Birth Story

 

I've decided that it's about time I write out Everett's birth story. Quite a few months late, but better late than Never! My birth experience was SO BLESSED! I had an amazing mid-wife who helped me through every step, but I think I've based most of my concerning over labor from reading this book. I was five days past my due date, so the mid-wife was suggesting to induce, but I totally wasn't down with that, I wanted a completely natural birth. So I told her to sweep the membranes instead at my check up, and she did. I was having slight cramps the rest of the day and was really uncomfortable. I went on a short walk, but didn't make it very far. By 1:30 a.m. my contractions were two to three minutes apart. We called the hospital, and headed over about 3:00 a.m. I was at 5cm. and they decided to admit me. Thank goodness, I was so ready to have this baby! I got in the hospital's awesome, giant, warm tub, but didn't stay in for long, because I was SO uncomfortable. I felt like I needed to move around or something. So, I dried off and sat on the giant exercise ball and moved around on it like all the labor videos suggest. That didn't last too long either though. I now felt like I should just lay down to rest. The nurse came in and gave me washcloths to squeeze for my contractions. Those helped A TON! My sweet husband played some of my favorite relaxing music and gave me a hard-core foot massage while I just laid on my side in the bed getting over the contractions one by one. Before I knew it, it was 6:30 a.m and my mid-wife had come. She is so amazing, she just sat there so calm and cool, knitting, and asking me questions on how I was doing. Eventually though I stopped answering anyone's questions and the contractions became stronger. All I wanted to do was concentrate and get it over with. A little later my mid-wife asked if I felt like I was ready to push. I just shrugged, I didn't think I was ready, because I heard that you get the urge to push before it's even time. She said that I should try to start pushing, so I did. Push, after push, after push his large head finally came out. It was a little easier after that. Before I knew it, this wet, warm tiny baby was whisked onto my chest. I was in such shock, it had never seemed real until that moment, all I could do was cry. The nurse was even so emotional that she wrote the wrong numbers on our wrist bands. He was here though! Everett Franklin McManus, 8lbs 11oz almost two pounds bigger than the mid-wife guessed he would be! His head was also unordinarily large, 14 3/4 inches round! No wounder the pushing was so hard at the beginning!
I was so in love, all I wanted to do was hold his warm little body in my arms all day, but eventually I had to give him up for his first bath and everyone else to have a turn...