10 minutes old!

Nikhil's Birth Story by Marla Nargundkar

The beginning
On Friday April 3, 1998 around 6:00 a.m. my water broke with a small gush - it surprised me but also signaled that the labor could begin soon - I felt nervous and a little relieved since it was 12 days past my estimated "due" date. I called my midwife and Satish called in to work that he wouldn't be coming in that day. I wasn't really having any intense contractions but we decided to fill the birthing tub anyway. It was a cool rainy spring morning and we both agreed it was a beautiful day to be born. We passed the time and later that afternoon decided to take a little nap. My contractions started to become more intense and roughly 15 minutes apart but not completely regular. By about 6 p.m. I decided to call the midwife to check in with her since we hadn't spoken since that morning. (At the time we didn't know she was delivering a premature baby.) She told us to get some rest and to call her in the morning. We had a light dinner and decided to rent a movie - a comedy, "Grumpy Old Men". However as we watched the movie my contractions started to become so intense that I had trouble laughing so we decided we better warn the midwife before it was late in the night. The midwife and her assistant decided to come over and arrived around 11 p.m. 

Early labor
We decided to all move downstairs to the room we had set up for the birth. The midwife and her assistant organized their supplies and then left us alone to labor as they sat and dozed in the adjacent room. The room was dark except for Christmas lights that we had strung around the room. I found laboring on my hands and knees the most comfortable position but difficult to maintain. I labored kneeling over a beanbag chair. Satish had been helping me during contractions by pressing on my back but this was already making me sore. We discovered that I really only needed a light touch from Satish on my lower back to focus me. After a while the pain was so intense, especially on my back and I was having a hard time relaxing into it, Satish asked if I could get into the tub. The midwife checked me and I was only 4 cm but she decided it would be OK to get into the tub anyway rather than wait until 5 cm. The water helped take the weight off so I could concentrate. It took an incredible amount of concentration to try to open to the pain - I felt that if my concentration broke for one second that I would be taking "three steps back." I kept repeating to myself to "let the body do its work." One of the greatest preparations I had for dealing with the pain was "Ki" exercises I had practiced with Satish. It was late at night and Satish and I were tired and sleepy. I floated occasionally into a light doze between contractions. 

Pushing
Eventually the contractions started to change. I felt intense spasms. It took all my concentration to deal with them. Satish called the midwife in to report that things had changed. He could feel the difference in the contractions as he was holding my back. She said we were doing great and to continue. After a while I felt doubt that I could deal with these spasms that were taking over my whole body. The midwife then told me to start pushing. I couldn't believe it - finally I could take a more aggressive role. My "Ki" exercises really helped again because I could push without tensing my face or other parts of the body. After pushing what seemed like an eternity (just under 2 hours) but at the same time like an instant - I could hear the midwife telling Satish she could see hair. This helped motivate me since I felt unsure of my progress. The midwife would place her finger where she wanted me to direct my pushing - it felt uncomfortable but I kept telling myself that once I pus! hed the baby out, it would feel much better! The midwife asked me squat holding onto the side of the tub. The squatting position was not comfortable and my legs where givi ng out but I knew it would be the fastest position. I started to feel intense burning which I knew meant it must be the beginning of crowning. The burning was incredible but I knew that it would be soon over. Suddenly the midwife and everyone was scrambling and a baby was crying. I couldn't believe it! I thought that I had at least an hour more to go and it was over! I turned around to see and touch the baby - all the while nearly shouting "I can't believe it!I can't believe it!". Everyone helped me sit down in the water and hold the baby - my arms were shaking and I could barely hold him/her out of the water. After a few moments the midwife suggested that we look to see if it was a boy or girl. A boy! So healthy and robust looking. 

Afterward
We let the umbilical cord stop pulsing and Satish had the honor of cutting it. The cord had a loose knot in it - Nikhil must have been doing some early gymnastics. The midwife suggested that I stand up in the tub to help the placenta deliver. This didn't work so she asked me to get out of the tub and onto the bed we had prepared. The six steps to the bed were some the toughest of my life. The placenta took a while to deliver - I had to actively push again to get it out. The midwife commented on its large size. (We froze the placenta and later buried it with a new tree.) All the while Nikhil was alert and looking around. The midwife and her assistant finished their work with me - stitching a small tear and cleaning up the room. After that they helped me get more comfortable. After I was settled they sat on the floor and examined Nikhil more thoroughly. He had already pooped in the towel we first wrapped him in. I was so exhausted but couldn't sleep after the midwife and her assistant left - we just kept looking at Nikhil in amazement. He was so alert and kept looking around at the Christmas lights. What a drive to live! From the very first day, he could lift his head and fiercely wanted to nurse. We're just amazed at this strong new life and every day I look at him with wonder.