birth stories: jack.

continuing our birth stories here...

and while i'm cuddling #4...

here's jack's story.

enjoy!

with jack, i was determined to do this all naturally and without induction.
he was due two days after michael's 2nd birthday, so we thought it'd be a great idea to take mv to the national zoo in dc on his birthday.
have you ever been to the national zoo?
it's like 4 miles, straight uphill.
so, i was feeling fine (i walked 3-4 miles a day during pregnancy) but apparently the "straight uphill" part kicked labor into gear.
i woke up at 3am, with very regular, 5-7 minute contractions.
i let mike sleep and pulled out my bible for a bit of concentrated reading before we left for the hospital. we hadn't taken any classes that time but you always hear that the 2nd one comes soooo much faster. around 6am, i took a long shower and then around 7am, we left for the hospital and called my midwife.
(i had such love for the midwife that helped deliver mv that i was a believer and have used a midwife ever since!)
we got to the hospital and my contractions were very strong (almost off the tech's chart) and about 4-5 minutes apart. i was 5-6 cm dilated so we thought it'd be so much faster! i was thrilled.
no such luck.
18 hours later, i was still very steadily laboring and my midwife just said some women have very steady, and very slow, labors. i guess i was one of them.
at that 18 hour mark, i asked the nurse to check me but she kinda brushed me off and said, sweetie you were only at 8cm an hour ago, it's just normal pressure. hey! let's go to the bathroom and see if you can pee!
um, okay?
so, i hoist myself off my yoga ball and stumble to the bathroom on mike's arm, pausing twice for strong contractions. i try to sit and nope! baby's coming! the nurse checks and pulls the emergency strap on the wall. a lady doctor (that i still don't know the name of!) and about 5 nurses/techs/residents come running in to help. i remember them all being so smiley and excited. maybe the first time they saw a bathroom floor birth?? my midwife is nowhere to be found but it's too late for that anyway. the sweet lady doc asks what position i'd like to be in for pushing, do you want to try on the potty?
NO.
what about with your leg on my knee, standing?
NO.
okay, what about the floor because he's coming now.
WHATEVER, HE'S ABOUT TO FALL OUT.
down on the floor of yes, a bathroom, with mike squatting behind me and two pushes later, jack was born.
8 1/2 pounds, after 18 hours of labor, he was born.
on. the. floor.
they all laughed and said that i'd laugh about this too one day but i haven't reached that stage yet.
ha.
i walked myself back to the bed and got stitched up (every time with the stitching!) and got about an hour of amazing skin to skin time with my jacky-doo before they weighed and measured him.
all's well that ends well i guess.
still not laughing though.
:)