Born: September 28, 2008
7 pounds, 2 ounces
21 inches long

My expected due date was October 10, 2008.  Rylan decided he wanted to come early.  It started Thursday, September 25, 2008, when Jennifer, who happens to be my sister-in-law, came to my house for the “home visit”.  I had mentioned that I was experiencing “menstrual” type cramping and having some “show”.  I had been having that type of cramping for months now so we didn’t really think too much of it.  However, I had Jennifer check my dilation and we discovered I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. She couldn’t believe it!!  Considering this was my first pregnancy, my husband and I were still thinking that I have a week or so left and that my labor would be long.  At least, that was what everyone kept telling us. My husband and I decided not to tell anyone because if my labor stalled, we didn’t want the hassle of having to tell everyone that I wasn’t in labor anymore.

So, that Friday I went to work and my cramping was getting worse. I informed my bosses that I was beginning to dilate and it could be any day now just to  let them know in case I have to leave work quickly.   However, I was still somewhat in denial because my due date was approximately 2 weeks away, so surely I’m not really in labor.  Besides, my mom was coming in to town that night and I had a baby shower I had to go to in another town.  I had things to do, I wasn’t ready to be in labor.

After repeated calls to Jennifer and asking her to confirm that I would not go in to labor on I-540 and end up having my baby on the side of the interstate, I decided to go ahead and go to the shower with my mom.  It’s amazing how strong the power of suggestion is because that night my labor did end up stalling.  All Friday I had been having more and more cramping and then it just stopped.  I think I was so scared to go in to labor at the shower, that I mentally stopped my labor.

So, Saturday rolls around and still no cramping and the discharge even let up.  I wasn’t really sure what to do because all my labor signs had stopped.  I was convinced I would end up going back to work on Monday, still pregnant, and have to explain to my bosses that it must have been false labor.  

Saturday night around midnight and I wake up with a severe cramp.  Stronger than anything I had felt previously.  Jesse was still awake and I called for him from the bathroom.  I had another “cramp” pretty quickly after the first one and was having a lot of “show”.  Then, another contraction…..then another…and another.

Jesse ran to get a watch and we tried to time them.  I couldn’t believe how strong they were compared to the cramping I had just the day before.  I was having trouble deciding whether to call Jennifer or not.  It was in the middle of the night and I really didn’t want to wake her up if it was false labor.  But, the contractions kept getting stronger and stronger. So, I finally called her and told her I thought I might be in labor.  I explained that my contractions had gone from 10 minutes apart to 3-4 minutes apart in about an hour.  She asked if I wanted her to come over yet, but, I was still thinking I was in “early” labor and thought it might be several hours before things got rolling. So, I told her no and I would just call her back.  My poor husband, at this time, was running around the house trying to fill up the birth pool, time contractions, get me water, turn the heat on, turn the heat off, turn the A/C on, turn the A/C off, get me a shirt, get me a pillow, etc. etc.  Then, about 30 minutes after I got off the phone with Jennifer, I had a HUGE contraction.  I immediately called her back saying “Jen, I changed my mind, I want you to come over”.

Jennifer arrived within the hour and asked if I wanted her to check my progress.  Part of me wanted to know how much I was dilated but then part of me was worried she would tell me I was only 4 cm dilated and had a long way to go.  But, I had to know.  So, on the next contraction she checked me and in the greatest words I have ever heard she said “you are EIGHT centimeters dilated”.  Thank goodness!!!

At that point, we decided to move me in to the birth pool that was set up outside on my back porch.  I could not believe how relaxed I felt as soon as I got in the pool.  I think the buoyancy of the water really helped with the contractions.

I labored in the birth pool for about four hours.  I don’t remember too much of any conversations during that time.  I do remember my husband rubbing my back during each contraction and Jennifer holding a hot compress on my lower back.  I found the best position for me was hanging over the side of the pool in a squatting position.  I tried other positions but they were too uncomfortable.

All of a sudden, I had a strong urge to push.  Jennifer told me to try and hold off pushing as long as I could but it became too unbearable.  It was such a crazy feeling of my body pushing whether I wanted it to or not.  After I told her there was no way I could not push, she said for me to go ahead.  With each push, she told me that I was making good progress so that was encouraging.  I would hold on to Jesse’s arms in a squat position and just push as hard as I could.  Every now and then, I could feel the baby’s head move down. It was such a wild sensation.  After about an hour of pushing, all of a sudden…POP…the head came out. Then I hear my husband yell “there’s a head!”  With the next contraction, I pushed Rylan out and Jesse caught him.  I leaned back in the pool so Jennifer could place Rylan on my chest while they covered him in blankets and tried to keep him warm.  I realized after several minutes that I still had no idea whether the baby was a boy or a girl so I asked Jesse to look.  I hear him say “It’s a boy! It’s a boy!”  He was so excited.  We moved indoors and I delivered the placenta shortly after and then took an herbal bath with Rylan. 

After Jennifer checked me for tears…my new baby, my husband and I cuddled up in our own bed and slept for several hours. It was so peaceful. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

I remember constantly telling Jennifer (and anyone who would listen) about how scared I was to give birth and the pain involved.  It turned out to be the most amazing experience of my life.  In hindsight, what I should have feared was that first week with my newborn! When people tell you to kiss sleep good-bye…they mean it! 

Rylan Phillips 16 weeks