Baby Monkey's birth story.

   I am happy to write my birth story here in little spare time that I have now. For the last few weeks I was getting really anxious about Baby Monkey not arriving early. For some reason I was really convinced that he was going to be an early baby. And I had lots of Braxton Hicks daily to convince me that maybe I was right. But then this horrible sickness invaded our family and we all got very sick. It started with Girly Monkey and then Little Monkey got it, and then Daddy got super sick and finally me and Funky Monkey got it too. It was a really nasty bug that made all of us miserable. Most of us would have coughing fits that would lead to throwing up. I am suspecting that what we really went through wasn't a case of flu but a case of whooping cough, at least the symptoms fit the diagnosis.

   The funniest thing was that being ill made my Braxton Hicks disappear. I started to really worry that this baby was going to be overdue. It gave me time to get my house really clean, and get some Christmas shopping done. I also went to Saje and purchased their birthing oil mix. I had a great result with it when I had Girly Monkey so I thought that I would give it a try this time too. I got it on Sunday but I was really not planning to use it yet until Saturday night. Since this baby looked like he was going to be late I moved our Christmas Eve dinner from December 24th to November 30th. We asked Daddy's parents to join us (and asked my sister and cousin but they couldn't make it) and had plans to have one last dinner out before the baby would come.  I was really looking forward to it.

   As my due date neared I tried to take my mind off the waiting game by cleaning and organizing my house and by getting some long overdue chores finished. I didn't quite get through them all but I did have a spotless house, all the baby clothes were washed and organized, all the home birth supplies were in one place, and the cameras were charged and ready to capture the birth of our son. I still had some other things to finish (like curtains for the boys' room) but those things were not as pressing to finish.

   Little Monkey was really clingy for few days. On the morning of November 28 he came to my bed at around 7 am. He never comes to my bed! I asked him to go use the washroom and then to come and snuggle with me in my bed. He loved cuddle time. We both fell asleep for a little longer. But as we were sleeping I noticed that I started having uncomfortable contractions in my sleep. They would wake me up every time I had one. When I finally got up I noticed that they were more painful them average Braxton Hicks. As a matter of fact I recognized these as early labour contractions.

   I was going to have a midwife's appointment that very morning and started to get ready for it. I stood in the shower and observed the contractions. They were coming at regular intervals! I hopped out of the shower and went to my phone. I wanted to time them but I didn't want to sit and calculate duration of each. So I downloaded an app for my phone and begun timing them. They were lasting about a minute and coming every 5 to 6 minutes. They were not very painful yet, but enough that I had to breathe through them. I quickly phoned Daddy and told him what was going on. He asked if I wanted him to come but I said that it was still early and that I didn't even know if they were going to go anywhere. But I did make a decision to phone the midwives' office and tell them that I would not be making my 10:30 appointment since I didn't want to drive while I had contractions. I also told Daddy to phone Grandma and tell her not to bother coming to look after the Monkeys as I was not going to the appointment and that she could stay at home until further notice. Daddy called me back few minutes later and told me that she has already left and that she will come anyways since she has got cleaning ladies and didn't want to be home while they do their cleaning. I said that was fine. I hung up and continued to time the contractions. They were coming every 4 to 5 minutes now. And all of a sudden they were becoming more painful. I phoned Daddy and told him that I thought that this was it and that he should better come home. Little Monkey's birth only lasted about 5 hours from the time my water broke to the time he arrived so I was worried that things were going to progress quickly from now on. He said that he would be on his way. Grandma arrived and the kids begun to eat their breakfast. I was glad that grandma was there to help out. Daddy called few minutes later and asked if Grandma could pick him up since his truck had to stay at the job site for other guys to use it. I gave the phone to grandma and told her that it was fine with me. I could do just fine with the Monkeys for now and that if anything changed then I would call. I really wanted to keep occupied while the contractions were happening. So grandma went to pick up Daddy and I started to clean. I scrubbed toilets, cleaned floors, vacuumed, did dishes and changed sheets. All the while stopping every few minutes to breathe through contractions. The more I worked the more they started tapering off. Eventually they were coming only about 12 minutes away. By the time Grandma came with Daddy I was down to only few contractions per hour. I was really worried that I called Daddy to come home for nothing and that it will take days for this labour to really go anywhere.

