Please Welcome Lincoln Avery!

May 29th I had a midwife appointment scheduled for noon. I was chasing Emma down with a cookie trying to get her to go with the babysitter or the day so after my appointment I could also clean my house so I'd be ready for the baby whenever he decided to come. I had made it, 37 weeks! He had just been given my permission to come any day now. My only concern was my water breaking before I went into labor. I didn't want to be "on the clock" because I had a birth center birth planned. Well, as I was chasing Emma down, I felt a trickle. I though - don't tell me my water just broke... but as I moved on there was nothing else and I thought - strange that really didn't feel like pee. but is must have been! So I go the kids into the car with the sitter and made myself pee on the toilet. Then I sat down at the computer to keep myself busy until I left for my appointment 15 minutes from then. The baby was moving a lot, and thought - yep, DEFINITELY wasn't my water that broke or something would have gushed out just now with all that moving. I should get a towel for my friend's car just in case though. So I got up to get a towel and thats when I had a little gush. that HAD to be my water. maybe it wasn't. Whose water breaks on their way to see their midwife anyway?! That would be too easy. I called the birth center and they told me to come in for my appointment anyway.

I arrived on time for my appointment at 12. No more leaking or gushing. I'm beginning to question again if it was my water and thinking it couldn't have been - but if it wasn't I am going to have a seriously messed up end of my pregnancy if my bladder is that screwed up. They said they could check with a swab so I got changed and as I was changing my water starts leaking down my legs. THAT has to be my water. I told the nurse and midwife, Its leaking down my legs now. At that point, I later found out, my nurse decided to put her scrubs on because she knew a baby was going to be born today!

The midwife doing my appointment it was the first time I was meeting her. Strangely I had thought to myself long before meeting her - I bet I will pick her to be my first choice. I met her, and she totally would have been! So she would be delivering my baby that day and I'm so so glad she did.

After confirming it was my water, not that anyone doubted it at that point, she checked my cervix. 7cm... I thought i was only 4 maybe 5... my bag of waters was still bulging. the break was somewhere up high thats why the leak was soooooo slow. Still no time-able contractions, and nothing painful. I had 6 hours of time-able braxton hicks contractions on Sunday and had bloody show then, so I guess my body WAS gearing up and not playing tricks on me. Baby was also no longer in a posterior position! Way to go little man!

So me and my friend went to lunch and I called to have my husband meet me at the birth center afterward. When I got back we walked a lot around the center. still only very spaced out painless contractions. I was not in labor yet. Around 3pm we decided to try some nipple stimulation to encourage labor. I was enjoying things so far. Carpeted floors, no IV, good company, eating, drinking, my kids even came to visit. So relaxing!!

Around 4:30 my midwife asked if I wanted her to fully break my water and see if that got things going. Since I was already "on the clock" I figured, alright lets do that. She said my bag of waters was really strong! There was a lot of water, and breaking it helped! Around 5pm I had contractions I could feel and time. My husband said - "In an hour she will be mooing (the sound I make in transition) and the baby will be here by 7." He was close! I hit transition around 6, and the urge to push around 7.

When transition hit I got in the tub. Labor in the water was SOOOO much easier. Transition was everything they say it was. I found myself saying everything they say a person feels in transition. I was laughing at myself on the inside that I was actually saying these things out loud. Like "I can't do this" "I don't want to do this anymore" "make it stop" "I want to get away from myself" and of course my midwife knew it was almost time. My breathing was going out the window, and I finally gave in. The breathing wasn't helping me anymore, though I'm sure it was nicer for the other people in the room when I was doing it I was moaning... or mooing as my husband calls it... my labor sound. I was in laborland between contractions, near the end I was crying not because of the pain but because I wanted it to be over but I wanted it to stop at the same time. I was spaced out, everyone was being quiet and whispering. I was just trying to relax my body, tell myself it needed to do this. I kept thinking I had to poop, but then it would pass. Sometimes I'd have the urge to push lightly with a contraction so I would. At 7:10 my husband say - you're 10 minutes late! Sometime after that I knew I had to push. This wasn't going to stop until I pushed this bay out I just had to do it.

My first push I was so unsure. Was the baby going to come out? Am I pushing hard enough? His head came out. I don't know why I thought that meant it would get easier. I was screaming so loud I scared my friend out of the room. She was shaking. I didn't know this till after the fact of course because I was in my own world. Yelling for the midwife and nurse to get him out of me. They told me I have to push again (duh lol) This time I REALLY pushed. I needed him out! The shoulders and chest were the hardest to deliver. I can't remember how it hurt, or that "ring of fire" people talk about. It was beyond anything I could think of. It was just intense and painful and lots of pressure and just - wow. Once I got his shoulders and chest out the rest came easily. They put him on my chest and I looked down at him and I loved him and I couldn't believe I did it and I couldn't believe how amazing my day was and he was here now. He was so quiet, so sweet, and my from his birth day he sure was a convenient baby! His poor face is bruised from my coxix bone because he came so fast. I told my son what a great job he did. I only labored for 2 hours and 20 minutes including pushing time. Those 2 pushes felt like eternity at the time but took me well under 5 minutes to accomplish. I did get 2 skid marks but no tear. Once again, another baby they think would have been close to 10 lbs if I made it to term. I bake them fast apparently!

A woman's body is truly amazing and beautiful. I had the birth I wanted, and I have completed the family I wanted. No one can take that day away from me. I now fully understand how UN complicated birth actually is. It's AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL and MIRACULOUS. but its not complicated like they always made it when I had hospital births. It's beautifully simple. I wouldn't say its easy... but its simple.

My midwife told me I did great! In some ways I was blessed it was short, but that shorter labors can be harder labors because your body has to do everything every one else's does condensed into less time. I can't believe your body can get that intense on its own without pitocin! Though my labor was shorter then with pitocin, and the contractions weren't as bad, I never realized how strong your body can be during childbirth just from natural hormones!

Our newest sunshine was born at 7:20pm
7 lbs 2.5 ounces
18.75 inches


Many thanks to the wonderful support team I had - My midwife and nurses, my husband, and my dear friend Yeni.

Lincoln has been an angel since birth. Sleeping 6 hours a night since we got home from the birth center (which was the same day he was born). He's done wonderful with breastfeeding as well. My recovery has been expeditious! I was able to do laundry the day after he was born, and clean the house the day following that - right back into the swing of things.



you can also view pictures of the birth here:
Lincoln's Birth