Quincy James
Andy and I moved to Waterloo in August of 2009 when I was 6 months pregnant. We started
seeing midwives Sandy, Lori and Katie for prenatal care and started taking class with Erin right away. Toward the end of my pregnancy I grew more and more uncomfortable, more so than in my last pregnancy. I noticed that when the baby moved or kicked it hurt more, and felt “boney”. Nevertheless everything was on track and the midwives had no concerns.
It wasn’t until the last month of pregnancy that they started to worry. My belly measured smaller than it should and they suspected that I had a small amniotic fluid leak. They ran a few tests which showed that I had low amniotic fluid levels which was caused by the baby holding his urine. This could be a sign of a problem with his kidneys, or it could be that he just hadn’t peed in a while – we would have to wait until after he was born to find out. Otherwise the baby was doing fine and there wasn’t any fluid leaking so they weren’t too concerned. I only had to go for a Bio-physical Profile once a week to measure amniotic fluid levels, baby’s movements, breathing, heart rate, etc.
On Wednesday, November 25th I was 38 weeks pregnant and went in for another Bio-physical Profile. I was concerned because he hadn’t been moving much lately and the test showed very little movement as well. This concerned the midwives because a baby that is under stress will not move much. They decided that it would be best at this point to induce labor.
I was in denial. I heard what they were saying to me and agreed that this was best. I went home around 11:30 to pack my bags and eat something and stalled as much as I could. I was scared that being induced would mean intervention after intervention. It also meant that I would have to try to face contractions caused by Pitocin with out medication. Andy’s brother and family had arrived from Ohio that morning for Thanksgiving – what a surprise it was for them to hear they would be here for the birth! My husband’s parents were due to arrive that evening.
We finally arrived at the hospital around 3:00 that afternoon. I was still scared. It was such a surreal feeling to “know” -while not in labor- that labor is going to start and I am going to be having a baby. Today. Lori and Katie were at the hospital and they patiently answered all of my questions – some babies can’t handle Pitocin, how would we know? What would we do? What if I need a Cesarean? What exactly would happen? I finally felt as ready as I could and the Pitocin was started at 3:30.
Labor was slow. Andy and I walked around, tried to sleep, I called my Mom, my Dad, my brother….hours past and they kept increasing the Pitocin until around 7:00 when I finally started to feel contractions. At 9:00 my in-laws stopped by with our daughter. It was nice to see them and I was still early enough in labor that I could carry on a conversation with them – stopping to relax when the contractions came. By 10:00 we decided to call our doula, Tracey, to have her come to the hospital. Contractions were difficult but I was sitting comfortably with Andy by my side massaging me and giving me water and juice pops and I was able to get into a zone and relax through them. I felt totally confident and in control. Just before midnight I asked to be “checked”. I was only dilated 2 cm and 80% effaced. This was very disappointing. We decided to insert a Foley catheter which is like a balloon that is inserted behind the cervix, then blown up with saline. With each contraction the balloon puts added pressure on the cervix to help it dilate. The catheter made contractions very uncomfortable so we tried standing (slow dancing), the birthing ball and soaking in the tub. My legs were shaking and I could not get comfortable or relax so I went back to bed – the one place I was comfortable during my previous labor and where I had been able to handle the contractions so far. By 1:20 the catheter was out which meant I had dilated to around 4 cm. I remember feeling the catheter coming out and all I could think of was that it was a foot or a hand. Tracey said I got this funny look on my face and I said, “I think something is coming out.” Tracey asked me if it was the catheter and I said, “Well it better be the catheter because something is coming out!” After the catheter was out I was more comfortable, but the contractions were still intense. Andy decided to get some rest and let Tracey take over for a while. I continued to labor in bed until about 3:30 when I just could not get comfortable. Andy got up at that point to help me. Tracey suggested that I try other positions. I was terrified to move because when I did the contractions became unbearable. She told me that I should give each position a few contractions before I decide that it doesn’t work. This was probably the best advice I have ever gotten. I decided to try standing again and found, after about 3 contractions that it worked. I could handle it. How nice to be doing something different. By 4:15 I felt a slight urge to push and it was suggested that I have my dilation checked again. This time I was only 6-7 cm dilated and still only 80% effaced. This was not what I wanted to hear. At 4:35 I had my water broken – there was hardly anything there. It was not the gush of fluid or the relief I had remembered from my previous labor. By this time contractions were intense, I was feeling doubtful, exhausted and defeated. Andy put cold washcloths on my forehead, rubbed my chest and lead me through relaxation. By 5:30 the contractions were on top of each other, I couldn’t stop myself from pushing and I was getting anxious that my cervix might swell up and close. I asked to be checked again and secretly told myself that if I was still only 6 or 7 cm dilated I would get an epidural and sleep. I only had a cervical lip so the midwives suggested I try getting on my hands and knees. While this position seemed strange and uncomfortable to me before labor I now found that it was easier to relax. My legs didn’t shake and I felt like I could handle the urge to bear down. Andy put cold washcloths on my neck and rubbed my back and shoulders. Around this time the midwife, Katie started a warm perineum compress. This was very relaxing and helped ease the urge to push as well.
