Benjamin's Birth Story, part 2

Gratefully, I had a pretty easy pregnancy. I had very little morning sickness and never once ran for the bathroom. There were plenty of days of fatigue and I couldn't eat chicken for a while. But other than that things went well.

The baby was stretched out in my womb. His little feet were constantly in my ribs but because of his position I didn't "pop" until I was about 7 months along. Even then on my due date a friend told me I didn't look like I was about to have a baby.

This was taken two months before d-day.

This one is only a month away from having a baby.

In February, Dave and I took a birthing class at the hospital. Our teacher taught us all about natural labor and delivery. I didn't know I wanted to go natural but after that class and after watching several documentaries on the subject, I was sold. I determined to labor at home as long as possible then go to the hospital only when I couldn't bear it any longer. Dave started researching what to do in the event of a home birth. He is in no way an advocate of home births but he knew I was serious and decided it was better to become informed than try to change my mind.

With the nursery all but decorated and my bag packed, we waited and waited for labor to start. I thought for sure I would go early. In the doctor's office four days before my due date, he told me I was only dilated to 2. He seemed pretty certain that I would make it to my next appointment in a week and then we would start talking induction. NO!!! I did not want to be induced -- I wanted everything to go as nature intended.

I started googling all the different ways to send myself into labor: I walked the curb (Dave took a video but you won't see it here -- much too embarrassing), bounced on the exercise ball, loved my husband, massaged pressure points in my hands and feet, took long walks, and started earnestly praying that I would go into labor before my next appointment.

Then along came my due date without even a twinge of labor. So, I accompanied my mother and other female relatives to the Studio 5 taping at Hale Centre Theatre hoping my water would break in the middle of the live show. It would have been exciting but no such luck. The next day I went into Dave's office and helped him with an emergency root canal. Still nothing.

I woke up Mother's Day morning earlier than I wanted with pain in my lower back. This is it, I thought. I had a few contractions throughout the day but I still made it to sacrament meeting and the family party later in the day. By that evening, the erratic contractions stopped and the back pain more or less subsided. Disappointing. I was already overdue and more than ready to have this baby.