About the birth: I started having pre-labor contractions at about 2am but that only lasted about an hour. I was able to sleep from 3am-4:45am, but then the contractions started becoming a little more intense. At that point, I knew that I was going to have a baby that day. I woke Bryan up around 5:30am to let him know things were happening. He needed to go into the office to get some things taken care of since he was taking time off after the birth so he went ahead and got up and went to work. I got up and got some things ready...between contractions that is. I got Topher up at about 7am and got him dressed, fed and ready for school...between contractions. Then I got myself ready. I even put make-up on for some reason...between contractions. ;) The contractions were not regular at this point (they were anywhere from 4 minutes to 12 minutes apart), so I knew there was plenty of time to get things done and then get to the birthing center to get checked. So I drove Topher to school (during 3 contractions) and then called the birthing center and told the midwife what was happening and that I was on my way. I got there a little before 9am and at this point the contractions were becoming regular at about 4-5 minutes apart. She checked me and verified that I was actually in labor at 4 centimeters and 90% effaced. So I called Bryan and told him to come on over to the center because we were about to meet our baby.Ten minutes later, Bryan and I were outside at a beautiful park next to the center walking around trying to progress labor. We walked for a good hour and a half before I got really tired and just wanted to sit down. I have to say that being able to walk through the labor felt great. I stopped for each contraction, but as soon as a contraction ended, it was as if nothing was going on. I felt great between each one. And the contractions themselves didn't seem all that painful either. Very uncomfortable, yes, but also very manageable.
At about 10:45 or so, we went in and the midwife suggested I go ahead and get into the whirlpool so did. I labored in the whirlpool with Topher, too, and it was just as fantastic this time. I don't know why every pregnant person doesn't do this. It is the most relaxing, greatest feeling a pregnant women can experience during labor, in my opinion. So as I'm relaxing in the water, Bryan and I get to visit and talk and joke with eachother...between contractions, of course...which were beginning to get more intense and closer together. At about 11:30, the midwife checked me again and that's when my water broke. She said it wouldn't be long now and she was right. My contractions became the most intense at this point. I could no longer do anything during a contraction except concentrate on breathing through it. This was what they call "active labor". I felt the first urge to push a little after 12pm. After two huge pushes, the head was out, but there was a problem. The shoulders were stuck or "tight" as the midwife put it. There was a mad rush to get the baby out. After the head comes out, there's a very short period of time to get the rest of the baby out before major complications can occur. So they pretty much had my legs behind my head (I never knew this was even possible for me??) and told me to push the baby out NOW so I gave it all I had and thankfully it worked. I swear it felt as if he were being ripped from my loins (which will be the way I'll always describe it...especially when the day comes that I need to put a big guilt trip on Cole). But he was out and immediately on my chest and he felt so great and looked so perfect. I didn't get to keep him long, though. It was a very traumatic birth for him so they took him to make sure everything was ok. Which, as it turns out, everything was perfect. He came back to me about 20 minutes later and I was amazed that he immediately started nursing with absolutely no problems whatsoever. He nursed for a good hour at least and then fell right to sleep.
It was such a perfect day. The weather was gorgeous and so was our new baby. Bryan went to pick Topher up at school at about 4:30 and brought him back to meet Cole. When we asked him if he wanted to meet his little brother, he said "No. No druther." He just needed a little bit of time to warm up to the idea, I guess.
We left the birthing center at 6pm that evening. Everything is going really well. He's eating and sleeping like a champ, which is all I can ask for at this point. So that's Cole's birth story. You can read Topher's birth story as well here: IT'S A BOY!!! Thanks so much for reading. More pictures and updates will be coming in the next few days I'm sure, so check back when you can.
Love to all.
