Friday, at 9pm contractions started. It was a very dull soreness in my lower back and abdomen with slight pressure that started coming in waves. I didnt start timing my contractions until 9:20 though, at that point they were 2-3 minutes apart.
At 9:40 I decided to call my midwife, Michelle, who told me to meet her at the birthing center as soon as I could get there. Jed called Jay who sent Joseph over immediately so we could leave, while Jay and Jamie packed up stuff in case they'd have to spend the night at our house with the boys.
We arrived at the birthing center around 10:15 and Michelle immediately checked me, I was dilated to 6 and definitely in labor! I was still able to speak and move through the contractions but they were getting more painful so she started a bath. I got in and Jed sat on the edge while Michelle went out into another room to do some paperwork and to give us privacy. As the pain got worse I started using the hypnobirthing breathing method which really helped distract me and gave me a sense of working with my body rather than just focusing on enduring labor.
In between contraction Jed and I chatted and I felt pretty good. At around 11:10pm I had one contraction that was extremely intense and I felt I just had to get out of the bathtub. I had a few more contractions standing up before heading to the bed to lay down. I had remembered that I felt a lot of relief when I laid on my side last time opposed to any other position. I thought I was going to be laying there for at least another hour or so before I was fully dilated but the very next contraction I felt a lot of pressure and the urge to push. I told Jed to go get Michelle and he did but later he told me that he thought I was crazy. She came in and checked me again, I was complete and could start pushing whenever I felt like it. I was so happy that I had basically skipped the horrible transition phase but I was not looking forward to pushing!
At this point which I think was around 11:30pm, a student midwife, Misti, arrived to help and obviously learn. It was perfect timing b/c I always seem to need extra help bracing myself while pushing. I pushed a couple times and finally my water broke which is the first time that happened without intervention! It was so encouraging when Michelle told Jed to get in position to catch the baby because he was definitely coming in the next couple of pushes.
On a side note, usually at this point I'm so focused on the pain and just getting the baby out that I block everything else out but this time I was surprised how aware I was of what was going on around me, I was even able to talk in between contractions/pushes. And Michelle was right a few more pushes and Ford arrived, at exactly 11:59pm. Jed put him up on my belly and then cut his cord. He was so cute and chubby!
He breastfed almost immediately without any problems so Michelle and Misti cleaned up and left the room to give us time alone. We chilled out until about 2:30am and then Misti did the newborn exam, he weighed in at 7lbs 3oz and 21 3/4in long. Not only is he our biggest baby but his length was even shocking to Misti who measured him a second time just to make sure!
We were on our way home with our healthy baby boy at 3:30am. It was wonderful to sleep in our own bed! Ford slept all night long and only woke up breifly at 6:30am to poop for the first time.
Welcome to the world little man!
Sweet boy!
Proud daddy!
You would think with this being our fourth baby we'd be prepared but we hadnt set up the pack and play at home yet, oops. We decided to make due with a laundry basket for the night instead of wasting precious sleep time on getting his bed ready. I thought he looked so cute sleeping in there.
Proud big brothers!
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