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LEVI BENTLEY

Levi's Waterbirth Story

A beautiful home water birth which went so quick that by the time
I realized that I was really in labor, it was almost over...

I had been having contractions all weekend which weren’t painful and weren’t progressing me.  So when I had contractions and cramping Monday morning, I didn’t think much of it.  Around
10:30 am was when they started getting painful, but I still thought they were gas pains and didn’t take them seriously until maybe 11.

 

I let my midwife, Faith, know what was going on, and she wanted to come check on me.  I had been at my mom’s house that morning, who wouldn’t let me drive the 7 minutes home myself– she had my sister take me.  It wasn’t until 11:30, on that drive home that I realized that I’m really in labor and this is getting serious.  My husband was at Lowe’s and wouldn’t answer his dang phone– but he finally got home right around the time the midwives arrived.  He set up the birth pool while my midwife checked my vitals and dilation.  6 cm.  I got in the pool at 12:15 pm. Contractions were intense, but I was able to relax through them and was laughing and talking in between.


At 2 pm, I remember looking at the clock wondering how much longer it would be.  And right after is when I retreated into what some people call “labor land”.  I couldn’t hear the conversation around me anymore, I was in my own world which focused only on my baby and the contractions which were very close at this point.  It was such contrast to my first baby's labor and birth.

 

I had done HypnoBabies this time, and the difference in my labor was like night and day.  Instead of feeling so overwhelmed by contractions that I felt like I was losing my mind– I was calm, peaceful, and relaxed.  I used the memory of the moment I saw my first son for the first time to keep myself going when transition hit and I wanted to give up

When I felt lots of pressure I knew he was low enough for me to start pushing.  Faith checked and confirmed that I was fully dilated, but I felt absolutely no urge to push and that made me really doubt myself.  With my first, I felt such a strong urge to push that pushing actually felt GOOD.  But this time I was dreading it and kept trying to hold off.


Still, the contractions were very intense at this point and I sure didn’t want to feel them any longer than I had to, so I finally forced myself to start pushing even though it felt completely ineffective. This is when I lost it and acted like an insane woman... Haha, not my proudest moment.  Funny enough, one of my favorite moments of that birth was when Brandi, who was assisting Faith at that time, got in my face and firmly told me “You’re going to push your baby out now.”

I only pushed 10 minutes, but it sure felt longer! Ha!  Crowning wasn’t nearly as painful as with my first, and with the next push, Levi’s body slipped out into my husband’s hands, who put him straight onto my chest.


I felt so bad, because all I could say was “It’s finally over.. It’s finally over...” Rather than ‘I love you baby’, or anything sweet like that!


Levi needed a few minutes of oxygen to pink up, but he stayed on my chest with his cord pulsing throughout.  Finally daddy cut the cord, I delivered the placenta quickly, and we got out of the pool. 

 

I felt wonderful after the birth and got up to take a shower about 30 minutes later.  No stitches this time.  Not even and superficial tears.  Which was probably thanks to the Epi-No I used, even if I wasn’t very consistent with it.

​

Rebecca also had her first baby with Faith (see story here) and her third baby (see video here), and is also herself now a midwife ~  www.tulsamidwiferebecca.com

Pictures and video by Tulsa Birth Photographer

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