The next thing I remember is Lori’s quiet voice saying, “Okay, it’s been 10 minutes since your last contraction so we’re going to turn the Pitocin back on again.” Apparently my contractions had been coming so close together and so intense that they had turned the Pitocin off and I had actually fallen asleep. As far as I knew I had just gotten done with one contraction – I was so tired.
Shortly after that they had me roll back over and found that the cervical lip was gone – I could begin pushing! With the first push I could feel the baby’s head. I thought, “Oh my God he’s coming out” It seemed like only a few minutes of pushing and I could hear Andy’s voice saying, “Oh my gosh, Jen! Oh my gosh I see him!” then I heard Katie saying, “Reach down, reach down and grab your baby” It is so difficult in that moment to process what you are hearing. To realize what is being said and turn it into action. Every ounce of energy was put into pushing but eventually I realized what was being said and reached down to feel my baby as he was born. I pulled him up to my chest, overwhelmed and relieved that it was finally over. At 5:58 am, Thanksgiving morning, Quincy James was born – screaming at the top of his lungs – completely healthy.
Quincy James
November 26, 2009
7 lbs. 8 oz.
20 1/2 in.
seeing midwives Sandy, Lori and Katie for prenatal care and started taking class with Erin right away. Toward the end of my pregnancy I grew more and more uncomfortable, more so than in my last pregnancy. I noticed that when the baby moved or kicked it hurt more, and felt “boney”. Nevertheless everything was on track and the midwives had no concerns.
It wasn’t until the last month of pregnancy that they started to worry. My belly measured smaller than it should and they suspected that I had a small amniotic fluid leak. They ran a few tests which showed that I had low amniotic fluid levels which was caused by the baby holding his urine. This could be a sign of a problem with his kidneys, or it could be that he just hadn’t peed in a while – we would have to wait until after he was born to find out. Otherwise the baby was doing fine and there wasn’t any fluid leaking so they weren’t too concerned. I only had to go for a Bio-physical Profile once a week to measure amniotic fluid levels, baby’s movements, breathing, heart rate, etc.
On Wednesday, November 25th I was 38 weeks pregnant and went in for another Bio-physical Profile. I was concerned because he hadn’t been moving much lately and the test showed very little movement as well. This concerned the midwives because a baby that is under stress will not move much. They decided that it would be best at this point to induce labor.
I was in denial. I heard what they were saying to me and agreed that this was best. I went home around 11:30 to pack my bags and eat something and stalled as much as I could. I was scared that being induced would mean intervention after intervention. It also meant that I would have to try to face contractions caused by Pitocin with out medication. Andy’s brother and family had arrived from Ohio that morning for Thanksgiving – what a surprise it was for them to hear they would be here for the birth! My husband’s parents were due to arrive that evening.
We finally arrived at the hospital around 3:00 that afternoon. I was still scared. It was such a surreal feeling to “know” -while not in labor- that labor is going to start and I am going to be having a baby. Today. Lori and Katie were at the hospital and they patiently answered all of my questions – some babies can’t handle Pitocin, how would we know? What would we do? What if I need a Cesarean? What exactly would happen? I finally felt as ready as I could and the Pitocin was started at 3:30.
