Arden Quinn's birth story

Around midnight on September 16, 2011, I woke up to use the bathroom and found "bloody show"/mucus plug. I was a little surprised and excited that it could be soon, but suddenly I realized these sensations I was having were contractions. I wanted to go back to sleep, and I tried, but it just wasn't happening. I spent the night tossing and turning, barely dozing. I texted my midwife, Peggy, and she said she would come in the morning after getting some sleep. She showed up around 9 am on the 16th. She encouraged me to eat something, then move around. Since she wasn't needed yet, she took a good nap since she had just been to 5 births in a row! When she woke up, she spent some time with us then she left for the store a few hours later, after getting things set up in our bedroom. She was gone for quite a while, during which we drove to Target to buy a video camera, and to Best Buy for a microSD. Laboring in the car was no fun. We returned home and walked around the neighborhood a bit. Classic labor, but I was pretty miserable because it was all in my back. The entire day was just more of the same. Labor, snack, tub, Drew squeezing my hips, etc. That night my midwife told Drew to get some sleep and he did. I spent the night on the ball, listening to my labor playlist or trying to relax in the tub. Lying on the bed was NOT pleasant, and I wasn't sure if "not pleasant" was what we were going for in order to get this baby out, or if I was supposed to try to keep comfortable. The frequency when sitting on the ball was more often, but the intensity when lying down was much more intense, while the frequency died down a bit. I was so confused, and pretty lonely laboring alone. I spent a good part of the night in the tub, falling asleep for a few seconds, then waking to another contraction. Not the most pleasant way to wake, and not from a restful sleep.

Throughout the next day (the 17th), more laboring, on the stairs, against the railing, kneeling, on a birth stool, on the ball, in the tub, on the toilet, on all fours. My midwife Peggy suggested a maneuver called the "flip flop", in the afternoon. We went from all fours for a couple contractions, to left side for a couple, quickly to right side for a couple, then back to all fours. We also tried "rebozo sifting". I was becoming exhausted and Peggy gave me some tinctures to help with contraction efficiency. The burning feeling under my tongue from the tinctures, alternating with the sweetness of some homeopathic tablets...we were trying everything. They also had me drink some castor oil, I wasn't sure at the time why or what it would do, and Peggy recommended that I try to drink the whole bottle through a straw without tasting it. I got about halfway, had to take a breath and as soon as I tasted the oil, it was all over. Literally. ALL OVER. 

I had been in the tub and felt a half an urge to push, and tried to go with it, but it went away. I had gotten out of the tub already though, so they tried to help me work through these contractions. I somehow ended up lying on my back, waiting and hoping for that urge to return as I "tolerated" each contraction. 

Knowing now a little more, I'm not sure if I would've stayed in that position, but I was SO EXHAUSTED that I really don't know what else I would've had the energy for. I couldn't tell if I was contracting or not at that point, I would just have to PUSH and see if my body was helping. I had a cervical lip that Peggy held back for me, which was horribly painful. I pushed for two entire hours, and finally, at 5:30 PM on September 17, 2011, sweet Arden Quinn was born, and immediately held out her arms toward me with the brightest eyes, wide open. I was overcome with emotion, crying “my baby! My baby!” After such a long labor it had become hard to believe I would ever be delivered! She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. 

My midwives helped us clean up, weigh, measure, etc, then got me settled in with some food before they left our little family to receive rest in our own bed. Despite the exhaustion, I woke often to just wonder and stare at this incredible tiny being. 

Afterward Drew heated some chicken pot pie that I'd prepared beforehand, and it was the most incredible meal I'd ever eaten. I had no experience otherwise, but the gifts of receiving my own cooking in my own bed, with my brand new baby and no expectations ore interruptions upon me, I felt very grateful for!