Warning: Labour Story

WARNING: Don't read this post if you don't want to know all the details of my labour!

So I figure that I have a lot of catching up to do and since Cory is looking after Jackson I am taking this time to write a bit more. Though really I should be showering, or cleaning or doing something more productive! Anyways back to the start of this whole life changing event....labour! On Friday, June 16th we went to see a movie and I started to feel some mild contractions. These came and went until Saturday night when they started coming every 20 minutes apart. We tried to sleep and go about the next day as normally as possible. Sunday afternoon rolled around and the contractions were getting stronger, not too painful, just a lot of pressure. At 10pm on Sunday, June 18th we took some graval to sleep, but were up and going to the hospital just after midnight. My midwife who was on call, Debbie, had just finished up another baby delivery, so we went to the hospital alone. Another one of my midwifes, Rosemary was working at Surrey Memorial at the time, so she checked us into a private room even though I was only 3cm. Usually they send you home if you're not at least 4cm. So we got everything set up in our room, the music, the lighting and comfy clothing. Cory and I had been practicing breathing and meditation, which was working very well. The contractions got much stronger, definately painful, though a deep, dull pain. Night rolled into day and Debbie arrived at the hospital early on Monday morning. At 10am it was decided that some action needed to take place, I'd been stuck at 7cm for a long, long time. So after a hot shower and some nonesense talk of not wanting to continue with labour I decided it best to have my waters broken. It relieved a lot of pressure, but really ramped up the contractions. They started coming more frequently and were getting unbearablely painful. I hadn't completely lost focus, but my breathing was not helping as much as before. Even though I wanted to try labour 100% natural, I thought I needed laughing gas to dull the pain. It turned out to be more annoying than helpful, so after two breaths of it , I was done trying any assistance. Now more than ever I wanted a break, just to sleep for a few hours and resume where I had left off, but that is not something that you can choose. Your body just keeps going and you're there for the ride whether you're ready or not! I began fearing every contractions when I could feel the muscles start to tighten again. But Cory reassured me that I could do it and that we were getting close to the end! He was indeed correct. After two and a half hours of intense contractions, and a little oxygen, I felt the urge to push! It was the best feeling in the world, I felt no pain when the contractions came anymore. My midwife gave me the go ahead to continue pushing and for one full hour I did so. I tried so hard to get more than three pushes per contraction, but I was too exhausted each time. I was on my hands and knees and switched to a lying postion on my side. This required my leg to be up and I didn't want to drop it for fear that I might crush poor Jackson's head.....or worse, that he'd get squished backwards and I'd have to start all over! Cory, the nurse and Debbie all took turns holding up my leg, which felt like a log, no longer in my control. I just kept pushing and trying not to strain my eyes, to no avail. They were starting to feel all puffy and swollen, though apparently they looked fine. My right arm and hand were completely numb from wrenching on my foot with each contraction. I later found out that I should have been listening to these signs a bit more! Anyways finally it came to the point where I could feel Jackson head and in a few more pushes he was out, all in one push actually. At 1:35pm on June 19th, Jackson was born!! That was certainly the most relieving feeling ever. After having his hard little (or large comparitively) head pushed against me for an hour, it was amazing to feel him just slip out and be plunked on my chest. He was all red and a bit blue so the nurse was rubbing him a bit. He ws crying and it was the best noise in the world. After that brief moment I felt my eyes begin to swell shut and I felt as though I could no longer see him. Though Cory told me (and we have the photos to prove it) my eyes were completely open and not even a bit puffy. My sight soon returned, though a bit blurry. Anyways Jackson remained on my chest for almost an hour. The nurse helped him latch on and he had a little feed. The nurses and midwife eventually had to take him from me to weigh and measure him. I took this time to have a shower and look at my now empty belly. I was in such a daze I really don't remeber much, I do remeber how good it felt to put on fresh clothes, and crawl into bed. The nurses bundles Jackson all up and gave him to Cory. We all had a nice nap together and every once and a while a nurse would check in on us. When she did so, Jackson would wake. All I remember is people telling me that I should nurse him and Cory changing his diaper......I remember looking at Jackson in his little bassinet beside my hospital bed and wondering when the overwhelming feeling of love would hit me. For now all I could think about was sleep! Luckily the birthing process had also exhausted our little baby, so he slept very well. And so ends the story of Jackson's birth.