KACE'S BIRTH - (I wrote this at 1:00 AM grammar and punctuation will be off ;-)
First: Why have a baby out of the hospital when I had three healthy decent hospital experiences with my others? I asked a friend at church last year if I could photograph her home birth just for the experience. I will admit and say up until that point I thought having a baby outside of the hospital was ridiculous. Why? Why have a child at home or at a center where there are no doctors, no pediatricians, NO EPIDURAL?? But that day changed my view forever. My friend had her baby girl and the room was filled with an overwhelming since of joy and peace and thankfulness, but it was silent. The sweet baby went to her mommas chest and within seconds she cried and turned pink. There weren't a hundred people in and out. She didn't give birth then hand the baby off to people for them to make her cry, put goop in her eyes, and wrap her in an ugly blanket. She actually bonded the first minutes of her child's life. It was amazing. I can't explain it but I knew after that I would want to look more into having an out of hospital birth if we had another. After finding Gentile Birth Options and hearing how much experience and knowledge Cindi had in this field I was more than confident. She has enough school to be a Doctor and far more experience than most people in the hospital setting. She has all the medications and equipment needed for any emergency situation. I knew she was my girl. After talking Troy into it we were set!When I found out our due date was May 6th, I jokingly told everyone he would be born May 5th(Cinco De mayo)and we would have a fiesta every year for him to celebrate. Little did I know he really would arrive on May 5th.That morning my friend Kellie asked could she come over. I told her only if she brought pineapple. After texting two other friends trying to talk them into meeting me at the mall or outlets to walk this baby out pineapple seemed to be my only hope. I ate pineapple about 10:00 AM and we sat and talked for hours. During our conversation my water broke. I texted my midwife Cindi at 3:48 telling her I thought it broke and called her shortly after to tell her it definitely did. I called friends from church to come get the other three kiddos, called Troy, and cleaned my van out. By 4:20 I called Troy telling him I was in a lot of pain and to hurry. Honestly I didn't want to be a wimp. My water had just broke 30 minutes ago so I had a long while to go right? I kept thinking how in the world could I do this for the next several hours. My water never broke on its own before. He got home around 4:30 and we headed straight for the birthing center.I was having some horrible contractions but still managed to put on my makeup in the car between every contraction. I remember holding the mascara and thinking, what if I can't do the other eye? I'll look ridiculous! I called Cindi at 4:58 and told her I was in a lot of pain. In the back of my head I still thought I was possibly being a hypachondriac and needed to chill out. So I decided to feel down there… Yep I could feel head. I pulled my pants down in the car. And somehow after driving through an intersection with 12 lanes and all red lights then almost running into the birthing center doors I manage to keep him in a few more minutes. Troy hops out, pulls my pants back up and gives me off to Cindi. I walk in, crowned and all, to the room and drop my pants and fall flat back on the bed. Cindi says she can see his head and all I have to do is get on all fours and push. And with that I knew I had this. I knew this was it. This was the moment I'd waited for, and thought about, and encouraged myself for. I prayed about this moment over and over. I envisioned it, a lot differently but I envisioned it non the less. Troy walks in and takes his shirt off and just as he sits down behind me and at 5:03in the first push out comes our sweet boys head. It was the most amazing thing in the world to actually hold his head in my hand and push the rest of his body out into his daddy and my arms (with Cindi's guidance).9 lbs 9 oz 21 ½ inches long. Kace Tucker Kiick came into this world.
I know I sat there on my knees in shock for moments until Cindi told me to lay back. I think the first thing I said to Kace was "Hey Buddy, wheres your hair?" Everyone was amazing. It was far more then I ever dreamed of. Now I won't lie, I had thought of my beautiful water birth many of times. I bought a special bathing suit top and water proof makeup and hired a birth photographer. I pinned a million hairstyles that would look great during birth but stay out of the way. I bought $50 worth of essential oils to help with birth. I studied a quote I found online and wrote it on a chalkboard to help me concentrate during birth. I watched video after video. I had music downloaded. But after its all said and done I don't think I'd trade my hour and 18 minute labor with only the last thirty minutes being tough, for all of that.
Whats the big deal? I had every bit of control of this situation. I alone and completely birthed my baby. I didn't have to be told when to push or have manual guidance. I didn't need drugs to deal with it like I did in the past. I just did it. I'm proud of that. There was an overwhelming feel of Joy and a high I had never felt with any of the others. The atmosphere was so positive and encouraging. There aren't words to explain the difference of how it felt but its definitely something I'd do again and again. I honestly feel like a different person since I've had him. I have a different sense of confidence and peace in myself. It could be my over abundance of hormones taking over my body or it could be that it was just that amazing.
Credit for photo goes to Sabrina Lewis our amazing birth photographer. I have no idea how she made it there but she did and this photo alone is totally worth every penny.