The Farmer Family: Shannon, Ted, Galen, and Raina
My second child was due on August 12, 2003. I was sure I would be at least a week early. I was also pretty sure it would be a boy. I was wrong on both counts. Again.
My son Galen was born at The Birth Center in July 2000. A week early. When I awoke with contractions a week before his due date, I was totally unprepared. The furniture wasn’t being deliveredfor another week. We weren’t even finished painting the room. I, of course, had felt no need to rushbecause I was sure the baby was going to be a week late. Although I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, I also was sure the baby was a girl. I was 0 for 2 in my predictions.
You would think I would learn from this, but ….As my belly grew bigger with my second child, I convinced myself that I would be two weeks early. After all, it’s those first babies that are notoriously late. By two weeks before my due date I was more than ready to have the baby. I was having lots of contractions and the baby’s head already felt far lower than my son’s ever was. Yes, I was ready. I waited, convinced that the baby was going to appear at any moment. And waited.
One week before my due date. Lots of contractions but no signs of progress. I was so ready that I turned to the 3 S’s of bringing on labor – Sex, Spicy food and having your membranes Swept. No baby, just lots of heartburn.
Finally, Sunday night, two days before my due date, regular contractions started before I was going to bed. I called my mom to warn her I might be waking her during the night and tried to get some sleep. By the middle of the night, the contractions kept on coming and I was having trouble sleeping. I called my mom and asked her to drive up from her home in Atlantic City. I was still awake and having contractions when she arrived at 3 AM. By Monday morning, the contractions were still coming and I was convinced that I would be holding my baby by dinner.
Sure that the contractions were getting really hard to bear (my, how I forgot my first labor), we called the midwife and arrived at The Birth Center in late morning. I was confident that, unlike my first trip in labor with Galen when I was sent home because I was only 1½ cm, this time I would be staying. Wrong again. Once again, I was about 1½ cm.
After a few hours at home trying to rest, I could stand it no longer. We decided to go to a movie. We chose “Pirates of the Caribbean” because my husband had already seen it so he wouldn’t be missing anything when we had to leave early to go have a baby. About two-thirds of the way through the movie, I could no longer sit and watch. This time, I was sure that the labor was really progressing. We went back to The Birth Center, confident that we would have a baby by bedtime, at least. When we arrived, I was 2 cm. By 10 PM, I had walked the sidewalk in front of the Center about 50 times. I was still 2 cm and the contractions had slowed. I went home to bed, convinced that “real” labor would be starting up again any moment and I would have a baby by morning.
By Tuesday morning, the “real” labor hadn’t started, although the contractions hadn’t stopped. By Wednesday morning, I was officially “past due.” Lots of contractions and no baby. By Thursday morning, I was convinced the baby was never coming out.
Finally, Friday afternoon, my real labor started, but only with a little help from having my membranes swept and a dose of castor oil. Labor progressed well and by 8 PM on Friday, we were on our way to The Birth Center ready to give birth. When we arrived, I was 2½ cm. There were two first-time moms already at the Center in labor so we settled into the living room and made ourselves comfortable. I paced. And I paced. In circles around the living room. In circles around the kitchen. Up the stairs to a bathroom. In circles some more.
Around 1 AM, Denise and Patty assisted one of the women in delivering her baby girl. I was at 3 cm and still pacing. At 2:30 AM, the second woman delivered her baby boy with Peggy and Patty. I was still pacing. By 4:30 AM, my labor was finally progressing and I was ready for the Jacuzzi.
After two contractions in the Jacuzzi, I felt the most amazing pressure and a strange new sensation – the urge to push. Suddenly, after 14 hours of labor, I was ready to deliver the baby in the Jacuzzi in a matter of seconds. We called for Peggy who, quite calmly, told me not to push and suggested that I slowly and carefully get out of the Jacuzzi. Much too energized to do anything slowly or calmly, I jumped up (as much as you can jump 41 weeks pregnant and 10 cm dilated) and climbed out of the Jacuzzi, pushing away all offers of assistance. I was ready to have the baby and wanted nothing standing in my way. I waited impatiently while Peggy patted off some of the water, and then dashed naked across the kitchen and onto the living room sofa bed, ready to push.
Peggy and Patty quickly got everything ready and after a few quick pushes (in contrast to the 2 hours I pushed the first time), Raina Shane entered the world at 5:00 AM.
Raina was the third baby born at the Birth Center in less than 4 hours time that morning. I am sure that each of the women and their families received the same complete and total attention that we did. I don’t know how Denise, Peggy and Patty did it, but we are all so grateful that they all do their jobs so superbly.
My daughter Raina entered the world four days late and worth every minute of the wait. When it comes to having babies, I’ve learned that I don’t mind being wrong at all.
