Frustration had already begun to set in for Gretchen. For a driven woman, a two-day late baby was the root of unrest. She wanted her baby, and wanted it now. Damn what any statistics would say about first time moms being late.
A Thursday afternoon talk with our midwife Alice brought some comfort. Alice said she really wanted to be the attending midwife because she had attended the birth of three (maybe four?) other babies from our class. Gretchen's decision that she was going to start her maternity leave that very moment also seemed to add a layer of peace. So we went to bed Thursday night with hopes and prayers and guarded belief that it would happen soon, perhaps the weekend, but with no firm thoughts that it was imminent.
12:15 am and I'm awakened by Gretchen who announces that her water has broken. "Aren't we supposed to call the midwives right away?" I ask. "No, I don't think so. I think they'd tell us to try to get some sleep." I'm not sure what I thought of that statement, but as a big lover of sleep, I wasn't going to argue. Besides, as Gretchen pointed out, the water breakage and its contents were pretty textbook, with nothing alarming.
So I slept until 4:30 and Gretchen until 5, at which time Gretchen said she was experiencing mild contractions. We proceeded to go about our usual morning routine, except of course we didn't go to work. We called the Birth Center hotline at 7ish, and told them G was in early labor. We received a call back from Regina, who instructed us to buy some castor oil to help the labor along, and lightly admonished us for not calling immediately.
Morning progressed and so did the labor. We went for a 40 minute walk in the neighborhood late morning and ate some leftover salmon pasta for lunch around noon. At that point, contractions had started getting quite painful, though were still seven minutes apart. We called Regina sometime around 1 or 1:30, and she told us that Alice was going to be our midwife. So we called Alice, and she advised G to calm down and take a nap.
Contraction frequency increased to one every five minutes at around 1:50, and continued in the 4-6 minute interval range. Intensity also continued to increase. Gretchen kept asking, "Why didn't we just do it at home?" After a couple of more phone exchanges with Alice as well as our birth assistant Claudia, Alice asked us if we might prefer a home birth rather than a birth at the Birth Center. It felt as if Alice must have read Gretchen's mind, but still we needed to mull it over. After some discussion, we decided to switch to a home birth. The deciding factor was tha G was having such painful contractions that there was no way she wanted to experience them in a car ride. Given that we had had a problem free pregnancy, and that the labor was going in a fairly textbook (albeit very painful!) fashion, we decided that the benefit of the Birth Center being much closer to a hospital was a non-issue.
Alice set out from the Birth Center and arrived at our house at 5:30 pm. After checking up on Gretchen, Alice suggested that G might feel better if she went out on our back deck for some fresh air. So we proceeded to the deck, where contractions intensified and got even closer. Alice and Claudia formulated a plan for Claudia to arrive, though she would have to face Friday DC rush hour traffic. Claudia arrived at 7ish. Alice followed up with a check of Gretchen. She found G to be 8cm dilated, but with still some cervical lip in the way. She told G that she would have to fight the urge to push, and would have to blow instead.
With her team's encouragement, G blew her way through the painful contractions. Alice and Claudia's expertise and reassurances to Gretchen that she was doing everything just right, as well as having my hand to squeeze gave her some comfort. At some point, Alice suggested we take it inside, as it was a bit too breezy on the deck for a newborn, and it appeared as if we were going to have a baby soon. Also, at some point, Alice said it was ok to now push, the blowing was no longer necessary.
The pushing commenced with each contraction. As it continued, with each push, you could see the baby's head more and more. Alice commented that he has dark hair like daddy. "Or she", I added. As each contraction subsided, the baby would revert back inside. This hour of pushing really was the most amazing hour of my life, more beautiful than anything I've ever experienced.
Eventually, the point of no return came. It wasn't as if Gretchen pushed any harder, it was just as if it was time for our baby to enter the world. Out came the head. Alice was giving directions to help G get the baby out slowly and avoid any damage. The directions seemed rather complex for someone who would obviously be inclined to push as fast and as hard as possible, but Gretchen followed them with great pinpoint control. Our healthy baby emerged at 8:54 pm, and Gretchen erupted with a burst of emotion!
After holding it for a while, the gender question emerged. Alice told daddy to check it. And dopey daddy couldn't tell for sure from behind. I almost thought it was a boy. But then, turning it to the front, it was obvious that it was a girl, as Gretchen has instinctively thought all along.
Thus, Ava June Powers was born. The most beautiful sight ever. I will always remember how awesome it was to be going through labor on our back deck on a warm, beautiful, breezy day; surrounded by beautiful trees and birds chirping to invite Ava into their world. I'll also never forget the strength and determination that Gretchen showed in getting that baby out. I know it was multiple times harder than anything else she's ever done, but her fierceness would not be denied. She was simply awesome. And finally, I'll never forget the dedication and support exhibited by Alice and Claudia. The world is truly blessed to have them breathing its air.