Clint's Birth Story

Maybe it is time to share Clint's birth story! After all he is 8 months old today! Wow! I dare say that this story will be a lot different than it would have been had I written it right after he was born. But I'll try & remember it exactly how it happened. My whole pregnancy I had hoped/prayed (and prayed some more) that this time I would be able to be patient & wait until I went into labor on my own! You see I had only done that 2 other times, my 1st & 4th. They were by far my best easiest births! I had started taking 5w because someone else took it & thot it worked for them. Also I had bled really heavy after Larissa so I thot it might help that. And the doc said that it would up my chances of doing that again if I got induced. So I did ask the doc to strip my membranes at my 38wk check-up, hoping it might start something eventually, but he would not. Said I had to wait another week. :-( I was not very happy! Especially when Tonya went in labor a week later! So she was due a week after me but had Lily before me by 5 days! Let me tell you that 5 days felt like an eternity! So the day after Lily I went to my check-up & there was no change but he stripped my membranes. He also said I could get induced but I said no. I think I was dilated 2.9, so close to 3. The next few days I had lost my plug & had bloody show, but not labor. It was rough, I am not a very emotional person, don't cry easily, but I cried at least once a day, sometimes more! I think I felt stressed & it helped that too. We had Bethany's birthday & then Wyatt's pass & no baby! I refused to go to church, I was just too miserable & told Shane I wasn't going again till my baby was born. All day Sunday (Wyatt's birthday) I sat on a bouncy ball as much as I could & squatted thru contractions. I believe that really helped me start labor. We had his birthday cake & gifts , I don't think my heart was in it though! I had lots of contractions that night but they stopped after I fell alseep on the couch. So I just went to bed. I had had enough by then & was ready to call the doc in the morning if things didn't start by then. I got up Monday morning, the very day of my due date, got coffee & sat at the computer like I always do. Thinking about calling the doc & all, but then realized I was having a lot of light contractions, so I thot I'd time them & see. Sure enough they were coming like 8 minutes apart! But they weren't very strong so I thot no it can't be real! Went & took a shower and they were still coming. So by the time Shane came in for lunch, I think it was 11 or so...I said I think maybe we should go in & get checked at least! I really did not feel like I was in labor but my contractions were 5 mins apart & I was kinda nervous since this was my 8th baby & I don't have hard labors esp. when I go on my own. So we went....I told them @ the OB that I really didn't know if I was in labor, feeling kinda dumb since it was my 8th, but they assured me that that happened a lot when you have had so many. So they hooked me up & checked me & I think I was @ 4cm & 80% effaced. While I was waiting to see what the doc said & if I was staying, I could feel them getting much stronger & I said I am NOT going home! Shane already said I wasn't, if I wasn't in labor I was getting induced! Well the doc said I was staying! So after I got all checked & in my room the nurse got me up & walking. She said baby was really high & that walking would help him come down & keep my labor going. So for the first time really, I walked the hallways! Never did that with my other labors. I called Cami & told her I was staying so she went to our house to be with the kids. As the contractions got worse I sat on a birthing ball. I was having some back labor & it seemed to help. It wasn't really intense. Then they were a lot stronger, she checked me & I was @ 7cm, she said that would be a good time to get pain meds if I wanted them. I can't remember what time this was. But I did decided to get some meds, & it was just what I needed, after I called Jenn & asked if Brooke could go be with the kids, then called Cami & told her if she wanted to come she better get moving! I relaxed & slept some. The nurse said that baby was STILL really high! ? Man! Dr.Jones came around 5 (i think) & broke my water, I was so nervous! My meds were just wearing off by then. They thot things would happen pretty fast after that. Well I had told the nurse that I wasn't going to push, was just gonna wait till the baby just came! Lol! She said believe me when your body tells you to push you will! I just kinda talked the whole time. I started to feel a little pushy but when she checked me I was only @ 8 still! Blame that on baby not coming down! Oh yeah....when he broke my water there was not hardly any! I couldn't believe it! So anyway......I kept telling her I really had to push & I was still only 8 or 9! Ugh! Finally she said I should get up or at least change position to help him come down, I said ok but after this contraction! Well with that contraction the baby just started pushing himself down with his feet! It was amazing! I never had that happen before! So she checked again & I was fully dilated! Then we really made the doc hop to it! Lol! The nurse laughed & said I love it when we make him move like that! Ha! Now here I just can't remember how many pushes I did! I just know that I did a lot of talking/praying to myself & holding of Shane's hand. After he came, the nurse said there's all your water! It came after him. So I was like he is little! And nurses & Dr. said no he is big! They weighed him & he was 8lbs. 9oz. I said see I told you was little! After Larissa who was 9lbs. 4oz. & also kinda puffy, he did feel very little! Everything afterwards went good too, no heavy bleeding at all. I don't know if it was the precautions of the doc (pitocin after ect.), the 5w, or going in labor on my own, or maybe a combination of all of them but it worked anyway! At the time I remember saying that it doesn't matter what you do, whether you get induced or go on your own, it still feels the same in the end! Still hurts like crazy! (I never have hard labors) But looking back I would now say that it did make even my labor easier & maybe even the pushing. If I have another I will try to be patient enough to go on my own also! So God is good He answered so many of my prayers (HE always does on way or the other!) As a side note......when I found out I was pregnant, I wasn't sure i was really ready even though it was my longest space. ONLY for one reason....my weight!!! You see I hadn't been sucessful at any of my attempts at losing weight & frankly I didn't want to tack on anymore! Also I was very worried about gestational diabetes, with Lissa & Alli having been over 9 lbs. Well I only gained a total of 5 lbs & did NOT have gest, diabetes! Yes! Answered prayers! So there you have it! Hope you all enjoyed! ♥Helen