The Birth of my Mercy Baby

When you're the 9th child in a family, you have NO personal space issues!

I asked my husband to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet with me as we drove to the birth center.

We arrived at the birth center at about 1am.  I was ushered with smiles to the birth room of my choice.  The rooms all have large, state-of-the-art jacuzzi tubs with "ozonators" that changes the ph of the water from 0-two to 0-three, which prevents bacteria from even being able to form.  The rooms also have fiberoptic panels on the ceilings that twinkle like stars, which serve the scientific purpose of helping the cervix dilate as your eyes dilate in the dim lighting.  Cool.

I was given a birth ball, a large glass of ice water, and a "pager" to call for anything I needed.  After checking vitals, I was left to labor in peace with my husband.

After about...30 minutes?...I was in heavy labor and ready to get in the tub.  So I got in.  I hoped it wouldn't slow things down.  My midwife said (with a twinkle in her cheery eyes) that she thought it would speed things up.  Alone again, my husband helped me labor.  I get back labor every time, so he pushed on my back with each contraction, and put a cold washcloth on my forehead after every contraction.  I asked my husband to pray the rosary with (for) me.  30 more minutes?? I was ready to push.

I usually get my babies out in two or three pushes.  Well, I pushed.  I pushed harder.  I focused and really started doing my best pushing.  I just didn't feel the descent.  I didn't feel crowning.  What the heck?!

The midwife got me handles to hold onto and push on with my feet (they suction to the tub).  Still no.  She got a rebozo blanket and had me pull against the student-in-training (bless that girl!), but my feet would slip from the handles...so, she had me turn from length-wise to width-wise in the tub (placing the foam back support behind me).  I pushed the side of the tub with my feet and I pulled with my arms against the rebozo--now he was coming!

Three more pushes?  So so hard.  So hard.

And he was out.

Then I could know: I had pushed out his arm and his head.  "Double presentation" is what they call it (and there can be triple, with both arms and the head, so it can be worse!)...and he was 9 pounds to begin with, and my kids have big heads.

But he was out.  And it was 3:28am on the 4th of July.  The Hour of Mercy.

This boy is crying now--I'll give my closing remarks in the final installment! xoxo