The Birth of Elijah

Elijah’s Birth by Alecia T.

I was a first time mama and had the hardest time finding a team that could answer my questions and make me feel comfortable and confident about being pregnant until I called Roots. I had gone through 4 clinics/birthing centers and the moment I got off the phone with Roots I felt peaceful. They had answered my questions confidently and calmly, though I could tell they were busy Katie was attentive and caring with me. We scheduled my first appointment together and similarly throughout my pregnancy I was guided towards birth with that same kindness and reassurance I experienced on that first phone call. I met with each midwife and student midwife throughout my pregnancy and never had a bad experience in the least bit. Roots always had a clean, calm environment and I looked forward to my appointments.

9/12 2:30pm
I had my routine 38 week check up and everything was normal, no signs of labor and nothing to note so we (partner Caleb and I) went home to his apartment. At about 10/11pm I had started feeling small contractions but chalked them up to Braxton hicks and went to sleep.

1:00am rolled around and I woke up in discomfort. I tried to lay there for about 30 minutes tossing and turning, I was having contractions and had a lot of pressure in my lower back. Finally at 1:30am I nudged Caleb awake and asked him to push into my back to alleviate the pain but even that didn’t last long because he kept falling back asleep and I kept getting more and more uncomfortable. I did some recon on the internet and found that I would know I’m in active labor if my contractions were 5 minutes or less apart and continuous for an hour so I started timing them, they were between 1-3 minutes apart and consistent.

I woke Caleb up fully and told him I thought I was in labor and he said we should track my contractions, we did this for 30 minutes longer and then called the midwives! I was sitting in the middle of the bed and he was dialing the midwife on call number saying “well your water hasn’t broke yet” and just like that swoosh, my water broke!

I half ran to the bathroom to stand in the shower and get rinsed off. The contractions became a lot stronger and took my breath away fully now so I was taking breaks to breathe at this point. Rachel calmly answered the phone and Caleb explained what was going on, she advised us we could try to wait it out longer at home or if we were more comfortable we could come on in, we chose to go on in, this baby was coming fast and I knew it!

We met Rachel at Roots at about 2:45, got all settled and she began her check of me (1st one I had all pregnancy)

She advised that I was 90% effaced and 2cm dilated, stretchy to a 3/4. I began to find comfortable positions.

We tried to run a bath but the moment I got in the tub the pain was way worse and I was too hot. I had a lot of heat waves that made me nauseous with each contraction. Caleb started fanning me with a pillow on the bed and it helped a ton.

He stopped after about 2 minutes and I thought I’d expire right then and there, I quickly asked him why he stopped fanning me and kept repeating it until he started up again.

I sat with my knees far apart kneeling on the bed with pillows stuffed up under my arms in front of me and leaning forward, this seemed to alleviate the back ache I had going on and was the only comfortable position I could find.

At about 4 Willa got there and suggested I stand in the shower slightly bent over with a light stream of water on me, this was immensely helpful and even more alleviating. I found that I needed more support though when the contractions hit so the shower door stayed open and we placed towels for me to stand on right in front of the counter outside of the shower.

Caleb’s mom arrived with my “hospital bag” and he went down to bring her up after asking me if it was ok if she come in the room-i couldn’t have cared who was there to be honest at this point.

I was laboring outside of the shower and noticed some blood and things on the towel below me so I knew the real laboring was here and my body was preparing for Elijah’s arrival! Willa and Shelley were praying for me and I continued laboring.

I walked between the shower counter and the bench to the right of me and could feel Elijah dropping in me 3 separate times. I ended up tired and felt the need to get on my knees and lean forward over the stool. Willa suggested Caleb put his fist in the middle of my lower back and it was immediate relief! Someone retrieved a bowl of ice water to keep a cool compress in the back of my neck and was helping me sip water through this time.

We stayed like this for quite a while, probably about 2 hours, during that two hours I bled more and sweat a lot. I kept breathing through the contractions. I had started to push with the contractions but ended up pushing sometimes when there wasn’t a contraction because there was so much pressure. Nicole the student midwife had gotten there at some point and was now next to me asking me if I was waiting to push with the contractions. She got me back to pushing with the contractions which felt better and easier.

I started getting scared and cried out a few times as Elijah pushed down further. Willa asked me what I was feeling and I told her scared, she said “what are you scared of?” and I said that I can’t do this or don’t know how to do it right. Willa reassured me told me to push through my bottom and though I didn’t have a clue what that meant it eventually sunk in as my body started doing it naturally anyway. I remember thinking “I can’t do this” and then praying and sharing with God that though I knew I couldn’t do this, but he could. Peacefulness washed over me and I felt more confident. I welcomed what was coming.

At about 6am the pain became almost unbearable and I felt I needed something, the gals, Nicole & Willa asked if I wanted to be checked again to see how far along I was and I knew at that moment that although I needed to move my body that I would not make it to the bed for that check before Elijah came! I shook my head and nonverbally agreed to move to the bed, arms helped me up, I took 3 steps and had to push BIG TIME! I could feel Elijah was coming out now. I made it in front of the bed had two more big contractions with pushing while everyone was asking me questions that I ignored. Caleb laid on the bed in front of me and held my hand and supported me while I pushed into him. On the third big push Elijah’s head came out and I could feel a big sting and relief of pressure. I thought I was done but they weren’t handing him to me and within seconds were letting me know I was doing great and had to get his body out now. I remember thinking “there’s more?!”

I gave another two pushes, waiting for the urge to come naturally though I was being urged to get him out asap with another push.

My final very hard, long push with a loud scream and my baby boy Elijah Alfred Tvedt was born!

7:01am, 6lbs, 17.5” healthy and caught by Nicole.

Caleb said right away that I needed Elijah to be on me (this was one of the only things I requested in my birth plan was that my child be placed on some part of me immediately, before being wiped down or assessed)

Nicole handed me my baby boy through my legs underneath me as I was still standing and I turned and laid down on my back with Elijah to my chest. I was very out of it and felt like I needed to ask permission before I do anything and ask if “it was ok”. I could faintly hear Nicole say to me “alright mama you can come back now, you did it!”

Just like that I snapped out of this trance like state and looked down at my baby boy. I covered him up to keep him warm and cooed to him and let him know mama was there.

Afterwards I reviewed the placenta and Willa showed me the intricacies of it. I got repositioned and checked, we stayed until about noon and then we were ready to head out! A big success for a first time birth.

I can’t thank my team enough for their kindness and expertise through this 1st time journey with me. Truly an amazing experience and I am so grateful to have had it with Roots.