I had been in active labor for a good three hours when, I agreed to have my water broke. I actually never crossed my mind to have my water artificially broken, but in the midst of very strong contractions and the prospect of getting through it sooner, it seemed like a good idea to me. I had to lay down so that the midwife could check my progress and I was eight centimeters dilated. I had several contractions while laying down on my back and they were the worst! The midwife waited for a contraction to put pressure on the bag of water. Once it bulged, the midwife snagged it and I felt a rush of very warm water. As soon as my water was broken I rolled myself off the couch mid contraction. That is when I learned that there was meconium staining in the amniotic fluid. Not knowing how long the meconium had been in the fluid or if the baby had ingested any of it, the midwife asked me what I wanted to do (I could go to the hospital just in case the baby did have meconium in her lungs). I told her I did not want to leave. I could not even think about what leaving would mean. Since my water was broken and the contractions were coming faster, I got back into the birthing pool. My husband told me later that as soon as I found out there was meconium in the amniotic fluid that I got really focused through the rest of my contractions. I was on my knees leaning on the side of the pool holding on to my husbands arms. My breathing became more focused and with each contraction I imagined my baby moving down. The water also helped me focus and while these contractions were even more intense, I was somehow able to let them happen without any sort of hindrance. Then I felt the urge to push…
