Our Eden

Our darling girl is here!



I truly don't feel words can do justice to how beautiful her birth was. I simply could not have asked for a more peaceful arrival for our daughter. It was magnificent. My mind is still reeling from the event, and since then life has not slowed down at all. Eden has 3 curious and love struck brothers that want to kiss her and show her all their choo-choo trains and dinosaur books. Our hearts and hands are full indeed! But before my memory gets too foggy from midnight feedings I thought I'd sit down and write her birth story.

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010


I woke up on Tuesday feeling like I would be the first woman to be eternally pregnant. It was a normal day for us, the boys normally have Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays but our county schools were closed due to the "snow". So I went about my day, having lots of contractions, which I chose to ignore because I've personally never met a contraction I can trust. I have them from about 27 weeks on, and their onset never necessarily means labor for me. At my last prenatal appointment the day before my midwife checked me (per my request)and I was 3 cm dilated. Again, this meant nothing to me because I have known women who have walked around at a 5 for weeks. I started to think that I may go overdue and I spent the day coming to terms with that.

Kyle came home from work around 3:30 and I immediately left the house to get some shopping done. I went to Kroger, Lowes, Target, Lifeway and then got gas on the way home. All day I had had an insane craving for Blueberry cobbler so once I got home I got dinner started and popped the cobbler in the oven. My midwife called while we were eating to check on me. I told her that as a matter of fact I WAS having contractions, and yes, they did seem to be coming frequently, and yes, they were starting to become uncomfortable now that I thought of it. I really had been ignoring them thinking that all of my shopping had brought them on, and I fully expected them to fizzle out after I got off my feet. But that wasn't the case.

One blueberry cobbler and a batch of banana nut muffins later I was really having to stop what I was doing to focus on getting through each contraction. Kyle bathed the boys and got them ready for bed and I finished cleaning the kitchen. I called Jeanne, my midwife, back around 8:30 and told her to come on over to the house (she had a 2 hour drive). As soon as the boys were in bed the contractions really escalated in intensity. Kyle and I popped in the movie Julie and Julia, and I bounced on the birth ball in front of the TV while he inflated the birth pool in our living room. Every 4-5 minutes I'd call him over to put his thumbs in my back during a contraction (Aw, counter pressure!), then when it was over we'd go right back to watching the movie.

I really felt great during this time, the contractions were intense but they were over in a minute and I felt perfectly normal between them. The excitement was starting to settle in. The light were dimmed, the boys were sleeping peacefully, we lit candles and prepared our home for a birth. It was such a peaceful time, just Kyle and I, so full of anticipation.

Our midwives, Jeanne and Joy, arrived at 10:30. When they arrived I was still feeling so great that I worried they would tell me I wasn't really in labor. And I worried that if it was the real thing we were in for a long night. When she checked me I was at 5cm, 50% effaced. That was progress at least! The very next contraction I had was entirely different. I literally felt it dilating me, and I had to breath and hum my way through it. My favorite place to stand during a contraction was holding onto the back of my couch. I could lean and rock back and forth during each wave, and the couch was the perfect height. Raelyn, my best friend and doula arrived shortly afterwards and we all sat in the living room chatting and laughing while the midwives set up their supplies and Rae started baking Eden's birthday cake. The atmosphere was so honoring, so quiet and full of sweet laughter.

At around 11:30 the pool was filled with blissfully warm water, and I gladly climbed in. The water gave such a calming effect to my entire body. At first I was worried the contractions would slow down or space out but quite the opposite happened. They started to come every 2-3 minutes, building in intensity and length. I could feel each contraction bringing Eden closer to this world. At one point I became overwhelmed with such joy. I started to cry a little and all I could do was tell Kyle how much I loved him, how happy I was. I could feel my heart widening in that moment to welcome another little person into our family. During the next few waves I would lean over the edge of the pool and into Kyle's arms as held me. I was so aware of everything around me. I wasn't scared or nervous or distracted. This feeling of certainty came over me, a calm, a resolve, I'm not sure quite what to call it. But all I knew was that I had to trust what my body was doing. How could I not?

After about 30 minutes in the pool my parents and my sister arrived and things were starting to really pick up. During one really strong contraction I felt my water break. It was so interesting to feel that while being in the water, but it was a sudden POP and then a warm gush of water, warmer than the water I was sitting in. The next contraction I had after that I felt a sudden urge to push. I couldn't believe how fast everything was happening. I don't think Kyle or the midwives believed me when I told them I felt pushy, but Jeanne checked me and sure enough I was 10 cm dilated. My body already knew that. ;) Since I didn't want to deliver in the water Jeanne suggested that after the next contraction we should try to head to the bed. I agreed. They helped me stand and as soon as I had two feet out of the tub I knew there was no time to make it to the bedroom. "I want to stand" is all I could say. It just felt right, and I couldn't imagine handling a contraction laying down. Leaning into Kyle's strong arms I let my body take complete control. Jeanne was at my feet, I remember her very quickly trying to put on her latex gloves and having the hardest time given the urgency of everything.I don't think anyone anticipated how little time we had. During the first couple pushes Kyle gently reminded me to relax, to sink into him and not resist the pain. In doing that I found that pushing actually felt good! The feeling of her coming through my body is indescribable, it was simply beyond me to try to control or stop it. And once I surrendered I found it much more bearable. This photo captures that moment, were I was able to find joy even in the midst of pain.

Then at 12:39 on Wednesday morning, after 4 strong and primal pushes Eden was born! The whole house erupted in celebration!! Jeanne caught her and handed her up to me, and I stood there in awe of my little slippery girl while they suctioned her nose. That first cry was the most beautiful sound! The sound of life!! All I could say was "My beautiful girl, look how wonderful you are!" I felt that together she and I had accomplished a great thing.

From that moment on I was on the biggest high. I still haven't landed. The rest of the morning was spent checking over me and baby, doing measurements and such. After we made it to the bed and the cord stopped pulsing I was able to cut it, setting my little girl free. I had no tears and was so thankful to heaven for not needing stitches! Jeanne had somehow forgotten her baby scale at a previous birth and since we don't own a weight scale, I called my friend and neighbor Jen and she brought over hers, at 2am! Kyle weighed himself and then weighed himself again while holding Eden, and alas, we discovered she was 7lbs 4oz! Such a peanut, but a long little thing, with a length of 21 1/2 inches. My sister Jeorgi had been capturing the birth and got some amazing photos which I will treasure forever. I am just in awe of how everything turned out. It was truly more than I ever could have imagined it would be. The boys never woke up crying, there were no emergencies, Eden was healthy and we needed no intervention. I was so thankful and feel immensely blessed that we were able to stay home and enjoy her birth, without needing the help of a hospital. What a joyful way to bring life into the world.

Raelyn my doula, had soup prepared for everyone and even went out and got me and Kyle a steak and shake burger at 3am. Her own little baby girl Vivi was asleep in our back bedroom the entire time, sleeping like an angel. I would never have guessed there were so many people in my house that night, it was so incredibly peaceful. At around 5 am the midwives left and Kyle, Eden and I tucked ourselves into bed, our hearts just bursting with love. I could hardly sleep, all I wanted to do was stare at the angel that had arrived in our living room a few short hours before. We are over the moon, and so thankful for our Eden.



PS. Home birth after cesarean is possible! :)