Birth Story

I woke up at 8:30am on May 14th 2014 to go pee...as per usual during my pregnancy. However on my way back to bed I felt a "click" in my pelvis, no other way to explain it really. Anyhow nothing. So I decided to clean the bathroom just in case as I felt a little odd. In the following minutes I began to feel what felt like period cramps. By 9:30 I couldn't ignore them anymore and had to start implementing my "relaxation and comfort measures" like breathing techniques, different positions and rocking. By 10am the Daddy woke up (yes I let him sleep through this) as I was texting my friend Simone that I won't be able to make our pedicure appointment that day!
I was haphazardly timing my contractions but it's difficult to be accurate when you're in pain and just want to relax. They started out about 4 minutes apart. Apparently that's supposed to last an hour and then I call the midwife but they shortly changed to 2-3 minutes apart and increasing in intensity. At this point I was thinking, "holy crap if it's like this for 15 hours I'm gonna definitely need the drugs!". But within 40 minutes I told my wonderful husband to call the midwife (she asked if I could come to the clinic, I told her no, then she heard me going through a contraction and decided to make her way here). She arrived just before 11am, Sam ran out to put gas in the car (oops that was my fault!) and when she checked my cervix I was already 4cm and in active labour. Yikes. It was going fast and I had to decide whether I wanted to stay home to labour some more or go to the hospital.
I briefly asked the hubby to reconsider a home birth as I really couldn't imagine getting in a car but in the end I decided to go to the hospital because it was then or never. Worst car ride ever. EVER.
We got to the hospital and in between contractions I made it from the car to the nurses desk and Ozra my midwife took me to the delivery room. My first contraction brought out the (FYI gross labour talk coming up) mucus plug, or bloody show whichever makes you squirm less. My water still hadn't broke.
So finally I got up on the bed face in the pillow on my knees and then had the horrible experience of being on my back for a contraction while the midwife checked my progress. Progress indeed this baby was in a hurry! I was already fully dilated at 10cm and it was probably around 11:30 (though I can't be sure). I "hopped" (ya right, more light waddled) into the shower (oh yeah the Daddy had arrived from parking the car and was being very supportive). After a few minutes of awesome hot water (it totally helps) I felt the urge to push. That was a crazy feeling.
They got me back on the bed and I started pushing away well randomly with the urge. This is where things got interesting.
They checked the baby's heart rate and found it had dropped below 100 (not good) and did not come back up in between contractions or with the head stimulation test. Enter the doctor. My first thoughts were NO I DON'T WANT A DOCTOR OR PROCEDURES OR STIRRUPS! Ok those weren't thoughts I actually said those things. Gosh.
They had to use the vacuum to get him out quickly and found that the cord had been wrapped around his neck twice so with every push it got tighter.
Speaking of pushes those were the hardest and most useless feeling pushes I've ever had to give (though my midwife later told me my pushes were ridonculously effective). A total of 27 minutes of pushing, I'm not sure where they start counting from but it seemed shorter to me. In fact the whole deal seemed to go so freakin fast! And when they count your "labour" from active labour and tell you it was only 2 hours, I guess that is freakishly fast.
Anyhow with the second attempt at the vacuum out came our precious baby. My first words were oh my baby...and then I though "oh yeah what is it!?" it's a boy! It was beautiful. They rubbed him off on my tummy and he settled in seconds of them putting him on my chest. It was heavenly (until the doctor started stitching and people pressed on my abdomen but that was nothing after giving birth).

So I admit, it was good we went to the hospital. And my husband was right,  you just never know what could happen and I'm glad we left when we did and delivered at the hospital. Sometimes life is like that, actually life is usually like that. You can make plans but unless they are planned by God you gotta hold them with an open hand and an open mind.

So I'm thankful for my husband who held my hand and was a wonderful support just in his presence alone and has been a wonderful Daddy in these past 9 days and I'm sure will continue to be so
I'm thankful for the midwifes and nurses and doctor (who was sweet enough to come check in on my later and make jokes) who were quick and skilled and looking out for our best interest.
I'm thankful for my sweet sweet baby boy who couldn't have been created more perfectly and wonderfully than he is. His name means praise and his middle name means one who praises the Lord and how much more fitting could that be.
I'm thankful to all the family and friends who were excited and supportive and celebrated and lent a hand to us new and tired but very happy parents.
All praise though must go to God who ordained it all. Nothing says thank you to God more than this photo;