REID'S BIRTH STORY

Ice Ice Baby........

Reid decides to have a Vanilla Ice song start his birth story.......

For those confused...yes...we named him Duncan Reid...and will call him Reid...Most ppl think why even name him Duncan if you call him Reid....Well get over it! :o) (grins) Duncan Reid sounds lovely together ....

Monday they tell us an ice storm is coming. Not only ice but then snow...making driving conditions horrible. Add to the freezing 9' temps (with wind chills in the negatives) isn't going to help either. They decided to close schools for Tues (then became the whole week...the kids were beyond excited) so we knew the kids would sleep in and I could too.

Of course wouldn't you know it? My labor started around 2am. I heard the ice hitting the house from 2-3:30am and thought surely I'm not in labor.....(the contractions were every 10mins) Surely Reid wouldn't choose today of all days right?

Then Lily decided to wake up around 4, so I cuddled w/her a bit and fell back asleep w/my contractions being sporadic now coming 15-40 mins apart.

Finally woke up around 7ish and came downstairs to check out the weather outside

....NOT LOOKING GOOD. The ice is now covered w/snow......

The rest of the family decided to grace me w/their faces after 10.... (hubs took off b/c of weather and baby) and we told the kids today could be the day their little brother was coming. The boys just stared at me and Kate was freaking out.

My contractions were now anywhere from 15-45mins apart...then when I would have one another would come 8 mins later and then start the whole 15-45 mins apart again. I knew (or thought) I'd be in for a long day.

I had a small breakfast of juice and muffin and lots more juice to keep my blood sugar up.

I love how when a contraction would hit and the kids would talk to me...I would hold a hand up to pause them.....contract and then pick up where we left off. My boys would keep saying...'you ok mom? you ok?' Yes...just quit staring at me. (grins)

I love the fact that my mother was freaking out the whole time telling me I should head to the birthing center. But what for? I'd rather labor at home in the privacy of my own home then up there......Still turned out to be harder than I thought...(not the pains) but having all the kids home...they were running amuck...excited about the weather...and Lily kept climbing on me. Bless her, but man that hurt! She literally would jump on me and bounce...

I gave the midwife (awesome Betty) a call around 10:30ish am and asked half joking how busy she was up there? UMMMM I didn't get the response I was hoping for...THEY WERE BUSY.....There are 2 birthing suites and both were about to be filled....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO was all I could think of. They normally don't have 2 at once....make that 3.

I told her I was doing just fine at home and the contractions were slower than molasses so I'd stay put and check in with them as the time went on.

Around 3pm the contractions were coming more intense....and lasting 1 min if not longer. I was having more difficulty talking and concentrating now. Yep....I knew then it was time to leave (by the intensity due to past exp) We packed some juice....peanut butter sandwiches (for me after I deliver) and the rest of our gear! I thankfully packed about 3 outfits b/c I had no idea the size of my little peanut...(glad I did)

I called Betty to let her know to be expecting us. She said that 1 momma wasn't in labor like she thought and went home...the other momma had already delivered so for me to BRING IT ON...

Here is a photo of my baby girl as I was leaving the house...(thanks cousin claire for the awesome dress up shoes)

The ride there was horrible. My contractions were pretty low down and in my back and were coming 3-4 mins apart lasting over a min long. The roads were incredibly HORRIBLE!!! We saw trucks overturned or slid off the road. SO I hit panic mode. Hubs reminded me we had 4 wheel drive and all was well. The 24 mins ride took about 40+....and I felt every bump in the road! The pain were the "no talking I need to concentrate on these contractions while hitting every bump in the road strapped to a chair w/a seat belt while trying not to panic b/c of the weather conditions omg did this baby really choose today to come how will we get home" kind of contractions.

I wish I could describe for those who have never experienced natural labor before, but I just can't....these were the "I need to concentrate" ones...as soon as they ended I can laugh and joke and carry on.....so know anything is possible. I kept concentrating on the magical process of birth and that I needed to relax to let my baby keep moving down...(odd I know ...but hey anything to get ur mind on something else)

Branden was terrific the whole ride. He kept reminding me how great I did in the past...how great I was doing now...and that my body was meant for this. That in a few short hours we'd be holding our son and smiling. He said he was proud to by my husband! AWWW ♥ you too love!

