The birth story...

Here is the long version of our birth story. It was written by Kim Neidigh, our wonderful birth coach and Bradley Method teacher. Kim was there the entire time taking pictures and lending a hand to Tom and I as we brought Bridger into the world. We are so thankful for her support. This a a beautiful account of our unforgettable day on August 23, 2008.

Dear Bridger,

I wanted to write you this letter to tell you about your birth, which took place just a few days ago on August 23, 2008.

I first met your mom and dad when they were students in my childbirth classes. Because your mom and dad loved you very much already, and because they are smart people J, they wanted you to have the very best start in life, so they signed up for Bradley method childbirth classes, where they spent 10 weeks learning about pregnancy, birth, and newborn babies. They attended class faithfully, ate well, exercised, practiced relaxation, read books, and prepared themselves for your birth in many other ways as well.

About a month and a half after our last class, early on a Saturday morning, your mom called to let me know that she was in labor. She had been having short, crampy contractions with bloody show, about 15 -20 minutes apart. Then suddenly, her contractions had jumped to only about 3 minutes apart. They were still short, however—only about 20 seconds long, and she was still able to talk through them. In fact, she talked to me over the phone through several contractions without much difficulty. Your parents were in Indianapolis staying at their neighbors house (up from Bloomington to where they had recently moved), in anticipation of your dad working a 48-hour shift at the firehouse. At the moment, they were in their neighbor’s front yard, trying not to wake anyone up.

Although the progression of the labor was unusual, my best guess was that your mom was still in early labor. Because contractions were still so short and not very strong, I thought it was likely that she still had a long road ahead of her. I encouraged her to get some rest if she could since she had not slept much, but she said that she was very uncomfortable unless she was up and moving around. I suggested they take an early-morning walk around the neighborhood, and your mom laughed. We decided to wait and see how things went, and they would call me back later.

About 2 hours later, your mom called back. Contractions were still 3 minutes apart but now were somewhat stronger and longer, lasting about 40 seconds. They had called the doctor and she had encouraged them to come in to the hospital to get checked. Believing that there was a good chance that they were still in very early labor, we decided that I would not meet them at the hospital but would wait for them to call me after they were checked. I puttered around the house while I waited, but I didn’t really get ready to leave because my family was still sleeping and I didn’t want to make them up. With the last couple of labors that I had attended, the moms had been only 1 or 2 cm dilated when they arrived at the hospital, and I expected something similar, although I was hoping for maybe 4 cm, best case scenario.

At 7:30 am your dad called. Your mom had been checked and was found to be at 7-8cm—amazing! I began to feverishly gather up my stuff and left for the hospital.

When I arrived, your mom was in the labor tub and looked really happy for a woman at almost 8 cm. During contractions, Jessica, the nurse, would turn the water on and your dad would direct a spray of warm water at your mom’s lower back while she gently rocked back and forth. After I arrived, your mom got out of the tub for a few minutes so I could take a few photos; your parents wanted to get a “belly shot” since they hadn’t had a chance to do this before labor had begun, and they had left their camera and video camera in Bloomington. Between contractions, we talked about their new home, what a surprising labor it was so far, and what sex you might be.

At 8:45, Dr. Soper arrived and checked your mom in the tub, and found that she was still 8 cm. She suggested that your mom might want to get out of the tub and move around for a while, since the tub can sometimes slow down labor. Your mom got out, dried off, and labored while she moved around the room, stopping to lean on furniture or on your dad when a contraction would hit. She began to have more pain in her back, and we put a heat pack on, which helped, and provided some gentle pressure during contractions. Somewhere around this time, your grandmother (your mom’s mom) arrived. She had made the trip in record time and was happy that she had avoided getting a speeding ticket in the process!
At 9:30 Dr. Soper came and checked your mom again. She was now 9 cm and you were at +1 station, pretty low down. Your mom felt like she wanted to be in the water again so she got back in the tub and labored there for a while, with your dad helping her with the shower massager as before. Since I had arrived, the contractions had been getting more and more intense, and your mom’s mood had gradually changed from cheerful to serious. Now she rocked back and forth during each contraction, and struggled to stay relaxed. We all knew that it wouldn’t be much longer. Gradually, the urge to push began. At first it was very tentative, but contraction after contraction, it gradually got stronger and stronger. Jessica encouraged your mom to give small pushes when she felt like it. Gradually, the small pushes became medium-sized pushes. When the urge was fairly strong, Jessica encouraged your mom to get out of the tub, which she did reluctantly.

In the bed at 10:35, your mom was checked and found to be 10cm. She got into the classic position (slightly propped up in bed) and began some serious pushing. Your dad was on one side, your grandmother on the other, and I was behind the bed working the video camera. The doctor encouraged your mom to follow her natural instincts in pushing, and she did a great job. Before very long at all, your head was visible. At 10:54, in only a matter of minutes, you were out in the world and on your mother’s chest, and there were shouts of joy all around. “I love him!”, “I love him!” your mother cried in amazement. Everyone admired how cute you were. Your grandmother just beamed. After the placenta was out and your mother was taken care of, your other grandparents (your dad’s parents) were called to come in, and they were overcome with emotion to see you for the first time.

August 23, 2008 was a day that you will soon forget, but your parents never will. I am so thankful that they invited me to be there, and so proud of them. You are truly blessed, Bridger, to have a mom who loves you enough to give you the best birth she possibly could, and to have a dad who was with her every step of the way.

With love,
Kim Neidigh