The birth story of Noah David, born July 3, 2010 on his due date, 8lbs 2 oz and about 19 inches (they don't measure length in England!)
On Friday 2nd July I woke up around 7am, ate breakfast and was still very sleepy so I decided to go back to bed! Mind you, I had been off work for almost a month! and Dave had just gone back to work on Monday (June 28th) after being off for two weeks (as he had just returned from his deployment)! I am sooo thankful to God and Dave's shop chief that he went on the earlier deployment so he could be home for the birth of his son!
Ok back to the story... I woke up from my morning nap :) and had my bloody show when I went potty, around 10.30am. We had just learned in our antenatal course that a bloody show is one of the first signs of labor! I was sooo excited as I really thought Noah was going to be late (like his daddy)! I searched google and found that most women had their baby within 24 hours after the bloody show! So I went to have a massage in the afternoon with my amazing massage lady! She did some reflexology on my ankles and said it would "get things going".
Dave got home soon after and I told him the good news! Then I told him I was going to the prom! He looked at me like I was crazy but I couldn't miss my year 11s prom!! Although Dave really didn't want me to go, I convinced him I wasn't going to have the baby that night. I got ready and he dropped me off... he insisted on driving me. So I told him to go to Tescos and get some snacks for the labor :) and boy am I glad he did! The prom was wonderful, I didn't buy a ticket just in case I couldn't go - turned out one of the form tutors couldn't go so I got her seat at the big long important table.. and her meal!! God seems to always be looking out for me! :) My students kept asking if I was going to have my baby at their prom... I simply told them no. Although it would have been a night to remember for them! haha Well Dave didn't want to stay out in the parking lot all night so I said my goodbyes and we headed home.
 |
| One of my students and I arriving at the prom |
I don't remember what time we went to bed but I woke up around 2am with contractions that I couldn't sleep through so I went downstairs and started talking to my sister (Nikki) on yahoo messenger. She was timing my contractions for me :) By 5am they were 3-5 min apart lasting for 30-60 seconds. I called my midwife, Jo, around 5.30am and she got to our home around 6.30am. Dave and Jo set up the birthing pool in the living room while I laid on the couch having contractions. It took about an hour to sett up and fill the pool and during that time my contractions got stronger and stronger. Jo said "well I had planned to go home and get some more sleep but it sounds like I better stay!"
 |
| Getting the pool ready... |
I went into "active labor" at 8am. I tried to use a TENS machine to help with the pain during contractions but I swear it made them worse! I believe it was around 9.30am Jo checked to see if I was past 5cm dialation so I could go in the pool. I was 7cm! yay! I went into the birthing pool which definitely eased some of the discomfort. Jo and Dave talked me through each contraction. Everytime I heard Jo say "breath Barbara, your baby needs oxygen" I immediately took a breath and the pain seemed to decrease! Jo tried to give me "gas and air" to help ease the pain but it made me sick so I said no more thank you! Dave got in the pool with me around 11 and comforted me through the contractions.
 |
| Smiling in between contractions... Dave looks exhausted bless him. |
I then got the urge to push and told Jo. She said "if that's what your body is telling you to do then go for it". I started to push... yikes! weird and painful... I said to Dave "I don't think I can do it"... I knew at that point I didn't have a choice... but I just needed to say it! Jo said I must be in the "transition phase" and said to kneel in the pool... it was sooo much easier to push! I continued to push during contractions. Jo told me to reach down to see if I could feel his head... and I could! Just a little part of it! and not too long later I reached down again and could feel almost the entire head! It was such an amazing feeling! Dave was scared to feel the first time but he did the second... and then started to cry... so sweet!! Jo then told me to put my chin to my chest and push during the next contraction. WOW! Somehow that made pushing even easier! And a few minutes later, Noah's head was out, then the body, and Dave was right there with open arms. He brought Noah up out of the water and handed him to me (well Dave says I grabbed Noah from him...).
 |
| First family photo! |
 |
| Love. |
 |
| Our sweet baby boy... we couldn't take our eyes off of him! |
The emotions from us both were joy, shock, amazement, exhaustion, happiness, and much more! Our sweet baby Noah was born at 11.50am... in a birthing pool... in our livingroom... in our cottage... in England! How amazing is that?! We are truly blessed and honored to be parents to our little angel!
Noah's name means: rest, peaceful, comfort... and that is how we decided on his name!! :)
Oh! and back to the snacks Dave bought at Tescos... Jaffa cakes!! I couldn't eat anything during the entire labor but after... I ate an entire box of Jaffa cakes and boy were they good!!!
Note to self: today (August 17th) is a special day!