   By this time my house was spotless and I was getting a little tired. Grandma left to go and visit Great-Grandparents who were moving that day. We promised to call her as soon as I was progressing and we were getting somewhere. I convinced Daddy to have everyone go for a quiet time and watch a movie while I got some sleep. Daddy thought that it was a great idea and rented a movie for the kids on Pay per View. Meanwhile, I took out the little bottle of Saje's Birthing blend and rubbed it into my belly and thighs. I wanted this labour to go somewhere. It was Thanksgiving in US that day and if Baby Monkey was born on that day then we would have had Girly Monkey born on Canadian Thanksgiving and Baby Monkey born on US Thanksgiving. I kind of liked the idea. I rubbed and massaged that oil with hopeful thoughts.

   I didn't get very much sleep as the contractions woke me every time one happened. It was evening and they started to pick up again. They were again lasting a minute and coming every 5 to 6 minutes. We ate dinner (Daddy picked up pizza) and I helped the kids get ready for bed. I was getting tired. The contractions have kept up their relentless cycle and I didn't get many breaks in between. By now I have had contractions for 12 hours and my water didn't break, I didn't loose my mucus plug, no bloody show, nothing except these contractions. I wanted to phone the midwife on call and give her heads up and let her know that I was getting contractions but that they were not going anywhere yet. My lovely midwife Jennie returned my phone call and I told her what was going on. I said that I would call if anything happened but that for now she could go to sleep and rest.

   It was quiet in the house with all the kids in bed. Little Monkey had a bit of trouble falling asleep and cried to come and sleep in our bed, but he eventually settled into his own bed and fell asleep. Daddy was really great through it all. He helped with Little Monkey, gave me a heating pad for my back, brought me water and made me some raspberry leaf tea. I knew that I had a long night ahead of us so I wanted him to get some rest. There wasn't much he could do for my contractions which were ever increasing in intensity. By midnight, Daddy was asleep and I was sitting up in our bed and timing the contractions. The real labour contractions are very painful. They start off at the top of your uterus and spread to the back. It feels like someone is pulling on the top of you uterus and scrunching it up. I had to breathe through them since they were very painful. But I knew that this pain was doing something and I didn't panic. This pain was going to help my baby be born. I have been through this three times before and I was not scared anymore. I also knew that I could do it. But I was very tired by now and I dosed off in between contractions.

   Around 2:30 the contractions intensified even more. Every time I had one I would get an urge to throw up and I would start to shake. I was really hopeful that this meant that I was entering Transition stage. I also, for the first time since the contraction begun, started having doubts that I could do it. I woke up Daddy and asked him to pour me a glass of wine to take the edge off the contractions. It helped a little bit, but not enough. At 3:30 am I decided that I better call my midwife team and let them know that the contractions are really strong now, and we called Grandma to come and look after the Monkeys in case they woke up.

   Jennie was the midwife on call and she said that she'll be coming right over and she'll bring Lisa with her. I asked if I could go into shower to ease the pain a bit and she said to go ahead by all means since that would make me more comfortable. I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I stepped in and let the warm water surround my belly and my back. By this time most of my contractions were in my back. I remembered reading somewhere that said that in Africa midwives know a woman is close to delivering if she is said to "open her back". I noticed myself reaching for my lower back and pressing on it to counteract the pressure. I reached down and tried to see if I could feel if I am dilated and if I could feel the bag of waters and I could do both. There was still cervix left around the bag of waters but I was definitely dilated. I was getting excited now.

   My excitement was interrupted by Jennie who came in to check on me. She listened to the baby and checked my temperature. We talked for a while, in between contractions, and she couldn't believe how relaxed I seemed. Over the last 4 births I have learned the most important thing about labour:

   -The Pain won't last forever!

   - The Pain is doing something (moving your baby down)

   - Don't be scared of this process

   - If you fight it, it will just last longer!

I used all of this on every contraction, knowing that by breathing into the pain it will lessen it, but tensing up will just make it not work as effectively. Plus I new that the prize at the end would be my sweet little baby boy.

   I was so very sure that my water would soon run out but after about 2 hours in the shower the water was still running hot. But standing in the shower wasn't putting enough pressure on my cervix and I didn't feel like pushing unless I squatted. So I decided to put my clothes on and go and labour on the toilet. From the last 2 births I learned that it's a great place to labour. So I sat on the toilet and let the contractions do their work. The contractions were that much more unbearable when I allowed for my pelvis to open up. With each contraction I felt as though I was being ripped in two. But these contractions eventually got me to a place when I felt the urge to push. I bore down and pushed. After almost a day of breathing through contractions, it felt so good to be doing something about this baby's birth. With the second contraction I reached down and I could feel the bag of waters bulging out. Jennie asked if I wanted to move to the bed and I agreed.

