Tegshee Walker's Birth Story

Tegshee Walker was born on July 19 into Daddy's loving hands.  7 lbs. 6.5 oz.  21 inches long.  For those that like birth stories, his birth might best be told in pictures.  So, here you go:

My due date was officially July 31.  But, I knew the baby would be coming earlier.  I just had that feeling.

My Dad came to visit for a few days on July 15.  On the night of the 16th he took us all to the movies.  Throughout the movie, River kept wanting to nurse.  Which gave me intensely strong contractions.  I couldn't wait until that movie was over so we could get out of there!  I just wanted to lay down!

The net morning, July 17th, I woke up to water pouring out of me.  It was 6:40 AM.  I told Gana, we congratulated one another, we cleaned up and then I told my Dad.  Who called my mom.  Who called my sister.  Who loaded up the kids in the car.  And everyone got ready for a baby!

I called my midwife and friend who would be coming to the birth.  And I told everyone, "I am not yet in active labor.  So, don't fly here like your hair's on fire."  Did anyone listen to me?  No.  Everyone gets excited for babies in my family.  And I have been known to give birth before they arrived (Captain's 2.5 hours start to finish labor!), so they had good reason not to listen to me.

However....

After a breakfast of eggs and fish roe and a cup of coffee I decided to do some prenatal yoga just to get everything stretched and get some more consistent contractions going.

Saraa joined me.  Notice the chux pad to catch the water which flowed continually.  Things got going, rather slowly.  But, that's how I like it.  Peaceful and slow.  Time for visiting and talking about what the baby will be like, what we should name him or her and all that.  

But....maybe this was a bit too slow.  

12 hours into labor. 

Feeling a wee bit nauseated, hence the bowl.  Just in case.

Still you have to enjoy and laugh now and then.

The kids like to feel how the baby moves during contractions.

My sister feeding and entertaining the 11 children on the porch.

Grandma, waiting patiently for her 18th great grandchild

I took a shower to refresh myself.  Glancing at myself in the mirror I said, "Wow.  I really should have tweezed my eyebrows before I started labor."  Gana said, "That comment right there lets me know we've still got a long ways to go."

Keep calm and labor on, my friends.

Sometime late in the night I got the children to pray for me.  And Lucas blew his shofar!
Totally felt the presence of the Lord!

Things got quite intense during the night.  We thought for sure the baby would arrive before sunrise.  Meg was determined to stay awake the whole night.  Instead....

Yes, this is Meg, konked out in the co-sleeper.
My mom and Gana fell asleep at the foot of the bed.

Everyone fell asleep, including me!  In the morning Meg said, "Oh man!  I didn't make it all night!"  I said, "Don't worry, honey, neither did I!"

That second morning I was tired.  Just tired.  Not in pain.  Not really upset.  Just tired.  I put my head on Gana's shoulders and cried my eyes out.  After a few minutes I was all better.  And I had a little breakfast.

I asked my midwife for my first vaginal exam.  What was going on?!  She checked and I was about 5 cm dilated.  OK, that's nice.  She also said that the baby wasn't in the best position, slightly posterior.  

After my water being broken for 24 hours and my contractions totally spacing out and becoming mild again, we decided to bring in reinforcements!  NURSING THE TODDLER!

That got contractions really kicking along!  We thought for sure the baby would be born before the day was over. Yet.....

Here we are about 40 hours into labor.  Notice how many costume changes I've gone through!

My midwife, family and friends have the utmost patience.  They let me quietly labor and do whatever I wanted.  Bath.  Walk outside.  Nap.  Eat. Worship. Pray.  Nice to be around people who don't freak out when I burst out speaking in tongues and weeping to a Jason Upton song.  

On the second night of labor I sent all the children to bed.  No staying up watching me.  My mom and grandma went to bed.  Meg slept next to me on the floor of the bedroom.  The midwife and my friend slept in the living room.  Gana slept next to me in the bed.  When I needed to feel his strength I just reached out and touch him.  He didn't even have to wake up.  I just wanted to feel his strength near me and at the ready.  That helped me to stay calm.

I lay or sat on the bed in absolute silence.  I labored for hours in the night and into the morning.  By myself.  It was peaceful and calm.  My mind was often in a completely different place.  I wouldn't say I was delirious.  But, I was only sort of half-conscious and yet...somehow fully aware.  That makes no sense, I realize.  But it was exactly how it was.

About 5am I put on some Andrea Marie music and just relaxed into that peace.  

About 6am (nearly 48 hours after my water broke) I felt pushy.  So, I woke up Gana and asked him to get our midwife from the living room.  She came in, watched me through a couple contractions.  And I asked her to check me.  She did.

"You still have about 3 cm to go.  But your cervix is very soft."  

And in the next moment I said, "My body is pushing by itself."  She responded so calmly, something like, "I see that."  And Gana set about to fetch the rest of the family.  We had promised the kids and my mom that we wouldn't let them miss it!

But he didn't get a chance to reach everyone.  He had to just scream for everyone. (Thus confirming that I can't be trusted to tell people when to come to my births.)  I screamed for Gana.  "Gana!!!!!!"  He rushed to me.  And in one second stage contraction, I pushed out our baby, straight into Daddy's hands!  

There is a picture I can't really show you because it's totally not decent, but as the baby is coming out, I am laughing!  Yes, laughing!!!

The cord was tangled around his neck and body.  I unwrapped him myself and Gana put him on my stomach.  Then he said, "Meg, you owe be 10 bucks!"  Which she knew meant, "It's a boy!"

My Mommy, my baby and me

Me and my two nursing babies: Tegshee and River

The kids went with the midwife to examine the placenta and have a little science lesson.  Plus, using all the midwife's equipment to check one another out.

We knew we wanted to call him Tegshee, which is the Mongolian word for "Straight" as in the "straight and narrow."  But, all along the pregnancy we could not think of a middle name.  As I sat in the rocking chair with him when he was about an hour old, I suddenly said, "What about Walker?"  Thus the full meaning of his name would be, "One who walks straight."  

Right after that, my friend who was supporting me through labor said, "The verse for today is Deuteronomy 30:16, 'In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.'"

That settled it.  Tegshee Walker was his name!

Nana B, Del the midwife, and Tegshee

Grandma and Tegshee

We celebrated with a BIRTH-day cake:

Getting his first chiropractic adjustment at home with Tio.

The whole thing from water breaking to birth was just minutes shy of 48 hours.  But the whole thing was very peaceful, very calm, and pretty much painless.  It was work and it was exhausting, but it was beautiful.  I was surrounded by loving and supportive people, but was able to labor as I wanted--sometimes all alone, sometimes being very social.  And my baby was born into a total atmosphere of joy.

In fact, beginning the second day, Tegshee started laughing--out loud!--in his sleep.  So sweet!  He must have some beautiful dreams.  And that makes Mommy and Daddy so happy.