We got to the birth center around 4:30pm and got into my room! Chatted through a few contractions giving them the background again of when labor started and how the day went while at home...what I ate etc....

She checked me and I was about 4-5cm. (lovely, NOT was all I could think) But I was totally thinned and everything was perfect. I labored until 5pm pretty easily! They were coming more intense and then I started not getting a break in between them. I remember looking at the clock from 5 to 5:20 thinking "I'm done...no more". I stood up holding on to Branden's shoulders through a few more contractions. He asked Betty to check me again...he thought I was getting close. Betty checked me again and I was only a 7. I thought I was going to cry. I know for some that is totally quick to progress like that...but the pain is sooo intense and w/no breaks it seems like you can't possibly go on anymore

But I had terrific support...hubs held me and told me how great I was doing...Sadly I yelled at him for wearing the wrong cologne and told him to never wear it again or I'd kill him. How lovely was that of me? I remember telling Betty again I was done and wasn't having more babies! haha She gave me different positions to try and nothing helped w/the pain. I remember gripping her shoulders and her looking at me and reminding me to give bigger breaths out.....that helped me concentrate a bit more....Midwives are a wonder....and care for you during unlike any other support....

I basically leaned over the edge of the bed while standing on my tip toes rocking from side to side really fast.......don't know how this worked .....last time it didn't. Hubs said it looked like I was trying to dance....I think I was trying to shake the baby out...

About 2 more contractions later I was really really feeling the pressure deep...like you need to push pressure....Betty *midwife* told me to moan deep in my chest while breathing out through the contraction..nothing helps but moaning and I remembered moaning really really loud for Lily's birth.... I wanted to be checked....I was only an 8......BUT

being that I have a great midwife she told me to push just a tiny bit to see what would happen...Don't have to ask me twice....and boom I was a 9 and my water broke. (sorry Betty since you just changed from the last birth)....one more tiny push like that she said...and guess what? I was a 10 in 2 secs flat and ready to get that baby out!

Pushing...hmmmmmmm even though I've done it before you still need a refresher of how to push....You want to just push...but you need to push more w/your bum and not your tummy.

Betty and Lynn *midwife assistant* did a terrific job keeping me focused on my job...hubs this time stood at the foot of the bed for his front row seat.....cheering me on....

I pushed and pushed and felt like I wasn't getting anywhere....you know the whole...1 push forward...2 sucks back? I was making progress, but now it was time to assume little boy was a big'un......

Finally a few more pushes later I hear Betty tell me I needed a bit of help and for me to just push no matter what....Ok not sure what they were talking about but I was about to find out.....I pushed 3 more times while screaming.......and boom my little man entered the world...at 5:58 pm

Why for the screaming? (it's usually not that bad)....Betty and Lynn had to help a bit .....Little man's shoulders were stuck! :o)

You have this feeling of euphoria the moment you feel that baby slip out...all pain gone totally replaced w/tremendous joy in 1 sec flat...I'll spare most of the pics....here is one of me all haggard and sweaty after they handed me Reid...I look on drugs haha Sadly I'm not one of those women who shoot out a baby all glamorous looking! But the glow of birth is beautiful in my mind!

Got to hold little Reid for as long as I wanted and nurse and kiss and love on him....but I was dying to know his weight....so off daddy went to capture the scales....a Whopping 9 lbs 14 oz....

This next photo is toooooo AWESOME...hubby captured my face when they told me Reid's weight

So glad I packed 3 outfits...the first 2 were for newborn up to 8 lbs.....ROFL....

Soooo that's it really....sorry no really cool or scary parts.....labor...pain....birth...cool kid at the end...

We hung out at the birthing center a couple of hours and then made the slow cold drive home on the ice yet again! This time every bump didn't hurt as bad as the last!!!

Needless to say I'm totally exhausted....Lily is terrific....still her active self. I knew how active she was but shesh! I don't know how I did it before w/little ones and newborn....I'm learning all over again! Give me pointers ladies! :o)

If I remember more to this story...be sure I'll post!