Sedona Raine Tubeszewski
Shot-Gun Baby Birth by Carmen Tubeszewski
Who would have thought our third child would end up being 10 days late and arriving so quickly!
Our due date for our third child, May 23rd, 2008, came and went with no end in sight. No clues or symptoms of labor. Everyone in the due date pool lost their bet and so did I. My husband was getting more and more frustrated, he asked time and time again, "When is the baby coming?", "Well… is today the day?" I kept replying, "Nope, no sign of baby, yet." Around the baby's due date though, I was not at all ready to birth this child. I was actually happy that the due date came and went. I did not tell my husband this. It was my personal secret. Was I afraid of the pain once again, or even dying?
We started to try things that would supposedly, "get things rolling", but they didn't work either. I had a postpartum check up scheduled for June 3rd way in advance, which actually ended up being a prenatal visit, since the baby was so late. On Monday, June 2nd, 2008, again I woke up with my husband asking, "Well?...", I again chuckled and replied "Sorry, still no baby, but I'll be seeing Paula in the morning, maybe she has some ideas on how to, get things rolling." I wasn't worried. I felt great, even though things were getting a little uncomfortable and harder to sleep at night being so late.
That night, my husband asked if he could go golfing. I said, "Sure, no sign of baby yet."
So, Mike went golfing and I stayed home with the kids ( Aubry 2 ½, Seth 4). It was a trying evening. The kids were arguing constantly. I was ten days late, tired and uncomfortable. While I let the kids run around the house annoying each other, I was online trying to find the perfect name for my mother's new dog. He looked like a baby polar bear. Just then the baby jerked quickly inside my tummy and then my water broke suddenly all over the couch. I was in shock! "Oh SH*T, oh no, not now," I replied. It was 8:30 pm. I ran down the hall to the bathroom to get some towels. I started to cry, no one was here to help me. My kids got upset, I tried to stay calm.
Taking a deep breath, I called Paula, luckily she was at the birth center, I told her that my water broke; she said to take it easy and call again when the contractions start. Well after that phone call they started. I tried to get a hold of my husband, but his cell phone was out of range. My parents lived less than a mile away so I called them. My dad answered. I told him to send mom over and that my water broke and it had started to hurt.
She came over in a few minutes. The kids greeted her at the door excitedly, they said, "The baby is coming, grandma!" I was sitting on the couch half naked with a bath towel between my legs, I had already began counting contractions. I told my mom to get some more towels quick! With every contraction, more and more fluid came out. I think we used every bath towel in the house. Fifteen minutes after my mom came and helped me count contractions, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. The contractions were getting closer together and more intense at 1-2 minutes apart. This was only 20 minutes after my water broke. I couldn't believe it! This baby was coming fast! We still couldn't get a hold of my husband. I was really getting worried, and so were my kids. They kept saying, "It’s ok mom" with excitement. I told my mom we should go. We called Paula and told her we were on our way. She asked how far apart they were and that she'd get the tub ready, since we had decided to have a water birth with this one.
"Mom, more towels," I yelled. My friend April was coming over to watch a movie that evening and came in the door. She saw me sitting on the edge of the couch breathing deeply. She turned to my mom who was in the kitchen getting things together. She asked, "Is she having the baby?" "Yes, go get the suitcase out of Carmen's truck!" It was good timing on April's part, because she was able to watch the kids so we could leave.
I put a towel between my legs and got up. My contractions were very intense, bending me over to breathe deeply every minute. The birth center was only four blocks away from our house. I still didn't think I was going to make it. I will never forget the locations where I had my contractions even before getting in the car. One in the kitchen, one on the porch, one getting in the car. It was unbelievable! My other two labors were fast but not this fast! My cell phone rang, it was Mike! I told him we were going we were going to the birth center, then his phone cut out, he was still out of range. Not knowing if he had heard me or not, we proceeded to back down the driveway. My mom stopped at the end of the driveway because she had to hold me while I breathed through another intense contraction. I was a little panic stricken, but my mom calmed me. We drove toward the birth center slowly, boy was it a long and bumpy ride. The contractions were very close together. My mom drove with one arm wrapped tightly around me. I never thought my labor would end up like this.
