Birth of Chloee Rebecca Mays

My original due date was August 10th, but based on two ultrasounds and my belly continuously measuring a week ahead we thought it would be closer to August 3rd. Even beyond that, nobody thought we would even make it to August! At the beginning of July, I was already 3 cm dilated. But July passed and no baby. No big deal. I started maternity leave August 1st in anticipation of having Chloee that week. August 3rd came and went, no baby. No big deal. August 10th came, no baby. If I went another week, Amber told me I would need another ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. August 17th came, no baby and the ultrasound showed her to be strong and healthy. By this time everyone that was due after me by a few weeks had their babies (including Amber!)!! My nerves were starting to get to me but we were positive she’d come that weekend and nothing. Officially 2 weeks late and this little girl was not budging! So I asked Amber if we could meet on the morning of August 22nd. She broke all my remaining fibers, pulled my cervix forward and put some supplements on my cervix to try and loosen it up. She also put me on a blue and black cohosh cocktail to try to start contractions. I had to take it every 30 mins. At noon she said I was 4 cm and to call if anything started.

From there, my mom, grandmother and best friend went to eat. I had small contractions that I chalked up to the exam (this happened the last time Amber checked me too), so I didn’t get excited. From there we went shopping. Around 3 pm, my contractions were patterned and coming about every 7-8 mins. I didn’t tell anybody because I wanted to do this on my own and I knew the moment I said, “This is it!”, they would freak and smother me. We drove the bumpy back roads home and my mom even stopped because she saw a hurt bird on the side of the road. We got home at 5 pm and my mom and grandmother went home. We had already planned for Mattie to stay with her Little Paw for the night. I knew if she was with me during this she would be scared for me and I didn’t want her to go through that. Jon got home at 5:30. I got a shower to help relax. At 6 o’clock, my contractions were 3-5 mins. apart. I sent a text to Amber to let her know so she would be ready. I told Jon to call his mom, my mom and my grandmother to tell them to come back. Around 7 o’clock, we decided it was time to go to the birth center. I called Amber, no answer. So I waited for a call back. I called Meridian (“the apprentice”), no answer. Meridian called me back about 10 mins. later. She hadn’t been able to reach Amber either but that she was on the way to the center but I needed to give her a 15 min head start. We reached the center at 8:15 and when Amber checked me, I was 6 cm!

Amber told me to walk around or use the birthing ball, but to try and let gravity do its job. I walked around for a little bit, tried the ball but didn’t care for it too much. I asked Amber if I could get in the water and she said just the shower because the tub would slow things down. So I got in the shower and it was so relaxing. I must have been in there for 15-20 mins. and then the contractions changed and I told Jon I had to get out. I remember everyone talking about old TV shows and I answered one of their questions and we went back to the bed (Amber later told me that she heard me and thought that I still had a ways to go). I tried to rest while my mom played with my hair but that only lasted two contractions and I had to stand up again and Jon and I began to “dance” through the contractions. Up until this point, I was very proud of myself for being quiet during contractions (my mom later told me how amazed she was by this.), but with the intensity level of these contractions, I started moaning and wondering if I was going to be able to do this. My mom told me to remember to breathe and I told her to shut up (sorry Mom). She went and asked Meridian and Amber what she should say to help and Meridian came in to help me through the contractions. I asked if I could get in the tub now and she said get through this contraction and we will get you in the tub. Got through the contraction, took one step towards the bathroom and whoosh! My water broke!

I remember saying “my water broke” and Meridian called for Amber. I said “she’s coming” and Meridian felt for her and sure enough there was her head. Amber came in the room and Meridian told her that I was ready. Amber said to put me on the bed and Meridian told her we can’t because the head is too far down. So I was told not to push and Amber hurried to lay towels and pads down around mine and Jon’s feet, the whole time Meridian is holding Chloee’s head! Meridian said push and out came her head. Amber told us to reach down and feel her head, then another slow strong push and there was her shoulders and out came her body!! Meridian handed her to me and eased me down to the bed. Chloee looked at me with these huge beautiful eyes and it was love at first sight! Chloee Rebecca Mays was born at 9:55 pm. It all happened so fast that Jon’s mom, my grandmother and best friend missed her being born and they were just in the other room!

Amber and Meridian helped me into the tub to clean us off. After we got cleaned up and back on the bed, Amber and Meridian checked on Chloee’s measurements. Nobody could get over how big she was. Amber was afraid she wouldn’t fit in the scale sling. Meridian picked her up and struggling to hold her up, asked for guesses on her weight. 9 lb 12 oz! And she was 21 inches long! And her head was 13 ½ inches around! (I honestly believe that standing up while pushing made delivering her nearly painless to do so.) After all this, Meridian had to put a diaper on her. But she didn’t get it on in time and Meridian got to change Chloee’s first diaper too!

I began to nurse Chloee and everyone took turns coming in to see her. Amber and Meridian cleaned up the mess that was left and soon told me they were ready to leave. We said our goodbyes and continued to enjoy this little bundle of joy. I knew I didn’t want to stay long and was in a hurry to get home to my own bed and comfort zone. We were home by 2 the next morning and all got a great night’s sleep!!

The whole experience was mind blowing and amazing. It tested my sanity, confirmed my beliefs and in the end strengthened my soul. I gained the friendship of two amazing women!!
And my bond with Jon and Chloee is so strong because I can look back to that night and can say, “We did that!!”