Birth Story: The Peanut

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time. I need to get it down on paper before I forget the details!

On December 7th, 2013 I went into labor with my second baby. It was a Saturday, and we go to church on Saturday night. I really didn't want to miss church, so we went... contractions and all! Communion was served that night, and as soon as it was our turn to stand up a contraction hit. I think I gave one of our staff members a bit of a scare that the baby was going to be born right there in the church! Little did we know that our peanut wasn't going to come until we forced him out!

The rest of the evening was spent waiting. It was a much different experience than with the Love Bug, especially because we had to work out a babysitter who could get to our house in time for me to deliver at the hospital. We waited out the contractions, and when they became more difficult to bear, I called my midwife and we are off to the hospital! My mom came to watch the Love Bug, who was already in bed.

At the hospital I was about to get quite frustrated about many different things. First, the front desk didn't have any of my paperwork... Which I had brought in a week or two before. So I had to sit there contracting by she asked me my name, date of birth, due date... And my red head had smoke coming out of its ears while there was a baby trying to tunnel its way out of me.

When we were finally brought to a room, I was checked, and told said I could leave her in the bathtub. I did so for a while, and in the tub contractions stopped. When I was checked again, I haven't had any strong contractions for close to an hour. The midwife admitted me anyway, because I had shown some progression.

Hubby and I spent the night in the hospital. No more contractions. Just a very uncomfortable couch for him, and being checked every couple of hours for me.

On Sunday, I was told that I could either go home or have them break my water. Going home was not an option in my mind, so I flooded the delivery room!

Still no contractions.

For hours, I bounced on a birthing ball, watch The Cosby Show, took walks and did everything imaginable to try to start labor. I even tried pumping milk! It was a terrible, terrible experience.

I was trying to avoid having an IV , because I have a phobia of needles. They offered me Petocin a couple times, & I turned them down. I was determined to have this baby with no needles!

But if you've ever bounced on a yoga ball for 6 hours straight, you will understand the desperate need I had to get this baby out of my body! I finally conceded and let them stick me.

The medicine brought on contractions strong and fast. I think I got my first dose around 630 pm and I know that I had my baby within an hour! They gave me medicine to help me sleep through some of the pain, which was absolutely wonderful.

Since it was my second baby, his wife let me call the shots on when I wanted to push. I was so ready after 24 hours of trying to get this baby out of me but I'm pretty sure I started pushing quite a bit early. But I pushed for 10 minutes, and we had our Peanut!