Mike and I put Evelyn down for bed time around 8 pm because she was sooo grumpy and hadn't gotten a nap yesterday. Afterward, we turned on Elf and watched that while I bounced on my yoga ball. A friend had commented that Henry didn't seem very low, and I was very offended HAHA, especially because he was sitting so low in my pelvis. My whole body hurt from his position, so I made Mike come lay down with me and I told him to "rub my whole body." He then proceeded to rub my face and my legs and my stomach and act a complete fool haha. I wasn't having any contractions or anything, just feeling a little crampy. However, I'd been feeling crampy for the past week, so I really didn't think anything of it. I made Mike warm up a heating pad for my back and a little while later we fell asleep.
I woke up at about 12:50 to go to the bathroom. While I was in there, I had my first contraction. I had ZERO doubts I was about to go into labor because the contraction was so long and intense. It lasted 2.5 minutes!! Afterward, I went to lay down and try to rest because I knew Labor could be a marathon and if contractions were going to last 2 minutes in length, I was going to need to rest! Four minutes later, I realized my water was about to break, so I jumped out of bed before that happened. I had another contraction lasting about a minute before I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. Those were the only two contractions I was able to track!
I was in a lot of pain and I could tell he was sunny side up. Go figure. Evelyn was also sunny side up and it was terrible. I started the shower and I went and told Mike "I'm really sure my water just broke and I am in labor." (We thought my water had broken yesterday, but now I suspect I just peed. I told you bodies are gross.) He asked me to call my doula, so I got the phone ringing, then I literally threw the phone at him and said "I can't!" And jumped in the shower. The contractions started to pick up in speed. I was leaning against the bench in the shower, letting the water hit my back because that was the only thing that felt good. Mike started calling mom and the birth center to let them know. We told mom to come to the birth center, then we were like nah, just come to the house, then all the sudden I realized I needed to push!!
I don't remember telling Mike that my contractions had changed, but I was moaning very loudly, trying to control the contractions. I got down on my hands and knees, butt up in the air and was involuntarily pushing. Mike was panicking, but trying to stay calm for me. Evelyn woke up and came in to pat me on the head. "Mommy in shower??" I'm sure she was super confused why mommy was mooing like a cow. Mike called everyone back and said we were coming to the birth center. I told Mike I was scared or something to that effect. The contractions were literally on top of each other and I kept checking to make sure I couldn't feel his head.
Mike somehow managed to drag me out of the shower and put on my night gown for laboring. He wanted me to stand up and walk to the car, but the contractions were so close together that I could just crawl a couple feet before I was back in the middle of one! I made him grab a ton of towels. Finally he got Evelyn in the car and me as well and we were off.
I was definitely pushing at least once or twice a contraction the whole time we were headed there. At first, we got stuck behind a construction truck and both of us were a little panicked. The truck was driving really slowly and blocking both lanes of 35, but then suddenly it wasn't anymore and the roads cleared up immediately. Mike got the car up to 93 miles per hour! I didn't know my SUV could do that haha. As we turned onto Rosedale, we were about to stop at a light. I was about to tell Mike to run it when A) I saw the cop and B) the light turned green. Mike says he was going the speed limit, but still hauling ass with his blinkers on, so the cop turned on his lights and followed us to the birth center.
When we arrived, I tried to be a good citizen and stay in the car. Mike was waiting patiently for the cop when I decided I couldn't anymore and I jumped out of the car. I immediately dropped to my knees and resumed my cow like mooing and yelling whenever I felt the urge to push. I heard the cop say "oh! Okay!" And then Lissa (my midwife) came outside. She told me to get up and that the baby was literally RIGHT THERE so I crawled into the birth center and she managed to get me up the stairs and into the birthing suite.
I had another contraction or two on the floor and Lissa confirmed that Henry was sunny side up. His heart rate was good, so she had me get on the bed and said we could turn him if I pushed on my side. She knew I wanted a water birth, but she also knew I was seconds away from having a baby! It only took a push or two to get him turned correctly, thank Goodness. (I wasn't able to turn Evelyn on my own and my chiropractor had to come turn her.) Lissa grabbed Mike so he could come catch Henry and I yelled NO and tried to hold on to him. He was holding up my leg and I was gripping his hand. nurse Lisa took his place, though, and honestly, after maybe two more pushes? Maybe three? Henry was born!
I actually remember the ring of fire and I could feel him moving down in my pelvis as I pushed. I don't remember that sensation at all with Evelyn, but I'd also been in labor for 22 hours by that point. I felt Henry pop out and it was such an intense, incredible relief! He was very quiet and still as they put him on my stomach and I asked several times if he was okay. Lissa reassured me he was fine, he was just stunned. I could relate. Contractions started at 12:55 am and he was born at 2:19 am! He started to cry and that's when my parents made it upstairs with Evelyn.
Evelyn crawled up in bed with me and was checking brother out. After the cord stopped pulsing, Mike cut it and I delivered the placenta. This may have happened in reverse order...I literally don't remember. Around this time my doula showed up and the midwife who was on call! I'm so grateful Lissa lives nearby and was able to meet us at the birth center right away. Also, I desperately wanted her to deliver Henry since she also delivered Evelyn.
Vanessa, my doula, helped me to get Henry breastfeeding. He latched on so easily and it was like he'd been doing it forever! He nursed for a long time. People kept offering me food (but I don't know what food because I didn't have time to grab any and all Mike could find was granola. Yuck) and I kept turning them down. It was 2 am, for one thing, so I wasn't hungry, but also I was waiting for my chick fil a breakfast!! After Henry nursed on both sides, we got in the big tub.
Henry immediately wanted more milk, which was hysterical to me. He nursed the entire time we were in the tub, about an hour. Evelyn got in the tub with us until she started splashing and trying to climb on mommy. Then she went back to watching movies with her Joemo. Around 5:30 or so, mom and dad decided to take Evelyn home so they all could get some sleep. I finished nursing Henry in the tub and Nurse Lisa went over all the postpartum care instructions with me and Mike. We took a couple pictures and it was time to go home!
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would give birth in an hour and 20 minutes. I think for the rest of my life I'm going to be saying "remember how I was only in labor for an hour with Henry?!?" It was so intense and powerful, but other than a couple of moments of panic, I felt strong and in control. I knew he was coming soon and that he would be safe. I felt God's comforting hands wrapped around me and tried to spend time in prayer when I wasn't contracting.
I think that working out, eating healthy, drinking red raspberry leaf tea (sporadically lol) and spending time giving this birth experience to God led to such a quick and easy birth. I am so grateful for this experience and amazed by it. I still didn't get my water birth, but there's always next time....
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