I was due on the best day of the year, Halloween! Deep down inside I knew that I wouldn't have the baby on my due date. During the early morning of November 2nd, 3 o'clock in the morning to be exact, I was brought out a sound sleep by contractions that were intense. I knew that this was real labor but I didn't get up or wake anyone because I needed everyone, including myself, to be rested for the upcoming arrival of the newest member of the family. I was able to sleep through most of the contractions and around 8:45 a.m. I told Andrew that I was in labor and we got everyone up and ready to go. We had a 40 minute ride to the hospital and all we did was joke and laugh the entire way. I didn't even bother to time the contractions because I knew that they were real and this was happening.
This is me in full blown labor, 7cm dilated about to get into the oversized tub.
We arrived in smiles at the hospital at 10:30 a.m. The nurses and my midwife absolutely doubted that I was in labor. They took me in, put me on the monitor and determined I was having major contractions and at the time my midwife showed up and checked me. To everyones surprise I was just about 7cm dilated! WHAT!!!! It was about 12:30 at this point. I had planned to have some kind of medication (not an epidural) during labor but I was too far dilated to have anything, which I was totally fine with. I was able to get into the oversized bathtub for a while, which is where my water broke. My two previous pregnancies my water was broke by my midwife during labor, so this was the first time that my water broke on its own. She checked me again and I was 8cm dilated by then, and it was roughly 1:00 p.m. I got out of the tub, dried off, and sat on the bed trying to mentally prepare myself for what was about to happen. The contractions got stronger and stronger. My awesome midwife let me lead the way and only asked to be told when I was going to push. The lights were low and it was perfect. I let my body do its job and tried to work with it instead of against it. (I kept thinking of this article I had read that was about birthing from within that really helped me center my thoughts about labor pain and birth.) After a while of intensely strong contractions my body told me it was time. Within 5 minutes, along with a couple of pushes and some primal vocalizations, Anderson was born into Andrew's hands.
Andrew is the BEST birthing partner ever!!! The fact that he is almost a licensed massage therapist doesn't hurt! By chance, and permission granted by me, there was a high-risk doctor that attended the birth. She is required by the hospital to attend non high-risk births a certain number of times a year and it just so happened we were all in the right place at the right time, because she was able to capture the most amazing photos of the birth that otherwise would have never been captured.(These photo will not be on the blog) I cannot put into words how grateful we are to of have this happen to us.
