Birth Story of Robert King Eldridge

By Sarah Eldridge

This is the story of my second son's birth. I had a very easy pregnancy and was able to stay active throughout the entire pregnancy. This time I only gained 27 pounds instead of 45 pounds, as I did in my first pregnancy with Preston.

Around 38 weeks, I started looking forward to our baby showing up. I didn't think he could possibly be any later than his brother, who was 10 days overdue. It was very important that I go into labor naturally before 42 weeks so that I could have my baby at the birthing center.

However, my due date came and went with no signs of labor at all. It was nearly impossible to sleep, and I began to think I would never, ever have this baby. At my 41 1/2 week appointment, I had a non-stress test, which showed that my baby was very healthy and happy and no closer to coming out. (He was also face up, which can delay labor).

Lynnette Casey (my midwife) stripped my membranes again. As I got off of the table, I felt a small gush of liquid, enough to wet through my pants. Thinking this was from the exam, I went home with an induction date for my 15th day overdue, Monday the 17.

I continued to have small gushes of liquid release throughout that night and continuing the next day. I finally started contractions on Friday. They continued to get closer together and stronger, but by late evening they began to get further apart and less predictable. I contacted my midwife, and she told me to go to the hospital to see if my amniotic fluid was leaking.

At the hospital they did the microscope test and said that it was not. Even though I was sure that it was, I did not insist on further testing because I was holding out for the birthing center. Because the contractions were painful enough that I could not sleep, they gave me some mild sleeping pills so that I could get some rest.

On Friday night I slept for a few hours and woke up Saturday morning with no contractions. However, by noon, the contractions started again. They seemed to be triggered by movement. I was torn between trying to get them started full-blown and trying to get them to stop until it was time for the real deal. These contractions continued throughout Saturday night. When I did fall asleep, the contractions would wake me.

Late Sunday morning I had had enough. I called my midwife, and she had me come down to the office to see what was going on. On the way to her office my contractions were four to five minutes apart. I did not think much of this because it had been going on for a couple of days.

Lynnette asked me if I was still losing fluid. I told her that I was, at about the same rate as Thursday. She did another test, which came back positive for amniotic fluid. Not knowing exactly when the leaking started, we began the debate about whether or not we could birth at the birthing center. Lynnette decided that we should go to the hospital. She told us that she would meet us there in one hour.

I went directly to labor, delivery, recovery, and my husband, Robert, went to register me. We had a prepared birth plan, and the staff knew that we wanted a natural delivery.

I was all alone for what seemed like an eternity, until my husband returned. My contractions were getting fierce, but my husband was very helpful with my contractions. We got in the shower for about 20 minutes, which felt great between contractions.

We had been at the hospital for about two hours. I could tell that the baby was coming soon. I did not want my husband to leave to see if our midwife was there yet.

Lynnette came in the room at 4 p.m. and checked to see what my progress was. Immediately on checking my condition, Lynette hurriedly called for the nurse and her setup. I was on my hands and knees with my hands on the top of the bed, which was in a sitting position. Lynnette asked me if I wanted to change positions, but my hands where glued to the top of that bed.

Lynnette told me to start pushing when I was ready. So I did. The contractions were unbelievably painful as the baby began to crown. Lynnette told me to stop pushing so my perineum could stretch. This was just not going to happen. I pushed one last time, as hard as I could, and out came baby Robert, born completely inside the fetal membrane.

Lynnette said that this was only the third baby she had ever delivered in the caul. She broke him out of the sack, and my husband, Robert, cut the cord. They took a quick look at him and then handed him to my husband.

Little Robert hardly cried at all. The nurse encouraged my husband to rub Robert's back to get him to cry a little and cough out more of the fluid from his lungs. Lynnette took a look to see how much tearing there was. There was no tearing at the perineum but some tearing up top. She stitched one of the tears and left the rest to heal on their own.

I managed to go through the whole thing without a single IV. This was very important to me because I did not want to be tempted to take pain medication. So I had my 100 percent natural birth with my wonderful husband by my side for the whole thing to help me through it.

Little Robert King Eldridge is 8 pounds, 8 ounces and 22 and 1/4 inches. He is perfect and beautiful.