Jackson's Big Entrance
This little guy HAD to be "late". He waited 2 hrs and 14 mins after his due date to arrive. I thought for sure he was going to be "on time", but like his older sisters, he was just playing games. ;) His labor was incredibly fast. I called my midwife at 9:30 pm to let her know my contractions were anywhere from 5 - 12 mins apart which, is a sure sign of early labor. However, they were incredibly painful. I had to totally focus on them and focus on relaxing my body when they would hit. She told me I should just go to bed and if they fall into a more steady pattern to call her. I went to bed at 10:00 and slept on and off for an hour as contractions would come and go. At 11:00 I had such an intense one I woke up Jake and insisted we needed to leave. Right now. I was worried about it being a false alarm and getting everyone up all for nothing. I had done that the night before, but I KNEW this was different and kept second guessing myself anyway. I decided to hop in the shower to see if the hot water would help slow them down or help with the pain. By the time I realized this was in fact the real thing and we needed to GO, the contractions were two and three minutes apart. We had to get the girls up and loaded into the car so we didn't leave the house til after 12:00. My mom brought some "supplies" because she was certain we weren't gonna make it.
My poor husband. I know for certain I would NEVER want to have to drive a woman in labor ANYWHERE no matter how short the trip was! I was demanding he speed right through red lights and stops signs (which he did, I think, only because he feared for his life) At one point when a contraction hit and I was insistent he stop, he attempted to oh so SLOOOOOOWLY pull over to the side of the road. First of all, I needed the car stopped 5 seconds ago. And second, THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IS BUMPY. I was insisting he just stop RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! Yes, in the middle of the road. Cars could have gone around. Yeah, looking back maybe he was the wiser one, but I know what I was thinking and if I was physically able...let's just say if ever I'm in the drivers seat and I've got a laboring woman next to me you can bet your life I'm gonna do exactly what she says...if my life matters to me at all at that moment.
This labor was easy physically, but mentally I was on the verge of panic the entire time. I felt like I looked like a wild woman with my eyes full of fear and bugging out of my head, my hair a wild mess and my mouth uttering the kinds of screams you would hear walking down the halls of an insane asylum. I have been informed I looked nothing like that and in fact made the labor look easy, but I'm doubtful. With Jenna I felt like I was on top of every contraction. I was able to relax in between. As each one would hit I would think, "OK, I can do this. Just this one. I can do it and then have my moment to relax.". With Jackson I was trying to convince myself in between each contraction that going crazy and freaking out was not going to do anything productive. And no matter how hard I tried I couldn't do anything to keep the next contraction from hitting. I never once felt calm, relaxed, or on top of things. With the girls I felt like I had to do the work. If they were gonna arrive I had to be the one to get them here, but Jackson...he was coming no matter what I did or didn't do. I was so afraid of the pain that at one point I was REALLY wishing for an epidural, which, never once crossed my mind with the girls. I've heard of stories of people giving up on the all natural birth and heading to the hospital. It never made sense to me. You're already there. It won't be long. The transport would NOT be fun. Just stick it out. But with this one if I had not been very familiar and comfortable with natural births I would have insisted we go to the hospital to get me an epidural. I wouldn't have made it. Or I might have made it in time for them to deliver the baby, but I definitely would not have gotten there in time to get my epidural. And I'm not sure the driver or passengers would have arrived alive. Anywho...I'm not sure why I was so afraid. A theory is that I just went through this experience not that long ago and I fully knew what was coming each. and. every. step.
Right when I felt like I needed to start pushing I started hyperventilating. I was in the water and it was way too hot, I was way too hot, and the baby's heart tones were way too high. I slowly moved to the bed. I had two contractions before I made it to the bed and on my back. The very next contraction he starting crowning and he arrived very soon after that. The pushing was so incredibly short. I asked the midwife how long I pushed for. She rolled her eyes and said 2 seconds. I don't believe her. In fact I know for certain she was not telling the truth. ;) I think what she meant to say was pushing went so fast they didn't have time to time it.
This little man felt different all the way through my pregnancy. All my cravings were the same and things like that, which made me second guess my gut feeling that this was a boy. His kicks and punches were much different from the girls. They felt like they belonged to a boy. His head came out and when his shoulders hit I had no doubt those were the shoulders of a boy. His chest was as big as his head. Now add the shoulders to that. Yeah, it hurt.
We loved our experience at the baby place ( http://www.thebabyplacehome.com/ )! The only complaint I have is that I had to travel there. We've already gone over that tho.
