I'm in the club!

I've officially joined the mommy club! Yeah!! Ethan Jeffrey was born July 3 at 9:41pm weighing 8 lbs. and was 21". That's a lot of baby! The birth was absolutely amazing and not at all what I thought it would be like. I'd love to share our birth story here...

Wednesday, July 2, I started having very mild contractions about 7 minutes apart and lasting about 45 seconds. I could tell they were not Braxton Hicks because of the warming sensation I felt at the tops of my legs - like very mild menstrual cramps. I went about my day as usual, but Phil decided to not go into work on Thursday, because we were sure I was having labor pains.

Thursday morning at 3am, I woke up because the contractions were enough to prevent me from sleeping through them. I could feel them more now - and could tell their start, peak, and stop more noticeably. I spent the rest of the day having contractions 5-6 minutes apart and lasting 1 min. Around noon they became uncomfortable enough that Phil had to start applying counter pressure through each one (a Bradley Method technique). By 2pm, the contractions were 4 min. apart and I already had my 39 week appt. scheduled for 4:30 so I called the midwives to tell them I am definitely in labor and will be bringing our stuff up there to stay after the appt.

At 4:30pm I was 5 cm dilated. At this point, I really didn't want to be touched through the contractions, and chose to just close my eyes and breathe through them. I got set up in the room I had wanted and immediately sat in a chair in a warm shower and let the water run on my back through the contractions. With that and Phil applying counter pressure through them, the contractions were surprisingly bearable. In between we were laughing and talking.

Around 7:30pm I felt a strong urge to push - so we had the midwives check and I was 9 cm dilated. I was allowed to start pushing with the contractions. Not long after I started pushing, I started feeling lots of pain in my tale bone. As I continued to progress, my tale bone continued to become unbearable. It was discovered that Ethan's head had moved the opening of my cervix back a bit - so my pushing up to that point had been in vain. The midwife had to help reposition my cervix (yes, painful, but very relief giving) and I continued to push. My tale bone started to prevent me from pushing correctly so it was decided I should get in the tub to relieve the pressure.

I had no expectations to have a water birth. I really could have cared less. I just wanted my sweet boy in my arms. There was a mom laboring next to me, and pushing at the same time I was, which was surprisingly extremely comforting and then I heard her baby cry and I got a resurgence of energy. I wanted my baby in my arms! The pain immediately subsided in the tub as I felt weight less and the warm water relaxed me. What seems like a few short minutes later, my sweet sweet boy was in my arms at 9:41pm.

I never thought this is how I would give birth. Ever. It was amazing to see how God created my body to do this. I held on to the promise the entire time that God would never give me more than I can handle. He proved faithful. Has he ever let me down?

Thank you all for your encouragement and well wishes and sharing this time with us. We are excited for everyone to hold him, our little miracle baby. (I don't know if I shared how his conception was a miracle - but I'll do that in another post real soon.)

Now, back to nursing!