Oliver's Birth Story

Here is the short version:  Oliver Fynn was born at 6:41 AM on June 15, 2014 after 7 hours of labor.  He weighed 9 lbs, 12 oz and was 22 inches long with a head circumference of 14 inches.  He was born in the water, with no complications.

And here's the longer version, with lots of photos!

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Eleven days after his "guess date" -- Oliver decided he was ready.  He gave me almost no indication beforehand that he was thinking about making an appearance.  I had a few BH contractions here and there in the last couple months, but nothing I could really confuse with his actual birthing time.

At 11:38 PM (June 14, 2014), Daniel and I were watching a TV Show ("Once Upon a Time") when I felt my water break!  That was really different for me, since my water didn't break with Lucy until it was ruptured by the midwife (at 8 cm) and not with Elliot until I was in active labor.  But this time, my water broke first.  I didn't begin having contractions until 45 minutes to an hour after that.

We called the midwife on call (Christy), and she advised us to get some rest until the contractions began in earnest.  That sounded like a futile effort to me, so I didn't even bother trying to rest.  Instead, we texted the major players that labor would be starting soon and finished our TV show; Daniel took a shower, I took a shower and fixed my hair, and we (read: Daniel) picked up our bedroom so it would be nice and neat for labor.  I asked Daniel to put on the Hypnobabies cd "Birthing Time: Easy First Stage," which is filled with wonderful affirmations and reminders of how to relax best during pressure waves. 

The pressure waves started around 12:45 am and intensified gradually.  I sat on the floor beside our bed for the next hour or so, focusing on relaxing during each "pressure wave."  At about 2 a.m, we called Christy again and asked her to come over to check me.  We called both moms and our photographer, as well, and asked everyone to come on over.



Christy arrived 20 minutes later and reported that I was at 4 cm.  I progressed so quickly with Elliot (from 5 cm to his birth in about 30 minutes), so she didn't seem concerned that I was "only a 4" or anything.  She let Dinah (our other midwife) know how I was doing, and Dinah arrived shortly thereafter.  Actually, everyone arrived shortly -- and then the party started!  There was Dinah, Christy, their midwife student Carissa, Terah (our photographer), Michelle (our other photographer), my parents, and Daniel's mom.



For the next 3 hours, Daniel and I stood in the middle of our bedroom, chatting with our company between pressure waves.  During pressure waves, I would stop talking and close my eyes and focus on relaxing and on the words from the cd. 



Sometimes pressure waves came mid-sentence, and it was easy to relax during the wave and then finish my sentence as soon as it passed. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

It was very calm and quiet, and people napped off and on and participated in the conversation to varying degrees at different times.

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Around 5 a.m. Dinah suggested I move around a bit (I had been standing pretty still for a few hours), so I tried out a couple seated positions that felt right. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

By 6 a.m. I was in the tub, enjoying the warm water and nodding off between pressure waves.  By that time, the pressure waves were beginning to change in quality and were more intense.  I changed my breathing to "Oh" breathing and then to "Ah" breathing but was still able to sleep between waves.  I began to be frustrated that some of the waves were really short (30 seconds or less), and I wished they were longer so that they could be more productive.  Sometimes waves were coming 10 seconds apart, but mostly they were further apart, like every 3 to 8 minutes.

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Finally around 6:30 a.m. the waves fully transitioned to pushing waves, and that was a relief.  I was ready to have the baby out of me.  The pushing waves were very intense, and the accompanying sensations were also intense.  I said, "Ah" with each pressure wave, and my body began to push involuntarily.  I pushed a few times before I really felt Oliver's head crowning, and then I felt so ambivalent about really pushing him out.  On the one hand, I wanted to be done and wanted his head completely out.  On the other hand, the sensations were intense--and they intensified as his head came closer and closer to being out! 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

During the second-to-last pressure wave, I watched the midwives' faces as I pushed his head out.  I could tell they were waiting -- and their faces conveyed expectation.  I learned later that he had sort of paused in the canal, with his face mostly out--but not completely.  I pushed just a little more and felt relief from some of the pressure. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

And immediately their faces changed, and I heard one of them say, "There--now his head is out!" 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Lucy and Elliot were brought into the room about that time, having just woken from the night. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

The next pressure wave and push produced Oliver's shoulders, and then he was shooting out into the water.

The midwives caught him in the water as he floated toward the surface and immediately placed him on my chest, facing me. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

No one checked to see which gender he was.  I sort of half-looked and reported he was a boy, but it was a quick glance... and after a couple minutes I realized I wasn't actually positive it was a boy. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

He was resting on me, and I was so relieved to have him out and in my arms, safe.  A full few minutes passed, and I asked if it was a boy--to which Dinah answered that I should check! 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

My curiosity began to exceed my exhausted relief, and I lifted him off of me to really look.  Definitely a boy! 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Someone asked, "What's his name?" and Lucy looked at them and said--with absolute certainty--"It's baby Olif-her!" 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Actually, we hadn't decided on a name yet.  But in the end, she was right.  It was indeed baby Oliver.  Oliver Fynn.

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

The kids decorated cupcakes with our moms in the kitchen while the midwives examined me and Oliver and finished up the birth business. 

Photo credit - Terah Pliley

When the kids came back in with their cupcakes, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Oliver, and he and the kids exchanged welcome gifts. 
 

It was a sweet, sweet birth day party. 
 

The kids are ecstatic over their baby brother.  I know they are looking forward to returning to a state of "normal" when all the excitement dies down.  But they seem to be enjoying this special time with a new baby in the house, too. 
 

Their behavior the past few days has been predictably roller-coaster like -- sometimes super sweet and other times really hard. 




It's a time of transition.  But it's clear that they are crazy about their newest sibling.




And we are crazy about him, too. 

 And we are thankful for his safe arrival and for all the love, support, and help we've received from family, friends, midwives, and photographers in the past week.




Oliver, we are SO glad you are here and are so excited to get to know you and to pour out love on you over the next many years. 
 

You are a precious gift from God, and we will try... but we will never love you as much as He does!  Welcome, sweet baby#3.



And, also--happy Father's Day, Daniel!!!