From the second he was born the most common reoccurring thought that goes through my head is, "I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT PREGNANT ANYMORE!". (The second one is, "I'm so in love with this little man!) I think this thought at least 5 times a day. I felt better 3 days post partum than I did when I was pregnant. I felt so great after he was born. I was trying to convince the midwives to let me go home 2 hrs after his birth. They said they just had to do some paperwork. They came back 2 hrs later. Mmm...hmm...Clever little ladies. This recovery has been a breeze. At 2 1/2 weeks I lost the last 5 lbs of my pregnancy weight. (Thank you very much, Jackson!) And I feel so amazing!
I have the world's most amazingly, wonderful husband. Without ever being asked he gets up with the girls every morning. He changes Jenna, gets her her milk, and lays her next to me in bed. He convinces Haddie to lay on his pillow next to mommy till she gets up and then heads off to work. Not before kissing his very appreciative wife goodbye. Plus he is willing to change cloth diapers. That alone is an award winner.
After Haddie's birth I felt like I was just hit by a semi truck. People would ask me, "Don't you feel like superwoman?! Doesn't it feel amazing what you just did?!" I had no clue what they were talking about. But, after Jenna's birth right away I felt like superwoman. I was so proud of what I had just accomplished. I felt great and even wanted to do it over again (at a much later date of course!) With Jackson it took about 2 weeks to get to that point. Because I was so afraid and constantly trying to keep myself from flipping out, I felt like I was such a wimp. A baby. A loud mouthed whiner. Once I got over that feeling I realized what an amazing thing I had just done and I'm pretty darn proud of myself, thank you very much!
I am so happy to have him here! And I'm so happy I'm not pregnant anymore!!!
Right when I felt like I needed to start pushing I started hyperventilating. I was in the water and it was way too hot, I was way too hot, and the baby's heart tones were way too high. I slowly moved to the bed. I had two contractions before I made it to the bed and on my back. The very next contraction he starting crowning and he arrived very soon after that. The pushing was so incredibly short. I asked the midwife how long I pushed for. She rolled her eyes and said 2 seconds. I don't believe her. In fact I know for certain she was not telling the truth. ;) I think what she meant to say was pushing went so fast they didn't have time to time it.
This little man felt different all the way through my pregnancy. All my cravings were the same and things like that, which made me second guess my gut feeling that this was a boy. His kicks and punches were much different from the girls. They felt like they belonged to a boy. His head came out and when his shoulders hit I had no doubt those were the shoulders of a boy. His chest was as big as his head. Now add the shoulders to that. Yeah, it hurt.
We loved our experience at the baby place ( http://www.thebabyplacehome.com/ )! The only complaint I have is that I had to travel there. We've already gone over that tho.
From the second he was born the most common reoccurring thought that goes through my head is, "I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT PREGNANT ANYMORE!". (The second one is, "I'm so in love with this little man!) I think this thought at least 5 times a day. I felt better 3 days post partum than I did when I was pregnant. I felt so great after he was born. I was trying to convince the midwives to let me go home 2 hrs after his birth. They said they just had to do some paperwork. They came back 2 hrs later. Mmm...hmm...Clever little ladies. This recovery has been a breeze. At 2 1/2 weeks I lost the last 5 lbs of my pregnancy weight. (Thank you very much, Jackson!) And I feel so amazing!
I have the world's most amazingly, wonderful husband. Without ever being asked he gets up with the girls every morning. He changes Jenna, gets her her milk, and lays her next to me in bed. He convinces Haddie to lay on his pillow next to mommy till she gets up and then heads off to work. Not before kissing his very appreciative wife goodbye. Plus he is willing to change cloth diapers. That alone is an award winner.
After Haddie's birth I felt like I was just hit by a semi truck. People would ask me, "Don't you feel like superwoman?! Doesn't it feel amazing what you just did?!" I had no clue what they were talking about. But, after Jenna's birth right away I felt like superwoman. I was so proud of what I had just accomplished. I felt great and even wanted to do it over again (at a much later date of course!) With Jackson it took about 2 weeks to get to that point. Because I was so afraid and constantly trying to keep myself from flipping out, I felt like I was such a wimp. A baby. A loud mouthed whiner. Once I got over that feeling I realized what an amazing thing I had just done and I'm pretty darn proud of myself, thank you very much!
I am so happy to have him here! And I'm so happy I'm not pregnant anymore!!!
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