mama b's blog: The Birth of Zemirah Meadow Britton

The week leading up to giving birth I was feeling very ready. Phil and I walked up and down South Beach more times that I can count. I prayed for peace and truly learned a lot about not taking on other's feelings. Lots of people asked me “when is she coming?” and a few even talked directly to her. I started to feel a little discouraged (as most moms who are a week or more “overdue” feel). After a good cry and talking to God and Phil I came to the conclusion that I wasn't in a rush and wanted her to stay in the womb as long as she needed to. You see when you are 41 weeks pregnant you are vulnerable so be aware of the influences and people you allow to speak into your life. The littlest comments can make you cry...you're not crazy you are about to have a baby. In all actuality I've found it's best to be aware of who you let speak into your life in every area and season. :)

Me at 41 weeks 2 days

So I was 41 weeks and we went in for an appointment with my Doctor. I was 2cm dilated (What does dilated mean?) and 50 percent effaced (What does effacement mean?). At this point I was feeling pretty huge (my one stretch mark I got came between 40-41 weeks, I say this to show that I was getting maxed out on space). Truthfully I think our society focuses way to much on whether one gets stretch marks or not... ALL pregnant woman bellies are beautiful...so lets you and I decide right now to get up and over it and stop praising the bellies with out them and shaming the ones with them. (Woah....I almost slipped on my SOAP BOX). So yes, I was maxed out. The Doctor decided to send me for an ultrasound to approximate how much the babe weighed (keep in mind this is the Monday and I had her on the Friday). The tech said she weighed about 7.5lbs and because it's not entirely accurate they said it's always give or take a pound. So my babe was to be anywhere from 6.5lbs-8.5lbs. We set up an induction for Thursday night (July 30th) which would be a week and a half after my due date. More walking, some pressure, more out of breath, more walking, no peanut. So Thursday night we had to be at the hospital at 6pm.

Bran Date Nut Muffin from Babycakes

Before we went to the hospital we stopped by Babycakes and I had a bran muffin and then we looked around at Farmer Q's. It was our last date before our babe arrived. We got to the hospital and they took us straight to a birthing suite room. The nurse had me fill out some paperwork and I got changed. I looked out the window as I waited for the Doctor to come in.

Right outside our window was the place where Phil and I met ( the University Center at NMU)...it felt like such a complete circle. I was all smiles as Phil hung my focal point and put one of our labor cd's in the player. He also hung up two signs I had made:

Dr. Cook came in at about 7:15pm and administered cervidil. He said that I was 2cm dilated and 75% effaced. The first nurse I had was really busy so we didn't see her much.

I was on the External Fetal Monitor for a little while and started to feel crampy. I didn't know if I was in labor though or if it was just a side effect of the medicine. So we waited and I really wanted to get in the tub but couldn't because they didn't want the cervidil to come out. At 11:30pm there was a shift change and in walked Jess. Jess was our Childbirth Class teacher. She is what I would call “Earthy Birthy” She had both of her sons vaginally and completely drug free. When she walked into the room, I literally said “God gave you to me..” My confidence was renewed and she confirmed that I was indeed in labor. She told me to go ahead and get in the tub. It felt like a whole body massage in the tub. I LOVED IT!

I didn't want the jets. Just my husband, low lighting and the warm tub. I stayed in the tub pretty much the whole time I labored. I would wake up for a contraction and then fall asleep (repeat a lot). Phil kept reminding me to breath and he encouraged me. Jesus made him a strong tower one that kept encouraging me with stuff straight from the Father's heart. It was beautiful. At about 3am Jess asked me to get out of the tub so she could check the babes heart rate. I was having really strong back labor, you see my little peanut was occiput posterior (What does that mean?). So I sat on a birth ball. Jess was pressing on my back with counterpressure and Phil was holding my hand and looking at me. This was definitely the most uncomfortable part, I wanted to be back in the tub and kept asking Jess if I could get back in it. I had to stay out there for what seemed like forever because Jess needed to get more of a range of my babe's heart rate. Zemirah was sleeping and it was constant rather than ups and downs, I can just picture my little peaceful girl sleeping away in Mama's womb. So eventually Jess said it was good enough and back to the tub I went. The pressure in my pelvis was so intense that I had to be either in the tub or sitting (most of my sitting was on the toilet). At around 4:30am things starting getting pretty intense. At one point I started to say that I couldn't do it anymore but about the time I got the first syllable of can't out I changed it to “I don't want to do this anymore” I told Phil that if I was still at 2cm I might need to get some medicine. Yes, people I made the signs and am all about natural childbirth but I'll tell you a couple things...this part was intense and I had no idea where I was at as far as dilation and effacement. Jess asked when my cervix was last checked....which we told her was 7:15pm (it had been 9 hours). At this point my contractions were back to back. There was no break and the pressure, well there was lots. I eventually got to the bed (it was VERY hard to walk at this point). Jess waited to check my cervix until I told her to (she was asking me to tell her when I was having a break between contractions, which there were no breaks so I got on top of them and as soon as one started to come down, she checked it). She said “You are 8.5 or more....wow...you are fully dilated....you are going to have a baby!” I was so excited and told Phil “I did it, we did it” and then came pressure beyond anything I can even explain, truly only Mama's that have given birth can relate. Some compare it to a bowel movement because as the baby moves into the birth canal it is hitting the same nerves that signal that. So I ran to the toilet (natural instinct) and at that point my water broke. I'm talking ummm did someone just drop a huge water ballon broke.

Back to the bed I went, pressure and all. Keep in mind this all happened in like 10 minutes or less. Pushing was next but not until the Doctor got there. Thank goodness Char (our Pastor's wife) had told me “If it gets to a point where they tell you not to push but it feels impossible not to, stick out your tongue and pant.” Had I pushed down with my tongue out I wouldn't have one anymore. I told Jess and Phil they had to pant with me and we all three panted. After a second call to the nurse station Jess told me to go ahead and start pushing. Shortly after Dr. Cook came in, got suited up, the alien light came from the ceiling and well I got to push more! Pushing is the best, seriously the best. Push, Push, Push, Push, BURN. CRINGE BACK. Jess told me you need to push into that. I looked at her completely serious and said “You have got to be kidding me” Dr. Cook kept encouraging me and tell me how wonderful I was doing with pushing. Soon enough her head was out (she was born face up, or occiput posterior). Phil told me she had hair and I asked him what color to which he replied “uh....it's still gooey...” We both laughed. Yes, I laughed with a baby half way out of me. Weird I know. So a few more pushes and at 5:18am on July 31, 2009 out came Zemirah Meadow Britton. She was beautiful. I was so relieved to be done and to have my beautiful girl on my chest.

Though at the time I was a little surprised at how bloody she was, I was completely in love. They did her apgar tests What is that? She got an eight at one minute, and a nine at five minutes.

Then I got stitches as Daddy held her. I had a second degree tear but only needed a few stitches (thank goodness). I can't remember the exact order but I breastfed her (she was a little champ right off the bat) and then she was weighed and measured. The scale was in grams at first and Dr. Cook was like “wow, you had a 10lb baby...” I quickly asked them to change it to pounds. She was 9lbs 13.9oz! I was so thankful that God let my body open up to have such a big baby and also laughed thinking of how the ultrasound only four short days before had predicted that she was at most 8.5lbs. Within a couple hours of giving birth I was up taking a shower, cleaning our room up for visitors and snuggling my new love. It was such a beautiful birth, one that I wouldn't change. My heart never knew I could love so much, and since then it has only grown.