Four Short Years Ago

Four years ago today Marco was born. I never wrote down his birth story and with the second little one due any day now, I wanted to tell his story first.

First, Marco was born at home. This was a planned home birth and and wonderful choice. Mary Lou O'Brien was (and once again will be) our midwife. Her assistant is a great doula named Elena.

On the afternoon of April 4, 2006, I had an appointment with Mary Lou. My due date was April 5. She was going on vacation that weekend for a week and I remember being very upset at the thought of her leaving before I gave birth, but what could we do. He would come when he was good and ready, with or without Mary Lou. That evening, I went to a breastfeeding class at the home of our childbirth instructor, Jana. I think that was the first time I met Jennifer, another expectant mother who was planning a home birth with Mary Lou. She and her family have become a permanent part of ours. One the way to Jana's, I stopped by Jack in the Box and got a oreo cookie milkshake. :-)

The session went quite late, and I remember Alessandro was a little worried. I think he even called at Jana's to check on me. Through the later part of my pregnancy with Marco, I had Braxton-Hicks contractions all the time, but primarily at night. As I was driving home, it was pouring and I was having contractions that felt a little bit different, but since I was so used to contractions, I wasn't sure. I got home and Alessandro peeled and cut up an apple for me and then we got in bed. The contractions continued and I was getting pretty sure that they were different and this was it. I started timing them. Around 11:30 or midnight, I woke Alessandro up and told him I was in labor. It was time to prepare.

With a planned home birth you have to do more than just have a suitcase packed to take to the hospital. You need to have your supplies ready and then once in labor, actually prep the house a little. This job fell on Alessandro and my mom. One of the first things Alessandro did was prepare the bed. This entails putting on a set of sheets, then a plastic sheet or shower curtain or something, then another set of sheets. This way you can just pull the first set off and get into the second set after the birth. I was in the family room and Alessandro was taking care of the bed. I heard a thud and immediately knew what had happened and yelled "Piper!" Piper was all cozy, snug at the bottom of the bed and Alessandro had just thrown all the bedding and Piper onto the floor. Poor little kitty, what a terrible way to wake up. I think all the commotion this caused was when my mom woke up.

The next thing was the birthing tub. I think that the main body of the tub had already been prepared, but the liner had to go in, and the heaters set up, and of course the hose to put water into it. All I remember about this was Alessandro asking me questions while I was having contractions and me not reacting to this very well. I am at times reminded by him that some where in all this my mom told Alessandro not to take it personally.

I am not sure when, somewhere between 1 and 3AM, Alessandro or I called Mary Lou and told her I was in labor, but she didn't need to come yet. I think it was around 6:30AM or so that I decided it was time for her to come and that I wanted the pool filled with water NOW! The birthing pool does help relieve some of the pain. It relieves some of the pressures felt by gravity. Mary Lou and Elena arrived around 7:30 and I believe I was 8cm dialated. Around 10:15, Mary Lou checked me and then broke my water. After this, we waddled back to the tub and Marco was born in the birthing pool set up in our family room at 10:41AM.

Additional notes: during the night of my labor, it poured heavy, heavy rain, but by the time Marco was born, the sun had come out and it was a beautiful day. Also, my mom and Alessandro planted a plum tree the day Marco was born.

Happy birthday little boy. We love you more than you know.