Sharing a birth story is a very intimate and very empowering experience. I have listened to so many stories in preparation for my own birth. But no two stories are the same. I firstly want to give all shout out to any woman that has given birth. No matter how, you are amazing! I have such a new appreciation for labour and delivery
Once I hit the 40 week mark in my pregnancy, I was ready to start some natural inductions. It’s funny that you hope you get to full term, but once you do you are anxious to get the baby out. Kind of twisted but it’s so true. After 37 weeks, the baby is technically considered full term – but I was wanting a bit more incubating to develop this human being and that is what I got.
I was offered a stretch and sweep on day 2 post due by our midwives, but Jesse and I didn’t feel right about it so we turned it down. The thought of it made me squeamish.
Instead, each day after 40 weeks I tried a new natural form of induction. In addition to dates, red raspberry leaf tea and reflexology, I started doing acupuncture, going for longer walks, bouncing on a birthing ball, took advantage of natures prostaglandins (I will let you figure that one out), rubbed clary sage on my belly, ate pineapple, used a tens machine… you name it!
But on day 4 past due, is when nature wanted to play its part. On Sunday February 9th at 12:30 am during the full moon, is when I woke up out of a dream that I was in a boat with water coming in from every side. When I opened my eyes I realized there was a leak in my PJ’s. I wasn’t sure what it was, but knew it didn’t pee myself.
I was actually kind of excited because this was potentially a sign that labour was likely starting. I wasn’t sure, but I had a hunch.
The next morning there was a bit more fluid, so I called our midwives to see what was up and get their opinion. They wanted me to come in right away to see if my waters had broken. Which they did, however they determined it was a hind water leak coming from higher up in the uterus. Which is both good news and bad news. It meant that things were starting, but not aggressively enough to get labour going quite yet. If things didn’t progress within the next 48 hours or less they wanted us to go to the hospital. They wanted me to start on Pitocin as soon as possible to start my contractions if they didn’t start on their own. This was the worst news I could hear at this time. As we were hoping (and planning) for a home birth.
We had some time on our side at this point. It was 9 am and they basically said that if things didn’t start by that evening, then we would check us in to the hospital that evening or first thing Monday morning.
Taking all this information in and absorbing the potential of my whole birth “plan” going sideways I was willing to do whatever it took to get things going naturally. So I spent the entire day doing all the natural labour inductions that I was doing the week before. Our doula even came over to support us and help kickstart my body naturally by doing acupressure.
I also reached out to Corinne at Brownroosts Baby & Rhea at Family Wellness Centre to help me out of desperation. Both offered me some great tips and encouragement. But the one induction that I hadn’t tried yet and knew was the most aggressive way “potentially” to get things started was using castor oil.
