Mary's Story

I had a pretty healthy pregnancy. I mostly ate healthy and was active everyday because of my job helping run my husband’s mechanic shop. Dealing with the office work, getting parts, and helping customers, I walked anywhere from 1.5 to 8 miles a day. One Saturday late in the pregnancy, I went to work as usual. I had noticed extra discharge the last few mornings but didn’t think much of it. This Saturday, I had some mid day as well. As the day progressed, my back got tired and I closed up shop and headed down to my house around 4:30. I had family over, so I made peach shakes for us all to eat while we shelled pistachios for the cookies I wanted to bake. Around 6 - 6:30, my guts felt unsettled. I figured I had had too many peaches and went to the bathroom, but after using it, I still felt unsettled. I went back to the kitchen and sat down as I worked, which eased the feeling temporarily. It came back when I stood up, so I went to the bathroom again. I had felt very tired throughout the afternoon, so I decided to give up on the cookies and have a bath. 

I got the water running. By now the contractions had started, but I was unaware that’s what it was. I called Shem, who was 30 min away working, and told him I might be going into labor but figured it was false contractions or just too much peach shake causing discomfort. As I sat in the tub for the next 10 or 15 min, the contractions got worse but the warm water seemed to help ease them. I wanted to throw up and have a bowel movement but could do neither. 

I finally gave up and got out of the tub and tried to lay down. In the Guide to Childbirth, the midwife recommended laying down until contractions got closer, so I figured I’d try to nap. I couldn’t lay down because of how bad I now felt. I believe the contractions were now a minute and a half apart. When I got into the tub, they were probably four to five minutes apart. I would kneel down on my rug by the bed and hunch on all fours or grab the bed sheets trying to make the pain stop. I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. 

My sister Roxy, who has had 7 kids or her own and is a CNA, came in to check on me. I told her I was probably going to have the baby. Once she saw how fast my contractions were coming, she called Shem and told him to get down to the house asap. In between contractions, I started packing my go bag. I had thought I’d have at least another week to go. 

Shem showed up shortly after that. Roxy loaded my stuff into her car and the kids brought me a pillow and blanket. By then I was on the floor in the back seat of my half-ton pickup on my hands and knees. On the way from Monahans to Midland, I said to myself, why would women choose to go through this pain? I kept saying no, stop, because of the pain. At that point, I remembered Ina Mae Gaskin saying to ride the emotions. I couldn’t figure out how to do that, but I did start repeating yes, yes, yes! I also blew raspberries for a bit, and tried to breath deep and low moan instead of cry. 

All I wanted was for the contractions to stop so I could rest. I seemed to forget where I was for a time, just focusing on surviving the flood. Shem would occasionally remind me to breathe deeply. He asked if he should walk me though the breathing. I told him to stop talking, but it did help me to slow down my breathing. All this time I had felt the need to puke and or poop. I finally had such a strong urge, I decided I didn’t care. I was going to try to poop. I pushed very hard and I felt a little give. I believe that was my mucus plug coming out. I finally felt like laying down instead of being on my hands and knees. I laid down as best as I could on my side, and kept trying to push. It helped with the contractions. I laid there and when I felt the urge, I would push. It was a relief to have a break between pushing as I hadn’t had that with the contractions. 

I could feel my vagina getting tight. I reached down and pulled off my underwear between pushing and also pulled away my mucus plug. It felt very full down there. When I pushed I wanted to scream. I had to remind myself that screaming would tighten the channel so I forced myself to moan instead. A few minutes later, I reached down and touched the area, as it felt very full and sore. I could feel the head crowning, and told Shem I was going to have the baby in the vehicle. 

I wanted him to pull over, but on second thought, told him to keep going so we could get to the midwives. Shem had called them when we first left to let them know we were on our way in. I kept pushing; it felt like it wanted to tear to get out. I forced my body to not push quite so hard so I could try and ease the baby out. It was such a relief and surprise when the baby came out with the sack intact. 

I told Shem to pull over and make sure the baby was ok. I didn’t feel up to sitting up to check on him even though at the same time I felt like I’d accomplished more than I ever had in my life. Shem stopped and cleared the baby’s airway and made sure he was breathing. Roxy came up behind him and handed a blanket that I used to cover Seth after putting him on my chest. We then drove on into The Birth Center, where Jamie and Cortni helped me out and into bed. When weighed, Seth was 6 lb 9 oz.