I was outside sitting while the kids played in the pool. If I remember correctly it was 90 degrees or so.
The night before we had dinner in the living room because there was no AC yet.
So anyways, we were outside it was June 21. My due date was the 20th. You know those last weeks - they are just plain hard. So I get a text from a friend that another friend, Cerissa, was in labor. Now she was not due yet. That wasn't fair, right? Right. So I cried about it. My husband thought I was crazy, "aren't you excited for your friend?" I said that I wanted to be but pregnancy emotions are a little loco.
We had dinner, I don't remember what we had, but I think it might have been Taco Bell because that was the last thing I ate before I had Cameron. So judge me. We all went to the play space at the mall. When it gets really crazy at work for Andy he takes Thursdays off so he was home. We played, I probably participated in some kind of retail therapy or at least perused. So anyway the kids were running around playing soccer and I RAN over to them thinking to myself "well if this doesn't start labor, I don't know what will!" Right at that moment I felt my cervix pop a little. Almost like the baby's head went boom and opened it up a little bit. This was at exactly 7:00. Within 20 minutes I had had four contractions. I had downloaded a contraction timer app on my phone and they were long contractions. Maybe a minute long or 45 seconds. But these were no joke. I texted my mom. I wish I could go all the way back to the texts from that day. I texted her at 7:20 or maybe I called her and said that I had had some contractions, we would probably be headed to the birth center in a little bit. My dad was flying back from I believe San Diego and my mother was planning on picking him up. I was like yeah sure go ahead go pick him up, who knows what this baby is doing! I walked from the playspace (right near Best Buy and Target( to the food court/ Old Navy end where our car was and had SEVERAL HARD contractions. Breathing through them. Stopped at bathroom hoping I wouldn't have the baby there..leaned against wall and walked to the car. We drove home and they were still intense and close together. We called my mother to say to not pick up my dad - haha. We stopped at home, Andy went in to get my bag and I went in to use the bathroom. I think I might have had a bowel movement but I was afraid that I might have the baby. They were very intense and I remember how difficult it was to get back in the car. We were planning to drop the kids off at my parents house and then heading to the birth center. At this point, Andy and I decided it would be best to go right to the birth center and drop the kids off there.
My mom and I were talking about this on William's birthday the other day and she said that she got there and Cora was crying and Cameron was just hanging out. They switched cars and went home with my mom. Cora was curious and was asking questions. I am sure I did not give the most gracious answers I have ever given.
We had called the Birth Center, Reina was our midwife and we had told her we would be over in a little while. We got there say 8:15 and no one was there. I rang the doorbell. Contractions kept coming strong and long. I leaned up against the building. I even said to Andy "I don't know if I can do this." I asked for his root beer can to put on my lower abdomen and when a wave would come it would take away the edge of the pain. It worked quite well. We called the midwife again. She had luckily called us back so we had her number. She said that she hadn't left yet(!) but only lived a couple streets away. Okay. Thankfully she really does live maybe 5 minutes away.
She gets there and I am in the throes of labor. She immediately fills up the birthing tub. She was so calm and peaceful throughout the whole process. I was in the zone and she was on and off the phone. Her tone of voice was so calming, I just remember that. Now I know that she was calling another midwife because I think there is supposed to be two present at the delivery. I think she checked me and I was 7 (?). I got right in the tub once it was ready. I think my water broke in the tub at 8:47 (?I will have to check my chart notes next time I have a visit) and I pushed three times and William was born!
This was actually pretty funny because I was laboring on my hands and knees in the tub right before William was born and when I said "Ok I am about to push, I hope you are ready!" Reina gently said ok why don't you turn over to your back. I slowly did that, another wave hit and I said "nope sorry, not going to do that."
I was out of breath and partially in shock. He was born at 8:50 under TWO hours after the first contraction. You may think it was easy but it was REALLY intense. I guess I would rather intense and short than long and drawn out. So anyway, Andy and the midwife helped me out of the tub onto the bed to deliver the placenta. We let it stop pulsing before clamping the cord. He was just snuggled on my chest.
He had actually passed his meconium and actually had my labor not been so quick I should have been transferred to the hospital.
What I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE about birthing at the birth center is that they don't take the baby from you. I remember saying to Andy here do you want to hold him because my arms were tired and like I said I was still a little bit in shock.After a little while they took his measurements.
Another midwife had arrived at this point. Debby. She was great and so gentle. I did have to have some stitches and those weren't fun but very worth it.
I called my parents toying with the idea of having them come over with the kids but it was already 9:30. We called Andy's parents. My dad had landed, when he got on the plane I wasn't even in labor and when he turned his phone one there was a picture the baby saying that William Andrew had been born.
Andy had texted Erik, Cerissa's husband saying that we were on our way to the hospital earlier. At maybe 10:30 I texted Ceriss telling her that we had William and she had delivered just 19 minutes after me! It was so neat to experience that with her. We visited each other and shared stories. We call them birthday twins. It is a really special bond.
It was Prince William's 30th birthday and he had texted me that morning telling me that. He claims he knew he was going to be born. Intuition.
Delivering at the birth center is great for SO MANY reasons and they give you the choice to stay at the hospital. I like the break that it provides from the other children - the rest I can get not having dishes to clean, etc and I love the fact they they feed me! Beverly Hospital does a celebration dinner - a fancy dinner the night before we left. Those first few days are so precious and I remember lying in bed with sweet William.
I have had such positive birth experiences at the birth center and remember them with a very fond feeling. It is amazing how God made us to birth these beautiful beings.