We arrived at the birth center. I had another contraction getting out of the car, at the arch-way out front and at the porch steps before we even got inside. My mom chuckled, she couldn't believe it herself. "Come on Carmen, we're almost there." I replied in pain and heavy breath, "SH*T, I have to climb all those steps!" No sooner did I say that, then my mom lifted me up and got me in the door. Paula was there to help me up the stairs. I was slightly relieved, knowing that we made it and that I was with Paula now. No sooner did I jump in the tube, we heard a door slam downstairs, it was Mike! Just then I had the urge to push. Everything was happening so fast, there was no time for the things I wanted at the birth like, candles, the camcorder set up, I even forgot to grab my blessing way necklace for laboring. I knew then that this was going to be a "shot-gun birth."
It didn't take long for the top of the head to appear. I felt an intense burning and it took a lot of effort squatting on all fours in the tub. The baby's head was out now. I could feel the silky long hair in the water with my fingers, what a wonderful feeling that was. I knew we were almost done and that we could finally meet this little one. So I thought! I pushed and pushed and nothing happened. Paula had me change positions by putting one leg forward in a runners' stance. I pushed and pushed again, still no advancement. "Ok, Carmen it's time to get out of the tub," she said in a soft, calm voice. In my laboring trance, I could barely hear her. "What?" I replied. My husband, mom and Paula said "You have to get out now!" I was getting upset now, something wasn't right. "What's wrong?' I asked, no one said anything, they just helped me get out of the tub with this little baby's head sticking out between my legs. This was something I never thought I'd experience since I had no trouble with my other two children.
As I straddled getting out of the tub, I felt as if I were moving in slow motion, I tried to move faster, but couldn't. The people around me sounded far away, like I had cotton in my ears. It was very euphoric, I guess you could say. I was finally out of the tub. Paula had me position myself once again on all fours on the wood floor by the tub. I pushed and pushed, still no advancement. "What's wrong" I yelled. "We have to turn you over on your back" Paula replied calmly. I started to cry. They helped me turn over on my back. I pushed once again as hard as I could, the pain was very extreme. Paula had to help the baby make its way through, its shoulders were stuck. Finally, after a few more pushes, the shoulders came through. Wow, I could tell this baby was big. My mom told me later that I sounded like I was "howling at the moon." You would too if you had a baby as fast as I did! The rest of the baby's body slipped through quite quickly. Paula caught the baby and instantly put it on my tummy. "Wow," I thought to myself, "this baby must weigh at least 9 pounds!' I looked down at it as it began to cry and saw what I thought in the low light was a boy. What a beautiful cry it made just being born. I knew everything was going to be ok.
The feeling in the room was full of joy and relief. Everyone was smiling, especially me. My husband and mom were very excited. Mike cut the cord. Paula asked if it would be ok to give the baby to my mom, so we could get off of the wood floor and go into the purple bedroom. Paula wanted to get me onto the bed before birthing the placenta. That sounded like a great idea.
I slowly got into bed. What a great feeling to have accomplished a birth so quickly. I still couldn't believe it. My water broke at 8:30 pm and the baby was born at 10:08 pm the same evening!
My mom asked if I wanted to know what I had. I said, I'd see for myself. She gave me the baby and I saw that we actually had a girl! I had thought we had a boy. After the birth, while the baby was on my tummy, I thought I saw a penis. It was the umbilical cord! How funny is that? I was hoping for another girl to keep my other daughter, Aubry, company. She has always been the more needy child. Having a little sister for Aubry to help take care of was a great idea, and now we had her. Now, what do we name her? Mike and I really didn't talk about names exclusively. We'd throw names out at each other once in awhile throughout the pregnancy, but nothing really stuck. I had a list of names, but never went over them with Mike. I asked him what he was thinking for a name. He said, "How about Sedona Raine?" This was a name we’ve had on our baby names list since we started having children in Arizona. It just never stuck with the other children. This new, beautiful baby fit the name perfectly. She was so calm, alert and peaceful, just like in Sedona, Arizona, where the beautiful red rocks are. If anyone has a chance to go there, please do.
She was very strong and very alert for a newborn. She lifted her head up instantly and looked at me. She latched on and nursed for an hour and a half! What a relief, I bet she was thinking. Paula
Paula checked her vitals and weighed her after I was done nursing. She asked if anyone had any guesses on the weight. I said "Nine pounds." I guessed right.
Sedona Raine is 16 weeks now as I finish writing this birth story. She is doing well and enjoys being with me at my bead store, Acute Bead. Customers that come in can't believe how quiet and calm she is for a baby. I tell them, "yes, third time is the charm!"
I don't know how to end this story, but I guess in some ways the story of your child never ends.