birth is not a stork

I'm not sure that I had any true expectations about birth, other than getting my baby out safely...

Prior to getting pregnant I never could have imagined a tiny human exiting my body. Nope, nope, NO. It seemed barbaric. Frightening. Not something I was capable of doing.

August 5th, 2009. I did it. I DID IT. Not only did I do it, but it was hands down {pain and all} the most amazing experience of my life. I find myself sad as the days pass that we're farther away from that sweet day that I got to birth our son.

We all know now of my false alarm on Sunday the 2nd, silly me. I thought I was that one in a million whose contractions felt like a flutter. FLUTTER NOT. Come Tuesday night, around 1am they started. When they start, you know. I had been warned. I rocked in bed, laid on pillows, walked, did whatever my body told me to do as the contractions became more and more horrid.

By 4am, I could do no more and cried to JR to please call the hospital because it was time for some drug intervention. I had done my part :) He told me again to be prepared just in case I wasn't dilated...the good contractions truly knock the breath out of you and I was running on no air by this point with evil thoughts swirling my mind for anyone in my path. I knew it was time.

We made it to Triage by 5ish I think, saddled up in pretty hospital gear and again I got a ridiculous nurse. The silly ones flock to me. By this point, I vividly remember my poor husband startled at how much pain I was in as he watched my contractions on the monitor as I was pulling the mattress over my head. It hurt. Naughty naughty words were coming out of my mouth, unapologetically.

The nurse sprung a leak in my arm after failing miserably to find the vein for the IV, and I wished terribly it would have sprung right in her silly face. I was that mad. My arm puffed up like a toadfrog, and we had to switch arms. JR was none too pleased by this point...she then topped off my Triage experience by asking me if I was going to throw up on her while pointing to her pants showing me that her previous patient had made do on her. SERIOUSLY?!?!? I thought JR was going to punch her right between the eyeballs. {We're not violent people I promise, outside of L & D}. I thought of conjuring up some nausea just to fulfill her other pant leg.

After several peaking contractions, and finally some tears, Nurse-Nat-Doesn't-Like had to ask me 1,789 questions which I understand is required, but asking a woman in labor if she has a prosthetic leg when I clearly am flailing about my hospital rolly bed with half my body clearly exposed IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. At that point I wanted to take my real leg and kick her in the shins. Both of them. Then she'd really see it was not prosthetic...had it been, I would have taken it off and used it as a bat.

I realize how hateful I sound, but I keep it honest in these parts, and I'm only showing you on a scale of 1-10 that my contractions felt like a 95.

I get examined, find out I'm only 1-2 cm and get the joyous news that we're getting a room in LDR and that I get my EPIDURAL! PTL! I started to see butterflies and rainbows.

At around 6am, we move to LDR 3 and we get a visit from the Epidural Fairy. He was my favorite. To the point and efficient. I have to say, that administering the epidural was one of the hardest parts of laboring because you have to sit completely completely still while they insert it. Once in though, I stopped seeing the light and found myself in ecstasy knowing I could feel nothing and that I was hours away from seeing my sweet Hudson.

Dr broke my water {not painful, by the way} and I quickly progressed to 5-6 cm in no time. This baby wanted out, out, out.

With my self-administer button, I joyously epidural'd my way through labor until around noon-ish when I felt lots of pressure down under and they told me it was go time and they made me put my epi button up :(

My birthing experience was perfect because of my husband. I have to give him so much credit because he did not miss a single second of the process and sat and encouraged me and loved me and held me thru the whole process which is terribly exhausting. Once it was time to push, we pushed in a quiet room with just the two of us and our sweet nurse, Erin. I remember JR's every word as Hudson got closer and closer and it was so special to have those moments together in "peace"...at 1:15pm, we got him.

I felt pain, but I think at that point your body takes over, and you just do it. It is not barbaric, not at all...it is human nature. We are designed to bring babies into the world, and we were able to make it the most beautiful moment of our lives. I pushed for only 30 minutes, start to finish, with the Dr barely able to make it in time!!

Tears flowed as soon as they laid our precious tiny on my belly, and we were in complete and utter awe at seeing our baby boy for the very first time.

Start to finish, we were blessed with a very short labor and delivery and it could not have gone more smoothly. Looks like my babies will come quick :)

After 10 minutes alone with him, we let family in and life started with Hudson...look at what we got to go home with!!!!!!

We are obviously now home, and much has happened in the short time with the addition of my MT's {milky teets}. They are part II of my birthing experience...stay tuned...