Jack's entrance into the world may have turned out differently than I had expected or planned on (because these things always go according to plan, right?), but meeting him was as beautiful and precious as I could have hoped for. He reminded us that he's his own person by making us wait as long as possible, although he's making up for it by being the sweetest little baby.
Nixon showed up eight days before his due date, so I was really hoping this one wasn't going to make us wait around. No such luck. At my 40-week appointment, the midwife scheduled my induction for ten days past my due date, all the while saying she didn't think we would have to go that route. I was also scheduled for a couple non-stress tests during those ten days, just to make sure the baby was still in good shape.
I really wanted to avoid an induction, but at the same time it was reassuring to have an end date set. I was having a lot of braxton hicks, so I knew my body was getting ready, but they never turned into anything close to real labor. So, at 41.5 weeks pregnant, it was time to encourage little Jack to come out and meet us.
We checked in to the hospital at 3 pm, and spent the next couple hours getting settled, meeting the team, and doing a lot of waiting. My nurse finally started the pitocin around 5, and then...more waiting. The contractions picked up in frequency, but were still only slightly uncomfortable. I relaxed in bed, chatted with Donovan, and hoped that things would pick up and I wouldn't be in labor all night. The nurse raised my dose of pitocin a couple times over the next two hours and kept remarking how well I was responding to it. I took her word for it since I still wasn't anything more than mildly uncomfortable and didn't really feel like I was in labor. Once my water broke around 7:20 though, things got real.
The contractions quickly became more and more painful and were coming closer together. No more doubting whether or not I was in labor! An hour or so after my water broke, the nurse came in to check on me. My pain level was getting pretty serious by this point, but I was still managing the contractions. As crazy as it sounds, the idea of getting an epidural is more scary to me than giving birth drug-free, so I really wanted to do this naturally if at all possible. I was only dilated to a six, which was a little discouraging considering how intense the contractions were feeling, but I still refused the nurse's offer of an epidural and opted to tough it out just a little bit longer. Fast forward about fifteen minutes, and I was yelling at Donovan that I couldn't take it anymore and needed something. The nurse came in, took one quick look, and announced that we were having a baby. The team rushed in, the midwife got in place, and I started pushing. I honestly have no idea how long I pushed, it felt like hours but was probably around ten to fifteen minutes. Finally, at 8:48 pm, sweet little Jack entered the world and was placed in my arms.
Best moment ever.
While I have to say that having two kids is a whole different ball game, we are so in love with this little guy. I can't wait to watch Jack and Nixon's relationship grow and develop as they become best friends. We're so happy you're here Jack!
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