   We have discussed birthing positions earlier and we decided that pushing on all fours would be best since my babies get stuck in shoulders. So I went on my hands and knees and tried pushing that way, but couldn’t feel the urge to push. I reached down and couldn't feel the bag of waters anymore. I was a little disappointed. I was also getting tired. I asked to move my position and moved onto my back, but that was even worse. Now I didn't feel the urge to push and the pressure on my back was too painful to stay in this position. I was ready to evict this baby! I asked Jennie and Lisa to break my water not realizing that Jennie was already thinking the same thing. She was already in the process of opening the package with the instrument for breaking the bag of waters. She tried to break my water and nothing! She tried for good minute or two before I felt the gush of warm liquid. Jennie said that she never had to break such a strong bag of waters before. Now it made sense why my water didn't break on its own!

   I had to find a new position for pushing. I moved to being on my knees but I needed something to support myself on. Daddy offered for me to lean on him. Jennie said that there was still a bit of cervix left but that with the next push it would move out of the way. I pushed hard now putting a lot of pressure on daddy's shoulders. I could feel the baby's head emerging and with it I felt the "ring of fire." I felt the stinging of his head emerging and I thought that maybe with the next push his body would slide out. But it didn't! He was stuck! Both midwives were now urging me to push. And I pushed with all my strength. I could feel one of the midwives reaching in to free the baby's shoulder. I was in so much pain. It took a whole 3 minutes to free his shoulder and allow me to push him out. All this time I leaned on Daddy's shoulders and pushed. Daddy later told me that he never knew that I had this much strength. He thought that for sure I was going to squeeze hard enough to pop off his head! But he never said anything to me at the time. He was a real trooper.

   Baby Monkey came into this world without much noise. I overheard Grandma sitting on the stairs, and Funky Monkey was playing downstairs. Grandma didn't come up thinking that I might not be comfortable with having my mother-in-law in the room. I really wish she would have since watching a baby being born is miraculous! Funky Monkey was just overwhelmed and decided to stay downstairs.

   I kept leaning on Daddy while the midwives were working on Baby Monkey. He was a little blue from being stuck and his chord was too short for me to turn around. Lisa cut the chord and said that Daddy can trim it later. Finally I got a chance to turn onto my back and Jennie passed me my son! He cried only for a second and then, cushioned by my arms, calmed right down. He tried looking at me. It was such a perfect moment. He was the first of my babies not to have a chord wrapped around his neck. He was just full of surprises!

   I put Baby Monkey to my breast at he begun nursing right away. Since I had Gestational Diabetes, we had to make sure to feed him enough in case he had low blood sugar level. He nursed quietly while Jennie helped me deliver the placenta and stitched up my tear. Girly Monkey and Little Monkey came into my room to welcome their new baby brother, and then Funky Monkey joined us too. One of the midwives took Baby Monkey from me to weigh him. We all had our guesses ready. Mine was 8 lbs 4 oz since Funky Monkey was born at 8 lbs 7 oz, Girl Monkey was 8 lbs 6 oz, and Little Monkey was 8 lbs 5 oz. I really thought that the trend would continue. But we were all surprised when the scale read 4015 grams, or 8 lbs 13.5 lbs! He also measured over 21 inches! He turned out to not fit the pattern set by the other Monkeys.

   After that I passed Baby Monkey to Daddy to get him dressed while I went to have a shower. The midwives helped to clean up after the birth and strip top sheets so that I would have a clean place to sit and rest. And let me tell you that birth is by all means a messy thing. The top sheets and towels were all covered with blood and body fluids, and other things. Lisa asked if I wanted them to put on a load before they left, but I declined. I had to do few loads later on; I just needed to rest up a bit. 

   Grandma had a chance to hold Baby Monkey before she left, and then all three Monkeys got a chance to hold their little brother. We had to check Baby Monkey's blood sugar level 3 times before it normalized. It was really hard for me to poke his little heal and get blood from it, but it had to be done. The third reading was finally good and we could just concentrate on resting. I spent the remainder of the day in bed with the baby while Daddy took care of the Monkeys and everything else. Have I mentioned how great my husband is? 

   I felt so blessed! Our little (or not so little!) family is complete! This was such a beautiful day and the most beautiful way to welcome our latest addition. Welcome Baby Monkey.