Hyrum's Birth

This is the first of an onslaught of posts with way too many pictures of little Hyrum. There-- you have been warned. Also, this post will contain references to my cervix.

Last Friday afternoon I started having a strange sensation that felt a little like my water was breaking/leaking. My mom was up and thought it best to go in and have things checked out. When I got there the ph test was inconclusive but the nurse thought that my bag of waters was probably still intact. I was having contractions off and on but they weren't really getting regular. That said, when she checked me I was informed that my cervix was very favorable, I was dilated to five centimeters and 90% effaced. My midwife was there delivering another baby and came in to talk to me. She suggested that we go ahead and break my water as I was clearly close and she didn't want to send me home and then have me turn around and have to come back in a few hours. I agreed and called Nat, who was on his way to down to Provo to attend the BYU Chemical Engineering homecoming dinner. He turned around, grabbed a quick dinner on the road and met me at the hospital.  While I waited I got all the admitting things taken care of, was monitored and snacked on juice and crackers.  My mom went home to get my kids in their pajamas and tucked into bed.  

Once Nat was there my midwife broke my water and found that the baby had already passed meconium, which was a little worrisome. It is much more common for a baby who is past his due date to pass meconium. Contractions started shortly after she broke my water. About a half an hour later I was having serious contractions every two minutes and each one lasted a minute to a minute and a half. At this point my mom and sisters arrived at the hospital (having left my kids in the care of my sweet neighbor, Heather). I was still able to talk and joke between contractions. The hospital wanted about twenty minutes of monitoring to make sure the baby was tolerating labor well. I sat on the exercise ball while I was strapped to the monitors. During those twenty minutes I could really feel the contractions getting more and more intense. I sent Nat in to fill the tub so I could get in as soon as I was done with the monitors.

My wonderful nurse, Carolyn-- who had delivered four babies of her own without medication, came in to take me off the monitors and check me. I was at a solid six and went in to get in the tub. At that point, things were serious. I knew that I was entering the hardest part of labor. I always feel like 6-8 centimeters are the hardest earned. My mom and sisters stayed in the room and Nat and I were alone in the bathroom. I had entered the quiet time of labor, where I draw in and can only think about the next contraction and working with my body to relax instead of fighting it. The water was helpful and I was able to rest between each contraction and get ready for the next one. These were the most intense contractions.

Then it happened-- I hit the wall. I wanted it to be over, I wanted someone else to do it for me, I wanted to be doing anything other than laboring. I was ready to cry uncle. I got really quiet and pulled in even more.  This lasted through five or six contractions. I should have remembered that this feeling almost always means that transition is almost over and the end is near.  I felt like it was too fast and I couldn't possibly be as close as I felt I was.  Nat later told me that he knew I must be close when I started to feel this way.    

Then the intensity was over and I felt the clarity that comes with after transition and before pushing. My midwife came in at this point and I left the water to get checked. I was at an eight. She thought that I would be complete in about five more contractions-- she was completely right.  I leaned on the bed and rocked through these last contractions.  There was more time in between each contraction and they felt rhythmic and manageable.  

Then it was time to push. I got into position and he was out in about three pushes.  The whole thing was about two hours start to finish. 

Because of the meconium, he had to go right over to get checked and I wasn't able to hold him right away. He screamed well and looked wonderful (Apgar scores of 8 and 9-- for any labor and delivery nerds like me), meaning that he hadn't aspirated any meconium and was breathing well. He was wrapped up and everyone else held him while the midwife took care of me.

When he was finally handed over to me I just melted at the sight of my newest baby boy. There was something so familiar about him-- he looked like a combination of all the other boys but the most like Noah, complete with long fingers and nails.  Ashley was the designated photographer and caught some really sweet moments.

When I picture arriving in heaven I imagine it feeling something like holding your baby for the first time.  The relief that labor is over and the joy at meeting this new little person is indescribable.  It's a moment I would like to experience again and again.  

I have had four nearly perfect deliveries (that's not to say they haven't been hard, just that things have gone along nicely).  This is something I feel deeply grateful for, knowing it's a blessing to have things work so well.  It was a blessing to share this one with my mom and sisters as well. 

I love, love, love the look of a newborn fresh from the womb.  I love the moist skin, swollen eyes, and misshapen noses.  Hyrum was pretty perfect, having not lingered long in the birth canal.  He remained in that magical state of quiet alert for a couple of hours after birth.