D&G Publishing: Quinley's Birth Story

Quinley Rei Reed
Born Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 7:34 pm
7 lbs 12 oz, 19" long

The morning of my due date, I woke up to a few hard contractions. Although I had been having some decent practice labor off and on for the previous week or two, this felt different. They were low and sharp, and very uncomfortable. I laid in bed for a while, paying attention to how they felt, and decided that today might just be the day. I went about my day as usual, and took pause here and there to breathe through a contraction. Although they were becoming increasingly painful, they were very short. Sometime in the afternoon I decided to start timing them and discovered that they were very irregular: sometimes 6 or 7 minutes apart, sometimes 15 or more, but never consistent. Because I was showing signs of malposition, I decided to begin doing some exercises and stretches (from spinningbabies.com) to encourage a more favorable position. I knew she was head down with her back anterior and off to my right, but I began to suspect she may have been asynclitic or had a hand or arm up on her head, irritating my uterus. By using inversions and rebozo sifting, I was able to dislodge her from my pelvis. But every time, she would slide right back into her favorite spot, and the painful, irregular contractions would resume. By evening I was exhausted and a bit put off, not knowing exactly what was going on or what I should do. I was able to calm things down enough to get some sleep, by doing some deep stretches, so I went to bed around 3.

The next morning began the way the previous one had: I was awoken by the same uncomfortable, arrhythmic contractions. I called my midwife who encouraged me to go to the hospital to get checked out and determine the effect the contractions were having on my baby and cervix, and to see if we could determine what was causing the uterine irritability. I stayed in bed for a couple hours, noticing that while the contractions were fairly intense, they didn’t hurt. Once I got up and going, things gradually resumed the way they had been the previous day. Our home teacher came over around 1 pm and helped Gavin give me a priesthood blessing. My spirit and mind were calmed, knowing that we would be alright, and that the Lord had this whole thing in His hands. After a few more hours went by I decided it was time to get the kids to a babysitter and head in to check things out. We packed up the car and headed to the hospital casually, figuring we would probably be given something to help me rest and be sent home. This visit would be mainly informational.

4:45 pm I walked into Labor and Delivery and told the nursing staff, “I’m not in active labor; I just need to get some things checked out.” They put me in a triage room, had me put on a gown, and put the baby on the monitor. The nurse filled in all the intake forms, pausing for me as I breathed through my contractions. When the paperwork was done she offered to do a cervical check and I consented. She paused and the said, “I’d call that a five or six. But you’re really stretchy. I could probably stretch you to an 8.” I was fully effaced and my amniotic sac was bulging. She said she could feel sutures and there didn’t seem to be a hand or arm up, but that she was afraid if she checked any more than that my water would break. She looked at me and said, “Let’s break your water and have a baby!”

I didn’t want my water broken, and was reluctant about being considered in labor, but right about then (probably due to the exam), my contractions began to pick up and become regular, and I began to accept that I really was about to give birth. At about 5:00 we were admitted and transferred to a labor room with a beautiful view of the temple, where I was put back on the monitor and given IV antibiotics to treat my group B strep. My blood sugar had also dropped to the 40s, and I was given D5 to help bring it back up.

Erica was on call. She is one of my favorite midwives. We discussed my wishes and hopes, and she was extremely supportive. As soon as my glucose was in a good range, I got out of bed, changed into my own clothes and began moving, swaying and breathing through each contraction. Gavin knew all the right things to do. He supported my weight, breathed with me and whispered words of encouragement and strength to me. He and my mom began using counter pressure, and I felt things quickly increase in intensity and contractions became stronger and closer together.

After about an hour and a half I was put back on the monitor to check on the baby. I asked about the bed’s positioning options and had a squat bar installed. I practiced sitting with it there for a few contractions, while Gavin and my mom pushed on my knees for counter pressure and felt good about it. Things quickly escalated and I no longer wanted to get on my feet. I began feeling the birth fog creep in, and I began to shake. I told Gavin I was beginning to show signs of transition. I asked to be checked and was dilated to an 8. Each contraction come on stronger than the last, and I became nauseated and hot. My fan was brought out and blown on my face for the remainder of my labor. A few short minutes later I told Erica I was beginning to feel pushy. She found I was dilated to an 8.5, but still very soft. With the next few contractions, I moved to a 9 and began to feel my body pushing.

The birth fog settled in in earnest and Gavin narrated to me what was going on in the room, telling me as they brought in the cart and quickly set up for delivery. The pain was becoming so intense I began to vocalize and shake uncontrollably. Erica told me I needed to change something about my position if I wanted to deliver this way because my pelvic opening wasn’t able to open all the way. I tucked my tailbone out from under me, grasping the squat bar and leaning forward into the contractions and instantly felt her head come down. I was complete, and the urge to bear down became uncontrollable. As my body began pushing I at first lost all control. But at the end of the first push I found how to work with it and brought her head down to the opening. With the next push I was crowning. It was overwhelming and so incredibly intense. With the third push I gave one long, hard push, almost involuntarily and her head was born and my water broke. I took a couple gasping breaths and was told to pause a moment before delivering her body, but I felt my body take over and I said “I can’t stop!” and with one great heave, I delivered her body. I felt an intense rush of relief and emotion as I reached out and took my baby immediately into my arms. There was a brief moment, when I opened my eyes and saw her for the first time that will be forever burned into my memory. She was here. She was chubby, and she had dark, beautiful hair. I held her to my body and wept with overwhelm and gratitude and relief.

Her backside was covered in a thick layer of vernix, and her umbilical cord had a true knot in it. I was examined and told that I had one small “skid mark” but that I didn’t need any sutures. I was surprised, given how fast and hard I had pushed, but so happy. When the cord finished pulsing, it was clamped and cut, and I snuggled my baby tightly against my chest, rubbing her back to help her breathe. She cried out and began to gain good color fairly quickly, and I cried and rested and cried.

Quinley was born at 7:34 pm, making my active labor a total of less than three hours, my shortest yet. It was incredibly intense, it was enjoyable and sacred and absolutely beautiful. The Spirit was strong in the room, and I think everyone there cried at least a little. I felt strong, capable, trusting and respected. I loved giving birth. It was so incredibly hard and at the end, so very painful, but the pain was briefly lived, and the satisfaction unending. I will always be proud of the way in which I gave birth that day. I have always had the impression that she wanted things done on her own time frame and in her own way and I am pleased that I was able to give that to her. She is beautiful and ancient and lovely. I feel that I have known and loved her for a very long time, and I am so grateful to finally have her here with me. My sweet little baby girl! She is everything I had hoped and prayed for and so much more.

(Photo credit: Sarah Roberts)