I finished a 12 week nurse contract on a Saturday at 38 weeks + 2 days pregnant and I had been having braxton hicks daily for months! I finished my contract on Saturday, did some last minute maternity pictures Sunday, went to work Monday morning to work my last day at my IV drip nursing job and started having legit contractions around 1:30. I knew baby boy wasn’t going to come in 5 minutes so I still went to pick up my food from Chipotle I had already ordered for a friends birthday, went by Align for one more chiropractor adjustment and went ahead and stopped by the birth center to pick up the birth pool before heading home to “rest”. (P.S. it amazes me how people can rest when they’re in labor. Even though this wasn’t my first baby, I was still too giddy to sleep!)
Contractions weren’t terrible but I could definitely tell they were legit this time and not more Braxton Hicks. I took a bath, got in the birth pool and turned on my favorite comedy, Baby Mama, to help take my mind off contractions. My 2.5 year old daughter was at a friend’s house and my mom was driving in from Houston and both got here around 6:45pm, as did Salli, Ashley and Shay from the birth center. My contractions seemed to get less intense and more spread out every time I got in the birth pool so I tried to walk outside (in an amazing rain storm) and also spent some time on the birth ball. Contractions would pick up and I’d get back in the birth pool...only for them to slow down every time. I had pretty terrible back labor with my daughter and this go around was the same which I was so bummed about. Also, I had done a “pain free” birth class to help me breathe and relax thru contractions instead of tensing up and fighting them....but it was only helping so much. I was having the hardest time not tensing up. I had worship music on, the diffuser on and positive birth declarations playing. I was trying all the things. But little man wasn’t coming as quickly as I had hoped. You hear your second is usually quicker and I was hoping and praying for that because big sister was only a 9 hour labor. My goal was to have him before midnight but that came and went. I was getting nervous because I knew big sister would be awake soon, but my mom took care of her and got her off to school. Basically, as soon as they left it was “go time.” Even though I thought I had absolutely nothing left in me to give or to push this baby out, Salli and Ashley were the best cheerleaders and kept reminding me I could 100% do this. And I absolutely did!!! At 8:44am Legend Maverick was here and in my arms! I don’t know who was more relieved: me or my husband who had really been struggling seeing me in so much pain. But our sweet rainbow baby boy was here: safe and healthy! Weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches long.
Two hours later I had some unexpected bleeding but Salli and Ashley took care of me so very well. We are so grateful to God for giving them the wisdom and quickness to know exactly what to do and I never lost my peace because I had 100% faith in them and knew God had me in the palm of His hands! And He absolutely did! This was a much more peaceful birth experience not being in a cold, sterile environment with bright lights, disruptions, IVs and monitors. Thank you Jesus for our first home birth!