| Andrew David Bryant�s Birth Story Ryan and I had planned a home birth for Andrew; our fifth and final baby. We walked so much trying to start labor! We walked for a while Thursday evening, April 5th. I was frustrated and desperate to have the baby, after 8 weeks of prodromal labor, and being 9 days overdue. I had taken Blue and Black Cohosh for a while in my 36th week. I started drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea in my 40th week. My mom had taken the week of April 2nd off of work to help me out after the baby was born. She had to go back to work on April 9th. I was so upset because I wasn�t going to have any help after delivery! 3AM on April 6th 2001 I woke up with a contraction. It was strong and painful. I tried to stay asleep because I had already had so much false labor, I didn�t want to get excited. 2 minutes later, I had another contraction. It was stronger than the first. 3 minutes later, another; even stronger. I stopped timing. At 3:15 I woke up Ryan, certain that this was �it�. He didn�t question me for a second. I guess I looked serious. We went into the living room and started timing contractions. I don�t remember how close they were; I was in too much pain. At 3:30 Ryan asked me if I wanted him to call Brenda (our midwife). She had a 2 hour drive to get to us, and things seemed to be progressing very quickly. I didn�t even hesitate to say yes; this was IT!! FINALLY!! After Ryan called Brenda, he called my mom, and told her that it was time. She was going to attend the birth, so she said �OK� and headed over. By 4AM I was in transition. I had moved from the rocking chair in the living room to my son�s bed, where I had planned to deliver. (I have a waterbed, and that was no good for having a baby.) My mom got there soon after I was in the bed. I lost track of time by this point. Around 4:30AM I had the urge to push. It wasn�t overwhelming, but I felt it. My water still hadn�t broken, so I was worried about how the baby was going to come out. I was also worried that I wasn�t dilated enough to deliver. I would guess it was around 5AM when the urge to push was overwhelming. My water still hadn�t broken, and I started to panic because Brenda wasn�t here yet. I was saying over and over, �She�s not going to make it on time. I want to go to the hospital.� I was crying with every contraction and almost hysterical. I was trying so hard to use my relaxation and such, but the labor was so intense, and I was so scared, it just wasn�t working. I was pushing hard and Ryan was on the phone on and off with Brenda. He kept updating me as to where she was and how much longer until she would be here. It didn�t help much. I just kept saying, �Where is she!!??� Brenda told Ryan that if I wanted to be checked, she could walk him through it, but I was in too much pain to let him do it. She also said if I started to deliver before she got here, she would walk him through that, too. I was in the middle of a very hard push when my water broke. It went everywhere! I felt the baby�s head slip down into the birth canal. He was on his way! I couldn�t find a comfortable position for delivery. I tried on my hands and knees, but that didn�t help. I tried my side, but that was worse. Finally I ended up in the most awkward position: I was partly on my side, but partly in the reverse squat position with my head propped on the dresser. Ryan put a towel under my head for a pillow (all of the pillows were behind me!). He was trying his best to be a good coach and do everything he learned, but I just wanted to be left alone. I did want his hand through every contraction, though. I would almost panic if he was a foot away and a contraction came. Somewhere around 5:30AM my In-laws showed up to take the kids. I remember saying that I was going to scare the kids. They were just in the other room sleeping, and I was moaning pretty loudly. I was afraid they would think something was wrong with me. Ryan asked me sometime if I wanted his mom to come get them, and I said yes, I don�t remember when that was, though. As my In-laws were leaving with the kids, Ryan was on the phone with Brenda. She was just pulling onto our street. He looked out the window and saw her pull in the driveway. I was so relieved! She came running in the house, and I heard my mom direct her to the room. She ran in the bathroom and changed her shirt, then sat on the bed next to me. I said something about not being dilated enough to deliver. She said, �OK, I�ll check you right now..... Oh, yes, his head�s right here!� I would guess it was 3-4 more pushes, and he was out. It was the most amazing feeling having him with no drugs. I felt everything. I felt his little body slip out of me... it just isn�t something I can explain. He was born at 5:40AM on Friday, April 6, 2001; just 10 minutes after Brenda got here. He weighed 11 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 23 inches long. His head was 14 1/2�, his chest was 15 3/4� and his shoulders were 17�. His apgars were 10 and 10. He is so perfect. My little miracle from God. |
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| Andrew's first photo op. 10 minutes old |
| Andrew & daddy. First day of life 4/6/01 |
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