water birthing

My daughter Csenge's birth in 100 pictures - part 4
(end of transition, pushing starts, the baby's head is born)

Then the next contractions hit, along with very strong urges to push and a sharp pain inside, which I thought was my cervix tearing, so I tried to hold back. I began to whine loudly, as it was very painful. Actually, it was worse than crowning (!). After the second push, the sharp pain subsided and I felt the top of the head in the opening. I asked Zoltan to touch it and he did. Then he began to massage my perineum. He did it like a pro, in spite of his inexperience in the baby-catching job :o). I pushed quite consciously and held the front of my perineum, so I wouldn't tear that way. Soon the baby crowned and I felt as if someone was pushing the head back inside, so I yelled: "don't push it back!". In fact, she was slipping back on her own, because the cord was around her neck. With the next push and some screaming on my part, I felt the head coming out and a relief, due to the smaller circumference of her neck that was now at the opening. I asked if the whole head was out (I knew it was) and whether there was a cord. The midwife said she thought there was a cord, but she was still fairly pink, so I told I wouldn't hurry with the next push (incredibe, how I could be so conscious with half a baby hanging out of me! :o)). I was glad, because the crowning part went fairly smoothly and I knew I didn't tear.

This awkward kneeling is due to my efforts holding back pushing, because I feel a sharp pain, as if my cervix was tearing. I'm whining loudly, as it hurts worse than crowning!

Bearing down

Not very romantic, I know... but the pooper-scooper has to be in use, too! :o)

I'm trying to change positions, to protect my cervix.

Finally I feel the head in the opening and ask Zoltan to touch it. It's kind of a symbolic gesture, but it feels so good that he's the first person to touch his child...

Zoltan is doing perineal massage. No midwife could do it better! I'm so proud of his skill!

Listening to the heart tones - let's do it at least once, for safety's sake
(Our midwife didn't have her underwater Doppler device with her, that's why I had to do some ballet dance to allow her to do this exam)

Oh, here we have a little head! Zoltan is supporting and holding it from below, while our midwife protects my perineum and I hold myself together at the front.

Part 5

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