Labor was slow. Andy and I walked around, tried to sleep, I called my Mom, my Dad, my brother….hours past and they kept increasing the Pitocin until around 7:00 when I finally started to feel contractions. At 9:00 my in-laws stopped by with our daughter. It was nice to see them and I was still early enough in labor that I could carry on a conversation with them – stopping to relax when the contractions came. By 10:00 we decided to call our doula, Tracey, to have her come to the hospital. Contractions were difficult but I was sitting comfortably with Andy by my side massaging me and giving me water and juice pops and I was able to get into a zone and relax through them. I felt totally confident and in control. Just before midnight I asked to be “checked”. I was only dilated 2 cm and 80% effaced. This was very disappointing. We decided to insert a Foley catheter which is like a balloon that is inserted behind the cervix, then blown up with saline. With each contraction the balloon puts added pressure on the cervix to help it dilate. The catheter made contractions very uncomfortable so we tried standing (slow dancing), the birthing ball and soaking in the tub. My legs were shaking and I could not get comfortable or relax so I went back to bed – the one place I was comfortable during my previous labor and where I had been able to handle the contractions so far. By 1:20 the catheter was out which meant I had dilated to around 4 cm. I remember feeling the catheter coming out and all I could think of was that it was a foot or a hand. Tracey said I got this funny look on my face and I said, “I think something is coming out.” Tracey asked me if it was the catheter and I said, “Well it better be the catheter because something is coming out!” After the catheter was out I was more comfortable, but the contractions were still intense. Andy decided to get some rest and let Tracey take over for a while. I continued to labor in bed until about 3:30 when I just could not get comfortable. Andy got up at that point to help me. Tracey suggested that I try other positions. I was terrified to move because when I did the contractions became unbearable. She told me that I should give each position a few contractions before I decide that it doesn’t work. This was probably the best advice I have ever gotten. I decided to try standing again and found, after about 3 contractions that it worked. I could handle it. How nice to be doing something different. By 4:15 I felt a slight urge to push and it was suggested that I have my dilation checked again. This time I was only 6-7 cm dilated and still only 80% effaced. This was not what I wanted to hear. At 4:35 I had my water broken – there was hardly anything there. It was not the gush of fluid or the relief I had remembered from my previous labor. By this time contractions were intense, I was feeling doubtful, exhausted and defeated. Andy put cold washcloths on my forehead, rubbed my chest and lead me through relaxation. By 5:30 the contractions were on top of each other, I couldn’t stop myself from pushing and I was getting anxious that my cervix might swell up and close. I asked to be checked again and secretly told myself that if I was still only 6 or 7 cm dilated I would get an epidural and sleep. I only had a cervical lip so the midwives suggested I try getting on my hands and knees. While this position seemed strange and uncomfortable to me before labor I now found that it was easier to relax. My legs didn’t shake and I felt like I could handle the urge to bear down. Andy put cold washcloths on my neck and rubbed my back and shoulders. Around this time the midwife, Katie started a warm perineum compress. This was very relaxing and helped ease the urge to push as well.
The next thing I remember is Lori’s quiet voice saying, “Okay, it’s been 10 minutes since your last contraction so we’re going to turn the Pitocin back on again.” Apparently my contractions had been coming so close together and so intense that they had turned the Pitocin off and I had actually fallen asleep. As far as I knew I had just gotten done with one contraction – I was so tired.
Shortly after that they had me roll back over and found that the cervical lip was gone – I could begin pushing! With the first push I could feel the baby’s head. I thought, “Oh my God he’s coming out” It seemed like only a few minutes of pushing and I could hear Andy’s voice saying, “Oh my gosh, Jen! Oh my gosh I see him!” then I heard Katie saying, “Reach down, reach down and grab your baby” It is so difficult in that moment to process what you are hearing. To realize what is being said and turn it into action. Every ounce of energy was put into pushing but eventually I realized what was being said and reached down to feel my baby as he was born. I pulled him up to my chest, overwhelmed and relieved that it was finally over. At 5:58 am, Thanksgiving morning, Quincy James was born – screaming at the top of his lungs – completely healthy.
Quincy James
November 26, 2009
7 lbs. 8 oz.
20 1/2 in.