River Makes His Entrance!

as told by his mother, Kimberly

 We got the birth tub about 3 weeks before our due date. I am so glad we had it so early b/c I really enjoyed using it to relax and take the weight off of my body especially with the pneumonia. I would get in about 3 times a day and just float on top of the water. Our bath tub is so small that you can't even get 1/2 your body under water! Soleil enjoyed getting in with me and splashing and playing "Ring Around the Rosie". We sure do miss it now that it is gone...

Well, I was off work for about 2 weeks with my flu and pneumonia. I went back to work on Monday the 3rd and it was pretty tough so I decided to take it one day at a time. I took Tuesday off and returned Wednesday. I knew it would be a fairly easy day because it was testing day and I wouldn't have students. The first half of the day I got to research on the computer, but the second half they asked me to cover some classes because someone was absent. I had Braxton Hicks contractions pretty much all day. They were wearing me out even though there was no pain involved. I told work that even though I wasn't due for a few days that I wasn't going to return until after my maternity leave. I would just call in sick until the baby was born. But I DID tell them that my goal was to have River that night because I felt so ready. I was determined.

I called Cori and asked her if it was okay for me to try to bring on labor and to see if she was available. She said sure. I came home and vacuumed and swept the house to stay on my feet and try to bring on contractions. Robbie, Sol, and I all sat down on the sofa to read Sol's night books. At 7pm I felt a strange sensation that felt like River's head turned. I stood up and felt my water break. I ran to the bathroom and started to feel painful contractions. I called Cori to tell her that my water broke and that I was having contractions but we hadn't timed them yet. She wanted me to call her when they were 5 min apart and lasting a minute. My contractions were pretty strong so I headed into the birthing tub. We timed about 3 contractions and when Robbie told me they were only 3 min apart I told him to call Cori back and ask what that meant...well it meant she was on her way!

I called Jessica, Melanie, and Maria and told them that this was it. Melanie got here first. She came straight to my aid giving me counter pressure on my back with each contraction and giving Robbie the ability to tend to Soleil. After a few contractions I had the overwhelming sensation to push. I couldn't help myself. I reached down and felt something soft and lumpy. Melanie told me that she thought it was the head. That seemed too fast for it to be the head after all the work I had to do to push Sol through the birth canal. Maria, a local doula, showed up next. Jessica arrived and took over watching Soleil. She took her next door to Gail and Lee's house with some books so she wouldn't have to hear me groaning.

But still no midwife... Robbie got on the phone with Cori to see where she was and she said she was weaving in and out of traffic trying to get to us. She asked that I get out of the tub and lie on my left side to slow things down. But I said NO WAY! I HAD to push, no ifs ands or buts about it! They stayed on the phone for a while. Cori finally made it and less than 10 minutes later River was crowning. Jess ran next door to retrieve Soleil so she could see River's birth. I was nervous about pushing him out because of all the tearing I had when Soleil was born with her elbow over her head. I few pushes later and his head was out. I am told he had his eyes open under the water. Cori told me that on the next contraction I should push out the body. Then there was a strange lull and I wondered if I WOULD have a next contraction! Finally it came and out came baby River. Robbie caught him in the water and handed him up to me. I asked what the sex was and Robbie told me "It's a boy!" The labor was only an hour and 26 minutes!! We cuddled in the water for a while with Soleil looking on, all proud to finally see her baby brother.

After about 20 minutes of cuddles in the water, Jessica cut the umbilical cord. We waited for a while for the placenta but it wasn't ready. We moved to the bed and after what seemed the longest time (almost 2 hours!!) the placenta was ready. I guess that the birth was so fast that the placenta had to catch up! We finally got to relax with our new addition.

Soleil got to hold her little brother. She was so proud of him!