Sól’s Birth Story

A big baby born at home

There were three false alarms and about 2.5 weeks of prodromal labor (a term which I learned on the interweb and which helped because it made me realize I am not the only one who experiences this!), and weeks of poor sleep due to painful Braxton-Hicks-contractions at night, like every hour, and prodromal labor during the day, interrupting naps. I felt the difference between the two very clearly: Braxton-Hicks hurt in the upper belly, I don’t feel them lower. And prodromal labor contractions feel like something is pushing downwards, they feel more like period cramps in the lower belly. I had them every 5-15 min for hours, and then they would go away again.

So on the 21st of June, the day of the midsummer solstice, I got out of bed at 4am with prodromal labor contractions, very mild, but consistent. I sat on the birthing ball in my room and watched the sunrise. We have been having a very hot and dry summer. Just before the solstice, we had a few days of grey clouds, but just on time for the longest day of the year and the birth of our sun-child, the sun was back that morning! I felt very calm and peaceful, I had given up worrying about whether or not “this was it”. Over the course of the morning, the contractions got stronger, and they didn’t stop. I called Sandra, the midwife, at 9 am, she said she would have breakfast and call again in half an hour. My daughter Willow went to crèche. When we talked at 10 am, we decided Sandra should come over. She arrived at about 11 am, and I was having proper contractions then, but not painful enough to not be able to talk etc. My partner Ruari and I went for a walk, and I had to stop for each contraction. She then had me walking up and down the stairs (sideways on the way up) to encourage the contractions. It worked, and they progressively got stronger.

There were three false alarms and about 2.5 weeks of prodromal labor (a term which I learned on the interweb and which helped because it made me realize I am not the only one who experiences this!), and weeks of poor sleep due to painful Braxton-Hicks-contractions at night, like every hour, and prodromal labor during the day, interrupting naps. I felt the difference between the two very clearly: Braxton-Hicks hurt in the upper belly, I don’t feel them lower. And prodromal labor contractions feel like something is pushing downwards, they feel more like period cramps in the lower belly. I had them every 5-15 min for hours, and then they would go away again.

So on the 21st of June, the day of the midsummer solstice, I got out of bed at 4am with prodromal labor contractions, very mild, but consistent. I sat on the birthing ball in my room and watched the sunrise. We have been having a very hot and dry summer. Just before the solstice, we had a few days of grey clouds, but just on time for the longest day of the year and the birth of our sun-child, the sun was back that morning! I felt very calm and peaceful, I had given up worrying about whether or not “this was it”. Over the course of the morning, the contractions got stronger, and they didn’t stop. I called Sandra, the midwife, at 9 am, she said she would have breakfast and call again in half an hour. My daughter Willow went to crèche. When we talked at 10 am, we decided Sandra should come over. She arrived at about 11 am, and I was having proper contractions then, but not painful enough to not be able to talk etc. My partner Ruari and I went for a walk, and I had to stop for each contraction. She then had me walking up and down the stairs (sideways on the way up) to encourage the contractions. It worked, and they progressively got stronger.

I asked a few times if I could get in the pool yet, but she suggested to wait a bit more. At about 12 or 12:30 I got in the pool, I decided the pain was painful enough! So I labored in the pool for the next couple of hours. At some point Sandra called Brenda, the second midwife. When she arrived, I did not feel like looking up and engaging. I was very focused, but somehow more clear-minded than I was when I birthed Willow. This time, it all happened one step at a time, allowing me to be both in animal-mind and conscious of the process.

Tasha, my doula friend, was there from the beginning, and put her hand on my head, which released something, made me cry a bit, and helped the energy to flow. It was great to have her there. When I was in advanced labor, I felt that I could do with some support, I wasn’t quite sure if things were moving along and what I should be doing. Brenda started “coaching” me, and I felt that her voice and guidance helped. And of course Ruari, who was amazing, and by my side the whole way through.

Our friend Johanna had picked up Willow from school at 1 pm, they were there for a bit and then Willow obviously felt that it was a bit too intense (or boring?) to be around, so they went for ice cream instead, and only came back a few minutes after Sól was born.

During the last phase, I felt like I couldn’t find the right position, like he wasn’t moving down any further. I tried the “runner’s position”, which was uncomfortable, but somehow helped. The key thing was Brenda’s suggestion to feel for his head. I did that, and felt that he was right there, almost out. Putting my hand there helped me focus my energy on pushing him out that way. I decided to get out of the pool, I just couldn’t find the right position. I found a stool to lean on with my arms. I found the pushing harder than with Willow, I feel that it took longer. His head was 37 cm and he weighed 4.2 kilos, and being out of the water also makes you feel it more intensely. Brenda was talking me through it, and I managed to do slow and controlled pushes. At that stage, I just felt intense concentration and pain and everything focused on bringing him out. And eventually we made it!! There he was, my beautiful, big, hungry baby boy!

Written by: Su

Our friend Johanna had picked up Willow from school at 1 pm, they were there for a bit and then Willow obviously felt that it was a bit too intense (or boring?) to be around, so they went for ice cream instead, and only came back a few minutes after Sól was born.

During the last phase, I felt like I couldn’t find the right position, like he wasn’t moving down any further. I tried the “runner’s position”, which was uncomfortable, but somehow helped. The key thing was Brenda’s suggestion to feel for his head. I did that, and felt that he was right there, almost out. Putting my hand there helped me focus my energy on pushing him out that way. I decided to get out of the pool, I just couldn’t find the right position. I found a stool to lean on with my arms. I found the pushing harder than with Willow, I feel that it took longer. His head was 37 cm and he weighed 4.2 kilos, and being out of the water also makes you feel it more intensely. Brenda was talking me through it, and I managed to do slow and controlled pushes. At that stage, I just felt intense concentration and pain and everything focused on bringing him out. And eventually we made it!! There he was, my beautiful, big, hungry baby boy!

Written by: Su