Bjorn Dirksen Brinkerhoff

Born: January 10th, 2009 at 10:44 pm

Weight: 9 lbs 1.8 oz

Length: 20 inches

It was an amazing pregnancy and birth for us.

I had my health and mobility the whole pregnancy, working up until the day before labor and out to dinner the night before.

But lets take a step back to a few months ago. Originally we had decided to not take any birth classes, feeling the nurses and doctor would just help us along. Then Fletcher got ahold of Husband-Coached Child Birth. He said we have to take some Bradley Method classes. So we found the one couple that teaches them in Tucson. They had already started the class schedule a couple of weeks prior, but they let us add on late. It was so great. All the other couples were also interested in natural childbirth. In fact, we and one other couple were the only ones not doing a home birth. We learned so much on relaxation and labor and how to manage delivery without any medication or other interventions. (We highly recommend these classes to anyone choosing to deliver naturally.) We also got really active in talking to my OB and letting him know what we wanted during delivery. It took several visits and discussions to convince him that we wanted a natural childbirth, that we were committed to sticking to it, and wouldn't flake out on him with the first serious contraction. (He's divorced and I even offered to set him up on a blind date with this great PhD student I know, but that's a whole other funny story).

So on 1/10 at 1:30 am, I felt my first contraction. We continued to rest off and on until finally getting up at 5:30 am. Fletcher helped me stay comfortable throughout the morning with me sipping on water and eating crackers. He even set up a chair outside so I could sit in the sun for bit. By noon however, I couldn't keep anything down and the contractions were getting more regular. We continued laboring at home until 4:30 pm at which point we left to the hospital. After checking in, we learned I was already 8cm dilated. My contractions continued on schedule, my doctor confirmed with the nurses that we did not want any IV or meds, and we got assigned to a nurse who was fully knowledgable on natural childbirth (she had actually done a home birth for her own pregnancy). I changed my nurse later on and she was equally as great. At 8 pm, my doctor checked me, and I was still at 8 cm despite several relaxation positions. So my doctor broke my water. At 8:30 pm, I was fully dilated and my doctor said he would let us go for 2 hours before we needed to reassess the delivery situation. My nurse said "no problem doc" and my nurse and Fletcher started the coaching event of the year. After 2 hours and 5 minutes of hard, pushing, active, sweaty brow labor, our little baby arrived.

We stayed in the hospital for a day and half before going home. I must say that personally, the 3 days following delivery were much worse than 10 natural deliverys. There was me and a nine pound baby: something had to give, and it was me. Having the baby home has been amazing. Every day is something new and even more wonderful for us. We've had help (thanks so much mom) and great visitors. Bjorn is of course the most beautiful, perfect and precious baby ever!