Birth Story: Part Tres

I have to say I felt like a failure in some ways. I always planned on going natural. I kept up with kickboxing and exercised at least four times a week throughout the pregnancy. I considered myself pretty tough. Hubs assured me it was the right thing to do and was actually relieved to see me out of pain. (Getting the epidural was somewhat surreal. I'd seen it done on the Baby Story a hundred times and always thought of it as something I wouldn't experience. Turns out it wasn't that bad. Compared to the contractions it was cake.)

Life got a whole lot better after the epidural. I was relaxed, happy, and able to really take in the experience. It actually worked out nicely because I got to experience contractions and what labor really felt like, but also got a little time to relax without the horrible pain. It was a good combo. 

So after maybe two hours the Doc came in and checked me again. Finally, I had reached 10cm and it was time to push. The nurse did a few practice pushes with me and showed me how to get it done. She commented on how strong I was and said baby would be out in 30 minutes easy. I remember hugging Hubs, we were both so excited to meet our baby and find out if we were going to have a son or daughter. 

Pushing was much easier than I expected. I think this is where all my exercise came in because I felt very strong. The Doc kept saying how impressed she was with my pushing and I felt like a superhero. After maybe 30 minutes the head began to crown. Hubs told me there was a full head of hair and I was so happy. I wanted a baby with loads of hair, so this was absolutely amazing to hear. He was so encouraging throughout all of this, telling me how awesome I was doing and how proud he was of me. It was an incredible bonding experience and one I will cherish forever.

Finally, after almost an hour of pushing, Doc told me to give it one more good one and I'd have my baby. And she was right. Just as baby was coming out Doc told me to reach down and grab him. I will never forget that moment. I grabbed my perfect baby and pulled him onto my chest. Hubs was screaming, "It's a BOY!" It was the BEST surprise ever and completely worth the wait.

I immediately began crying and couldn't believe how amazing it felt to finally hold him in my arms. It was the best moment ever. He was perfect. Weighing in at 9lbs and 20.5 inches long. My little beefcake. Born at 9:11PM on Friday the 13th. Crazy, I know. I looked up at Hubs, who was crying and smiling at the same time. It was beautiful. We had our son. Owen Matthew. We were instantly in love.

The whole experience was beyond anything I ever expected. I'm thankful for such a beautiful delivery.

Sweetest. boy. ever.