Everett's Labor and Delivery: the Story.

My doctor called me twice on Friday, just to see if I was having regular contractions yet. Both times I sadly reported that I hadn't felt a thing. I wondered if this baby wasn't going to make his appearance until the April 10th due date after all.

Saturday morning, we all went to pick up Ashley at the airport. When we arrived back at the house, we all sort of sat around and said, "well, Ashley's here; I guess the baby can come now!" This is how amazing Everett's timing is. We watched the first session of our church's General Conference and ate lunch. DURING the closing comments of the conference, my water broke. So, Everett waited until Rick finished his test and had a couple days free of school, until I finished my sewing project, and until Ashley arrived and was ready to take care of Carson.

When I called the Doctor to tell her my water broke, she said since I still hadn't had regular contractions, I didn't need to hurry to the hospital. She said to take our time and head over there soon. When I called my mother to tell her my water broke, she said to drop everything and race to the hospital. (Our family sort of has a history of quick labors.) After I hung up the phone, I felt a contraction...then 10 minutes later another one...then 8 minutes later another... and by the time we got to the hospital at 2:30, my contractions were 5 minutes apart and pretty painful.

Here we are, heading for the hospital (between contractions).

When we got checked into our room, I started to make my demands concerning intermittent fetal monitoring, the use of my birthing ball, etc. When I tried to get up and walk around or labor on the birthing ball, I realized that I was sort of passed that point; I was in enough pain that I couldn't handle anything but sitting in the bed. So much for all my reading and preparations for having a "home-birth" in the hospital!! With the contractions becoming so painful so fast, I started to get a little negative. Rick says that at one point he considered asking for pain meds for me. My new goal for my next delivery is to avoid yelling things like, "Rick, WHY am I doing this natural??," "This is stupid!! and, "I hate this!!" I think that was the transition phase, when the contractions are right on top of each other without a break. Then there was a little pause in the contractions before the pushing phase, and I sort of regained my confidence.

The two doctors and nurse who were with me were sooo great at teaching me how to push; I think with my first delivery, I never really caught on. So, on only the third set of pushes, I was amazed when I pushed the head out!! The shoulders were a little tough (second degree tear), but then I just could not believe that it was all over so fast!! I was only in that hospital room for 2.5 hours. The pain during this labor was much more intense than my first, and I'm still not sure I know how to best manage the pain with Lamaze techniques and such. But I am so happy I accomplished my goal of going all natural.

I was able to hold and nurse baby Everett right after he was born!

A more flattering picture after fixing my hair.

I am really happy with my doctor, a resident at Wake. I was her first natural childbirth!

Carson really was happier than this about the whole thing. He didn't seem to care at all that Ashley or anyone else was taking care of him, despite my constant worrying. He's just upset in this picture because Ashley didn't know to take the stairs when they came to visit. Carson has a very intense fear of elevators and goes ballistic when he rides one.
Just a few more pictures. Note the eyes and nose that are identical to Carson's, and the huge cleft in his chin!! Where did that come from??

I had to stay at the hospital for the full 48 hours because the labor was too fast for me to get an antibiotic for GBS. They just had to wach him, but everything about our baby Everett is perfectly healthy!! It feels so good to have delivered a healthy baby this time!

We are now home and tired but happy!!