My med free all natural birth experience

Dean arrived on April 17th, 2011--our 1st wedding anniversary. DH and I had prepared for a med free natural birth. Here's what happened on that beautiful Sunday...

DH and I woke up about 7:30am and celebrated our anniversary with a little "private time". It was romantic and also functional as I was 2 days overdue and we were both getting antsy. We headed out to the local high school track for a walk and at 9:04am I had what I now know was my first real recognizable contraction. We continued to walk (I did 50 minutes total) and had these minor contractions every 8 minutes or so. After we got home I had some breakfast and we started to really time these pains I was getting. I took a shower while DH put the finishing touches on our hospital bags and got them in the car. 

I think I was still in denial that this was actually the real deal. 2 days prior at my dr appointment I was 4cm and had my membranes swept, so I guess all signs pointed to this happening sooner than later. Contractions began to get more intense but not really closer together. I called my doula and she stopped by early afternoon to check on me and see how I was managing. Since it was still too early to make a move to the hospital I told her I'd be in touch (she lives 15 minutes away). So the afternoon went on and the contractions got alot stronger and I really had to focus to get through them. DH was absolutely amazing- I never ever could have gone through this without him. 

I called my doula to come back around 4:30pm and she told me to get in the shower until the hot water ran out. She arrived just as the water was getting cool. I wrapped myself in a towel and went to our bed because I desperately wanted to lay down, and as soon as I did I got a HUGE contraction and my water broke all over DH's side of the bed...oops!

After that its sort of rolled into one big contraction and shortly after we left for the hospital. I called my parents and DH called his. I texted a few people quickly between contractions. The car ride was the ABSOLUTE worst. I told DH that I had changed my mind and wanted an epidural. There was no way I could go on...he was fine with my decision but hoped it was just because the car ride was so intolerable. 

Arrived at the hospital at 6:50pm- had a few contractions on the way in and remember people asking if i needed a wheelchair. At this point the pain was more than I could have ever imagined. I barely made it into the L&D unit before I reached a very low point- I was on the toilet having diarrhea, vomiting, and contracting all at once. I honestly felt like I could not go on... I was getting through contractions holding DH facing him and swaying- like a slow dance. At once point while doing this he looked at me and reminded me that 1 year ago today at that exact moment we were slow dancing at our wedding. He knew how to make me feel his love and support. I went to the evaluation unit and got examined and was told I was 6cm but I really think the resident was wrong. I got my excruciating 20 minutes on the monitor before I could get up and walk around and got hooked up to an IV since I was begging for the epidural at this point.

Got moved into the actual delivery room at around 9pm- I asked for a midwife for my baby's delivery- she examined me and wouldn't ya know it? I was 9 and 1/2 cm with just a rim of cervix left. Everyone agreed it was wayyyy too late for the epidural! Hitting transition was a whole new level of pain and a feeling I can't even describe. I did most of these contractions squatting & holding on to the foot board of the bed DH holding me from behind. I started to get that urge to push and got on the bed to "practice" pushing. 

The baby was moving down really well and really fast- this was actually happening. I looked at the clock and it was 9:45pm...then I closed my eyes and knew what I had to do to get my baby here. My doula had one leg and my L&D nurse had the other. DH had his arms around me and I felt so much love. I started pushing- 3 big pushes during each contraction. I could feel the baby crowning and it burned a little but not as bad as I had expected. I could feel him moving out of me with every push. They had me slow down a little to prevent tearing (which I did anyway....). After 34 minutes of pushing, I felt them deliver his head and the next thing I knew this perfect little 7lb 15oz human being was laying on my chest. DH and I held each other and looked down at our son. He was absolutely amazing, with a head of dark hair and beautiful little face. 

To this moment, a week later, I am still in awe of the whole process- how there was a baby INSIDE me, and now he's here; how I "wanted" the epidural but my body had other plans which were ultimately MY plans from the beginning, and, what an absolute miracle is to give birth...