The Babe is One and the Story of His Birth

This is me in labor the day my boy was born.

Little did I know just how much his coming would change my world.
This was my fourth baby and fourth pregnancy. However I have only carried three babies to term. My oldest child is adopted and my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage and subsequently cancer.
In my other pregnancies I gained good amounts of weight but my babies were both under seven pounds. When this little boy was born he weighed 8 pounds 14 ounces. I am five foot two. With his weight, the placenta, that was a very good size, the ridiculous amounts of amniotic fluid and all the water retention; I lost twenty pounds in a couple days. It was glorious. I felt SO HUGE in that picture! And I was huge.

I had my fourth baby at home. This was my first home birth. It was incredible. I am thankful that my other births were hospital births and would not change that. However this birth was the purely beautiful and incredible ~ well as much as birth can be when you are pushing a human out of..... well, your vagina!

 Here is my team ~ my two midwives, my husband and then my dear friend who was photographing but also supporting and encouraging me. I honestly don't remember a day so vividly where I felt so genuinely and selflessly given to and loved.

 My husband was a gem. He did not ask for a 'break' or tell me he was hungry or getting tired. I think he had learned from previous labors that its just doesn't fly all that well. He was perfect.

 Here is my friend who was taking pictures, my midwife who is also my dear friend, picked up the camera and took some shots for her. Another good picture of the massiveness of my stomach.

 To share in the beauty of this day was my midwives little baby. He nursed and hung out throughout the day until I was in active labor. Then his daddy took him for a bit. It all worked out so perfectly.

There we are all hard at work...

I had never had a birthing pool before. I had never used a pool or water at all for my other births. Each labor has been so different. For my first labor I literally never got off a rocking chair that was in my hospital room until I was pushing. I just could not move. For my second labor if I sat down my labor stopped so I walked constantly and when my water broke all of a sudden the baby was coming NOW. With this labor getting into this pool was a bit like heaven. I couldn't stay in for long because it would slow labor down too much, it was that relaxing, and I sort of wanted the baby out!!!!

My first really strong contraction started at about six in the morning.  I had been contracting all night and a lot of the day before but not really regularly.The six in the morning contraction was intense. I called everyone around eight in the morning and caught everyone just before they were heading out the door to their respective days. This baby could not have planned things more perfectly. In this picture I had been in labor for maybe six hours or so. Here I am hanging out with the pillow that had a Thomas the Train pillow case...that really bugged me that stupid pillow case. It's funny the things you remember.

Thought going through my head are....'Why does it have to be Thomas?' And, 'Oh man, these are hurting so bad and they are only going to get worse!!!!! but I can do it I know I can.'  'Not another one!!!!'
 And things were coming out of my mouth like, 'fruuuuuuit cake.'
I didn't swear which isn't like me. For some reason I just didn't swear.

Then things started to get interesting. I needed to progress past six centimetres so I got out of the tub and we broke my water. I thought I would immediately start pushing like I had with my last labor but not quite. I had to work a little harder. So I moved into the living room and got on my knees with my head buried in cushions on the couch. The couch I had slept on for months while pregnant. The couch I had slept on before I was married while living at someone's house. This couch has gotten me through a lot. I chose not to do a water birth because that is a hands free unassisted birth usually, and with my history of tearing I needed to my midwife to be able to be right there.
I am in a lot of pain now. Feeling really grumpy inside as I know perfectly well what is coming and how I dont want to have to push the baby out. I am REALLY wanting to skip that part. All these thoughts run through my head in between the agony of contractions. My belly was so heavy as you can see in these pictures. When he came out the relief was immense. If you have had a baby you may remember this feeling.  At the same time you realize you'll never feel them inside you again.

I remember the midwives starting to get ready for the baby coming. I was scared because I had torn badly with my other babies. I knew this could happen again. I really REALLY didn't want it to happen. I had to just trust, but we all knew how massive I was.
We all knew!

 The horrible pillow is back. Dont I look peaceful though? I was getting tired at this point and probably asleep for a second. All through the labor I would have this horrific contraction and then a gentler one. I mean it was pretty amazing when I think back. It went on like that through the whole labor. I could not have asked for more.

This picture is hilarious and I had to include it. I know it is slightly graphic but I am at pushing stage now and this midwife shot is pretty awesome.

This look of so much joy

This look of perfect peace

And here is my baby boy being born. It is an incredible shot of him coming into this world.When he was being born his head came out and I had to stop and wait for the next contraction and it didn't come. I was begging my body but it waited. My midwife eased him out so gently each contraction and that was why I didn't really tear. She was incredible and somehow my body knew to take it slow.

And this is me in one of the best moments of my life perfectly captured. Belly sagging empty, arms full of miraculous ~ the first second of meeting ~ and its a boy! My joy is so overwhelming, my relief flooding. I am so thankful he is here and safe.

We all gaze in awe and no one can stop smiling.

Shortly after we realize just how much of a miracle this birth really is. My son has a true knot in his cord. This is rare and can be fatal before or during labor. However he never went into distress and was born healthy, strong and perfect.

Another miracle is that I only tear on my old scar lines and it is minor. However this is my biggest baby by a long shot! 

We give him a beautiful strong name from the Bible.
His dad is brave enough to cut the cord.

That first look

All these first moments that you never get to have again. They are all indescribable. Here I am nursing and calling the other children to tell them the news. I am crying with joy and probably a bit of shock :)

So we knew he wasn't a little peanut when he was born (like his sister before him at 6 pounds 12 ounces)...but pretty much NINE pounds?????He was the biggest baby born to my midwives that month!!!! And he came from ME! He was born at 2:30pm and everyone had arrived at the house just before 9:00am. He was 8 pounds 14 ounces (my biggest baby by far) and 21.5 inches long.

 I start calling everyone and telling them the news. My cup of happiness overflows. This has been the best day of my life.

It has been a whole year and a couple days since this day. He is now one years old. The first six months were filled with colic and mastitis and never ending nights, nursing sessions that went on for hours, my husband gone for days on end working and my other children having a hard time with it all. Through it all though I felt this different sort of confidence. I felt a strength in me I had never felt before. Sometimes it wavered, sometimes I almost lost it, but it would come back in a flood when I looked at him. He was four years younger than my next child. I had waited a long time for him. He was so wanted, so longed for, he came after a very hard and sad time in my life. He represents promise, hope, joy, love and dreams not forgotten. He is such a treasure. He has brought so much joy to our family this year. We laugh with him every day. He has been our sunshine after clouds of grief. He has changed my life.
 Happy birthday little one. Happy birthday.