Owen's Birth Story!

A year ago this moment I was deep in labor with Owen. It was the best night of my life so far--and of course the most difficult. This is the story of my son's birth.

I still can't believe I have this tiny little one in my care. It is so intense...the biggest love instantly...it was too much for me at first being so totally love at first sight all at once. I cried (just like in Raising Arizona) "I love him sooooo mu-mu-much" all day the first day home...The birth was incredible. I was showing signs of hypertension and my doctor wanted to induce...I was very reluctant but he was past term and I just went ahead with it. I went in around 6 a.m. Monday morning-- it was still dark--and got some sort of gel put on my cervix to "ripen" it because it was not ready at all. All my sisters were like this too so I tended to believe them that I wasn't going to dilate on my own despite visualizing all sorts of flowers blooming...I hung out in the hospital and after hours of menstrual type cramps getting really intense (around 6 pm) my doctor came by and he checked me out and my water broke and was 4 centimeters dilated...I was thrilled. I was thinking, "I can handle this!" I labored on I guess pretty ineffectually for a few hours and the nurse was hinting at pitocin to stimulate contractions. I was in pain and could not make a decision. I had spent a few hours in the shower on a birth ball and while I thought I was making headway, I was informed that if I was that composed and talkative there was still a long way to go. I was completely against the idea in theory, but was afraid i could not go on all night long the way things were. I was already pretty tired. I didn't really sleep the night before and we had been at the hospital all day since 6am. I knew that pitocin makes contractions intense and come right on top of each other with no relief, but with my doctors help, we decided that i just needed to get things moving. I couldn't sleep through the contractions I was having, so rest was out of the question....anyway, it was pretty painful I will admit. I was having back labor and could not find relief in any position. I finally got in a rocker for the last two centimeters. I just sat and rocked and sort of fell asleep. I remember thinking that I was messing up the rocker because I kept feeling a gushing that I thought was pee. I guess it was amniotic fluid. Also, this is where Salli was most helpful obviously. I honestly could not have done it with out her. He help was constant in an unobtrusive way. I mean, Jeff was asleep! I really had to use the relaxation techniques that our Doula Salli taught me--start with the face muscles first and open your mouth and work down--I think I threw up around now and also had to go to the bathroom in an emergency type way! I was having uncontrollable pushing feelings...so I had to get on hands and knees on top of the bed to breath through them... I think at that point the baby turned around and so that horrible pressing pain stopped and I heard the best words of my life "I think I will go get the birth cart and call the doctor"... and I was ready to push our little bird into the world!! My doctor showed up and I started pushing--I pushed very well. I think that part lasted only 20 mins or so. I remember thinking, "You have to do it or it will never be over" Jeff was right there by me and It was simply the best feeling to feel Owen's head and shoulders and finally his whole body slip out. I was so glad it was OVER that's all I was honestly thinking for quite a while. .. well, also, thinking Never again. We will adopt... etc. I felt like that for like three days but now, I refer to that night as the most exciting night ever! Ha! Overall the hospital experience, while not my first choice ( we wanted to do a home birth) was great. Our nurse was trained like a midwife and suggested positions and relief techniques unheard of in most hospitals. I had hired a Doula for support as well and she was amazing too. I think that I was in real active labor for about 5 hours and 20 mins of pushing. I had to be at the hospital for 12 hours of waiting for the cervical gel to kick in, but that was just killing time. My doctor checked me around 5:30 p.m. and that's when my water broke. Things got more intense from there and Owen was born at 4:31 am. I am thinking back and remembering the intensity and wonderment exhaustion elation and sweetness....just wow. Tomorrow is Owen's first birthday and I wanted to get this down for the record.