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Zemirah Victoria Sex: girl Born: 20 October, 2008 Age: 3 years & 119 days Birthday in: 246 days Starsign: Libra Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: being fearfully and wonderfully made

Birth details

Original due date: 10/24/08
Type of delivery: Vaginal (without pain relief)
Duration of labor: hard to say. Long period of mild contractions, followed by strangely short transition and delivery
Weight @ birth: 7lb. 1.7oz.
Length @ birth: 19 1/2"

Zemirah-Victoria`s birthstory

When my mom was pregnant with my oldest sibling, her due date was one day before mine (Oct. 23rd) and she gave birth on Oct. 19th. I wondered if I would follow suit and give birth on the 20th. I did. :-)
I felt 'off' all day on Sunday the 19th. I had mild contractions that evening, but the timing was irregular. I went to sleep just after midnight, knowing that I was still having contractions.
At 6:00AM I woke up and decided to try timing the contractions again to see if they were becoming more regular. They were steadily 10-12 minutes apart for the next hour. I asked Tony to work from home, just in case, though the contractions were still incredibly mild (LOVE his home office option. Very handy). I went back to sleep for a few more hours.
I woke up again at 10AM, and the contractions were still 10-12 minutes apart, and mild. I called my mom to tell her that I was maybe in labor, but couldn't really tell for sure. She thought it sounded like maybe I was, since the contractions had been coming regularly all day, and was excited to see how the rest of the day went (and to see about making her travel arrangements from NY to here).
I updated Tony, of course. He alerted his boss and clients that I was maybe in labor, and he'd probably be leaving early and be off work for the rest of the week, but told his boss not to tell anyone else at the office yet in case it was a false alarm.)
I napped on the couch for a couple more hours (yeah, it was a VERY relaxed labor!). When I woke up again at 2PM my contractions were 5 minutes apart. After another hour, I called the hospital, where I'd already pre-registered, to let them know I'd be coming in that afternoon. We live about 20 minutes from the hospital, so it wasn't a huge rush.
I finished packing up my bags for the hospital, I e-mailed my family to let them know we were going to go maybe have the baby, we put out lots of food and water for the kitties, and we left the apartment around 3:30 (contractions 3-5 minutes apart, still not very painful).
At the hospital we went to triage, and they checked me out. It was about 4, 4:30 at this point. They said that I was only 3 CM dilated. If I were any less dilated. they'd send me home, and if I were any more dilated, I'd be in active labor and they'd admit me. They told me to go walk around on the birthing floor for two hours, and then they'd check me out to see if I was any more dilated, and decide what to do.
So, Tony and I headed to the birthing floor. When we left, my contractions were still mild. Within the first half hour my contractions became incredibly painful. I had horrible back labor, and had to have Tony press his fists into my tail bone as hard as he could to get through them. I ended up going into the family lounge and bending over a chair while Tony pressed my back. I was horribly nauseous, though I never threw up. I couldn't walk around any more, I was in such pain. After we'd been gone only an hour I told Tony that I couldn't do it anymore - I knew I was supposed to walk for two hours, but it hurt too much and I had to go back. I kind of felt like a failure at that point. I was supposed to walk for two hours! I couldn't even do that, how was I going to get through a drug-free childbirth? I didn't like admitting 'defeat' and heading back to triage after only one hour, but I was in so much pain. Tony made me feel okay about going back early, and told me what a great job I was doing.
We headed back to triage and I laid in my bed there while Tony continued to press into my back during the contractions. Eventually they came to check me out, to see if I'd dilated any more. We expected to hear that I was maybe 4-5 CM, but I was 7 CM dilated (hooray!). I still thought that I was in store for maybe 7-8 more hours of labor though. I thought that I was far enough along to be in active labor, and to be admitted, but that I'd be laboring for a long time, and that the contractions were only just really starting to be painful, but would get much worse. At this point, the contractions were BAD. I wanted an all-natural birth, and quickly and easily turned down an epidural, but said that I might consent to a shot of something to relax me in the IV (again, thinking I was in store for HOURS of even more intense pain). The nurses said that as soon as I was checked into my birthing suite we could discuss the options.
I have to interject here - Tony thought ahead of time that I would be a nightmare when I was in labor and giving birth. He was used to tv/movie type horror stories of women yelling, cursing, punching, scratching, saying mean and hateful things. He was shocked and impressed by just how polite I was when I was in labor. And one point when the contractions were really bad (during transition, we now know) he asked if I wanted him to press on my back, and I managed to say "No.... thank you though.". It was not at all what he expected!
They wheeled me in my bed into a birthing suite. The pain was awful, so Tony asked what the options were for something in the IV. We were told that it was too close to delivery to get me any meds. He asked something to the effect of "What about when she goes through transition?", and they told us that I already had gone through transition. Ah Haaaa... it all makes sense to us now! THAT was why it hurt so bad! I was SOOOO thrilled to hear that transition had already happened, and wished that I had already known. I'll know for next time! And wow - if I'd tried to walk for two hours instead of one, that would have been a really bad idea. I had gone back to triage exactly when I needed to.
Then they said I was ready to start pushing. Again, Wow! Seriously, we thought I was going to be admitted, and I'd be in labor for many more hours, as things got more and more painful. Nope. I was about to deliver! And I got the all-natural drug-free birth I was hoping for.
The doctor broke my water with the 'crochet hook' thing, since it still hadn't broken on its own. I didn't feel it at all. Then, I pushed and pushed, and got the baby out within the hour... about 40 minutes I think... at 8:14PM. It hurt like no other pain, but then I had this cute naked baby put on my chest. Tony, who swore up and down throughout the pregnancy that he would never cut the cord, did in fact cut the cord (I suspected he would!). Much to my surprise, I didn't cry (I ALWAYS cry!). I was so preoccupied looking at this amazing little person, I didn't even think to cry. Wonderfully, Tony did cry (he NEVER cries!). I've known him for 10 years, and I've only seen him cry twice - when he proposed to me, and when our daughter was born.
Zemirah bit the doctor as she emerged from the womb. I love that that was her first act in this world. She is firey. After delivery, the doctor exclaimed how impressed she was about how big and healthy my umbilical cord was (I credit my fabulous organic vegetarian diet). She made the other medical professionals come look at how it was the healthiest umbilical cord she'd ever seen. (I wasn't paying attention to any of that, but Tony was, and thought it was really funny).
For the next 45 minutes the doctor stitched me up (ow. quick delivery = tearing), while I attempted to breastfeed a crazy impatient baby. She bruised my nipple within seconds, in three different places. The lactation consultant was really baffled, and a little scared even, and said she's never seen a newborn baby do anything like that before. She has an amazing latch, but would NOT stay on my nipple. We're still using a nipple shield, weeks later. She wants things her way, and she wants them now. She's been blessed with as much patience as her father.
Tony called our families and some friends while I tried to breastfeed. We'd thought that we'd have a chance to tell a few people that I was in labor and the baby was coming after I was admitted to the hospital, but I gave birth immediately after I was brought to the birthing suite. The bag that I'd so thoughtfully packed with all of the items to help get me through labor never even made its way in to the hospital. It was a rather unusual labor and delivery, especially for a first baby. Hours and hours of incredibly mild contractions that I mostly slept through, then a very brief period of awful back labor, quick transition, and delivery. And, a lovely little daughter Zemirah, our 'song of joy'.

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