Birth Revisited, Part 2

So, we all know how this story ultimately ends but it is fun to tell anyways. Let's see-oh, yes, it is now 7:30am and the nurses are telling me that it won't be long now. My regular doctor may not make the birth but not to worry (at this point, I really did not care who delivered my baby) My water had still not broken so we waited a while longer to see if it would happen. After about an hour, the doctor decided we should break my water (I was at 9cm). When the nurses told me it was time to push (at around 9:25am) I could hardly believe that I was going to give birth. It was something I had seen almost everyday (it was my pregnancy obsession to watch "A Birth Story" every afternoon) but the fact that it was really about to happen to me was frightening yet exhilirating.

The epidural had sufficiently numbed my lower half (my legs were literally jelly) so Mark and the other nurses had to help me move into position and hold my legs. I pushed for about an hour (not feeling like anything was happening) while Mark and the nurse cheered me on. I was not progressing so we decided to have me squat using a bar. Now, imagine you can't feel your legs at all and someone is telling you to get into a squating position for about 20 minutes to push-riiight. In the end gravity took over and Will began to move down. I layed back down and continued pushing. At this point I was still having difficulty feeling anything until Will's head was in what they call the "ring of fire." Basically, his head is not all the way out but not in either. A woman does a lot of stretching and tearing at this point and that is what I did. I didn't feel the tearing part but the pressure was incredible (my son has a huge head-95th percentile-ouch!!!) With one last push, he came out and they layed him on my chest. The only thing I really remember about that part was Will's eyes. They were wide open and so blue. I felt joy, love, exhaustion, fear, and relief all at the same time. My new heart was finally here, all 9lbs, 22 inches of him.

What they say is true. Once you see your child you realize that you would die for a person you just met. I honestly don't really remember a lot of the pain but it is the love that continues to be a part of me, now and forever.

The End (for now...)