t sure how long I would have and how long it would take to fill up the birth pool with water and get it heated for me.

So, Joel got up and started getting the pool ready. I walked around a lot and we just did all sorts of things to get ready. I was having contractions, but nothing consistent, regular, or close together. This, unfortunately, is how it went ALL DAY LONG. The same thing had happened with Hadley (if you remember her birth story) and I was wiser this time for it. I felt like that same thing was probably going on this time...that I had a posterior cervix. No amount of walking or any of those things were going to help. So, I just took it easy all day. I even went to bed and rested...twice...being able to doze both times. We had called the doctor to tell him everything that was going on and kept in touch with him throughout the day. We told him what we expected was going on around 1 or 2 in the afternoon and he said that he’d just come over after he finished his scheduled appointments. He got here a little after 6pm.

He had some supper with us and then at 6:30pm he checked me. Sure enough...a posterior cervix. I had a nice contraction while he was checking me. He got done and told me I was about 2 ½cm...not bad for not even having regular contractions at all. I was about 40% effaced. He had pulled my cervix forward, but didn’t think it would stay. We sat there and talked options as far as he was concerned. He just happened to be on call that night...and the pediatrician that was accompanying him in the birth was supposed to ride over with him to our house. So, he was thinking he was going to go ahead and go back to Goiania, tie up some loose ends, and get the pediatrician. He planned to head on back over to our house around midnight if we hadn’t called him before.

Well, while we were talking about all of this, the contractions just kept coming. They were every 6 minutes at first. He started making phone calls to see how to make things work with his ‘on-call’ status...to see about the possibility of him just staying. During this time, the contractions quickly started coming every 5 minutes and then every 4 minutes...and getting stronger. We all quickly decided that the doctor wasn’t going anywhere. :)

Around 8pm, our friend and neighbor Denise came down to sit with me (and the doctor) while Joel showered the kids and put them to bed. I continued to just progress...the contractions getting stronger and stronger, lasting longer, and getting closer together. During this time they were coming every 3 minutes.

Our friend Kristin came around 9pm. Our other friend Lailah came probably about 15 minutes later. I was still smiling and talking between contractions when Kristin got here, but by the time Lailah came that was no longer the case...it was serious time. I think around 9:12 the doctor checked me again and I was 4cm. Then around 9:29 I was 5cm. I think these were the times, because I remember Kristin remarking that I had dilated a whole cm in a matter of 17 minutes.

The contractions were coming fast and strong. In fact, starting at 9:03, they began to come every 2 minutes (Kristin was writing it down...that’s why I know). I knew it was getting to be time to get in the pool. My goal was to get to 6cm before getting in. At 9:35 I asked the doctor to check me again. I was 6 cm and 80% effaced. I had one more contraction in the bed after he checked me and then headed to the pool. I got in that nice, relaxing, warm water and had a little bit of a break. Instead of a contraction 2 minutes later, it was 4 minutes later. I had a couple of contractions in the pool and started feeling really pushy. It was pretty intense. After each contraction I would feel to see if I could feel the head...I was feeling more and more pressure and could feel the baby traveling down. After a couple of contractions, probably on the 3rd one, I started pushing (oh, and I had already done my birth tradition of vomiting, so I knew it was time). :) The doctor wasn’t even in the room at that point. Everyone came running in (they heard the tell-tale sounds of pushing) and moments later I caught Cass...out in one big push. The doctor was still putting on gloves I think. It’s funny to see me do it all myself on the video (Joel was there the whole time, wiping my forehead with a wet washcloth and spurring me on). Cass was born at 9:50.

It was quick and intense and wonderful. Cass was MUCH smaller than my biggest baby...almost 3 pounds smaller actually. That coupled with the warm water and that better knowledge of pushing that I gained before Eissa’s birth...NO TEARING!! So very exciting and I can already tell...SUCH a huge difference in the recovery aspect.

What else was I specifically praying for personally as far as labor and delivery? No back labor. It was amazing. I can’t say that I had NO back labor...I did still feel it in my back. But, it was not nearly as bad and I actually stayed in the sitting up position the whole time with this labor. I had pillows in my back and this seemed to do the trick for the amount of back labor I was having. Seriously...night and day from the last labors as far as back labor. Joel never once even pressed on my back...and that is usually his stance during each contraction during my labors.

Other answered prayers (there were many):

1. I wanted a short, but manageable birth (not too short). But, I also didn’t know how that would be possible and still be able to do everything we needed to do to prepare once labor began, i.e. take care of the kids, get the pool filled and warm, get the sheets changed on the bed, etc. Although it was such a nuisance in Hadley’s labor (since we had no idea what was going on), that posterior cervix surely served its purpose in this labor. Since we had a good feeling what was going on, we were able to get everything done and even rest up for the action we knew was coming up. Everything was just perfect in its timing.

