Three years later and we're blessed with another pregnancy and I knew I wanted it to be just as wonderful as the first. Although we all know there are no guarantees in life. And true to form this one was quite a bit different.
This time we were in Toronto, Canada - I had had some special circumstances with the pregnancy (pregnancy induced atrial fibrillation ... basically my heart went a bit bonkers with the increase in blood volume and would beat way too fast) and although it had all resolved by about 28 weeks with no further episodes, I was still being considered as sort of high risk and that put me into considering a hospital birth, albeit still with midwives (I really do love doulas and midwives!). Everyone was warning me that second births are often faster than the first so we got a home birth pack put together "just in case".
Much like the first I was having practice labour from about 36 weeks, and my birthing ball was my permanent seat! I tried to do my daily affirmations and visualizations but to be honest I didn't apply it daily and often a week or so would go by before I clocked I hadn't been prepping. Between moving from Ottawa at 36 weeks, and running around after our 3 year old, it would often just not even cross my mind. Besides - I remembered all the breathing (I would very often use the Calm Breathing to help with any mood stabilization!) ... it would be fine! Right??
This time I made it to just over 38 weeks before she made it known she was on her way ... all day I was sort of "leaking" ... it was a most bizarre sensation ... felt like I was incontinent in a way. I had had my checkup at the midwives that morning so when I called around 2pm to say I was leaking and having very very intermittent surges (like 15 minutes, then 45 minutes, then 5 minutes, then an hour) they said not to worry, likely nothing would happen any time soon, and they would come and check me after 5pm if it was still happening.
Cue 4pm and I knew it was early labour - surges were now happening about every 10-15 minutes so I called and they said they would be on their way very shortly and were just finishing up with a client. My friends came over to take daughter #1 for her sleepover so I could focus on the work at hand. And husband was racing home from work, and at this point we still thought we would likely be able to get to the hospital no problem.
By 5pm I was in full swing. Every 2-3 minutes and it felt much more intense than I remembered .... man, I regretted not doing those affirmations and visualizations very much! My mindset was all over the place. By 5.30pm the midwives were racing through midtown rushhour traffic to Etobicoke, on speaker phone whilst I surged on and by this point was sat on the toilet as it took off a lot of the pelvic pressure. Husband was preparing himself to have to deliver the baby by himself - Toronto rush hour traffic is nobody's friend! 15 minutes later the midwives tore into the apartment and helped guide me up and they set up the area that I chose (living room floor) covering the area with the plastic sheets and towels I had saved up. I knelt on the floor leaning over the sofa and within 10 minutes (!) my 8lb daughter #2 was born into the world with little to no fuss aside from the very familiar (and loud) vocalizations as before. They weren't kidding with the quicker labour! No purple pushing, just breathing those surge breaths and birth breaths, and allllll the mooing - it was deep and primal to be at one with my body.
This one was not as pain free as the first (oh I had wished for that nitrous!), and even though I hadn't prepared properly there had been some ingrained meditative habits that I could sink into - I just reflect back and wish I had been able to go into it with the same mindset as the first - I had felt more in the maelstrom this time as opposed to riding the lazy river.
But I got my home birth after all, even though it was unexpectedly so - I tell you that postbirth snack was the best damn cup of tea and buttered bread I've ever had!