2. I have never wanted anyone else at my births...only me, Joel, and the midwife. Well, this time we didn’t have a midwife...we had a doctor who was also a man who also doesn’t really speak English. There were going to be no women at the birth except the pediatrician who was not all into the whole homebirth thing anyway...didn’t think I’d be getting super great support and coaching from her...and she doesn’t speak English either. We really started praying about having others here and it all worked out perfectly...just the right people were here and we loved it. As Joel put it, “it was the most fun birth ever.” :) Such help they were...with the kids (when they woke briefly), with taking pictures and videoing, with running to get this or that, with writing stuff down that we needed to remember, and with just basic support of the labor. It was perfect.

3. I have never wanted to have our kids at the birth either...thought it’d be too distracting. Our plan was for them to come be with us during the pushing stage. But, pushing got here and it was a little more intense than last time. Last time, the pushing stage was very relaxed and calm. This time I was working hard and fast and so it just didn’t happen that the kids were brought out. But, the point is that they were there in the house with us the whole time and I loved that. We woke them up to see Cass first thing and even though they weren’t all that into it at the time (although Eissa actually stayed to hang out for a while...the other 2 just wanted to go back to bed), they were still here and I liked that. We had wondered how it would work, but it was perfect since they were sleeping during my laboring part.

4. The homebirth here went off without a hitch even though it is extremely rare (more like unheard of) here. We are so very thankful for our doctor. There were a few “glitches” in the system: 1) he had gotten others to pack up the stuff he needed from the hospital and apparently some things were left out; during part of the labor (the end), he had our friend Ricardo leaving to go get some things; they were things that we didn’t end up needing, but just things that if we would’ve needed, weren’t here, so that was a little crazy for everyone involved (except me...I was a little focused on other things at the time and totally at peace not worrying about stuff like that); 2) the pediatrician didn’t get here until about an hour after Cass was born...ha ha ha; that was definitely not the plan, but thankfully we really didn’t need her...all was well and everyone was extremely healthy. I think it went perfectly though, esp. considering that our doctor had never done a homebirth before. As my mom said, if he ever gets the chance to do another one, he will be more aware of what he needs and how to do it...it was a great experience for him. Speaking of that, just yesterday we were asked by our pediatrician’s office here in town about our doctor. Apparently another American couple here is wanting a homebirth, so they were given our contact info. so that we can pass on all the information we learned during this whole process. Is this the start of homebirth sweeping the nation of Brasil? :)

So, as you can see, I think it was perfect. Just perfect. It’s nice to be “on the other side of birth” as Joel’s aunt puts it. But, I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful experience. SUCH a blessing.

And now...a LOT of pictures of that special day.

Filling the pool.
Hadley was the first one up that morning. Here she is checking out our morning activities.
She was SO excited to see that pool being filled. She knew what that meant.
Daddy's little technical helper...with the multimeter Joel used to check the water temperature.
Just hanging out during the day. We had to get a couple of pictures of Eissa sitting on the pregnant Mama belly stool...it's tradition now.

The kids just beside themselves...so. very. super. excited. :) They did not want to leave the room. The doctor was there and they knew that meant the baby would soon be here. They thought it would be immediately.
The contractions starting after the exam.
Tight contractions.
Look at that totally lopsided belly during a contraction. The goal is to relax every muscle in your body and let the uterus do its work. It's hard work. The contractions were starting to get serious at this point.
Kristin watching her watch, timing contractions. Denise also nearby.

Very intense time.
Time for Cass to come.
Cass's first picture. The hard work is over. Whew.
Cass had already pooped in the womb. Since she still had that cheesy stuff on her (I know it's called vernix, but we just call it "cheese"), she was just a brownish/yellowish little girl. I won't post another placenta picture, but even it was brownish/yellowish. Grady had already pooped in the womb too, but he didn't have much cheesy stuff, so you couldn't really tell by looking at him. Both were just fine though...Cass just needed a bath. :)

I love this picture. Cass: "What in the world just happened?!?!?!?"
Hadley...oh so sleepy.
Grady and Eissa checking things out too.
The older 2 on their way back to bed. Eissa stuck around for a while.
Proud Daddy.

Eissa checking out her little sister.
My wonderful "doulas"/support system. :) Denise, Lailah, Kristin, Dr. Luiz, and Ricardo (Denise's husband; and Eissa). Ricardo wasn't really in the room usually, but helped so much in other ways. :)
Me nursing Cass while Lailah and Denise review the footage. :)
Cass hardly made a noise after birth...no big cries or anything...just enough to let us know she was just fine. SUCH a calm, peaceful baby. She still hasn't cried much. :)


Getting checked out by Daddy.

Getting weighed in.
Putting in eye drops.
The pediatrician.
Getting all measured up.
Look at that major thumb-sucking. Funny...she hasn't found that thumb again, but she was sucking it bigtime then.

Our wonderful doctor that enabled us to have this homebirth.
First bath.