I woke up at 1 am with contractions in my lower back. I was happy to finally be in labor and disappointed to be having another back labor. I timed three that were 11 minutes apart and called one of the midwives. By 2 am I had timed three at two and three minutes apart, so I woke up DH and called again. We hung out and listened to music for a few hours. I was able to get through fine by rocking side to side in a chair and hissing or having DH squeeze my hips from behind. DD woke up and we took some silly pictures.
The midwives arrived and checked me. I was almost totally dilated but he was still high up. They gave me suggestions for positions to try to help him down. They went to breakfast and I tried them. If I sat on the ball, I wouldn't have a contraction. Then I'd have one the second I got up. My contractions never got regular up to that point. I called the midwives to ask when I could start pushing. They came back and checked. I was even more dilated but he hadn't moved down at all. They tried thigh jiggling, but that was so painful. I took a shower and could be silent if I arched my back and pushed on my back. Apparently if he was going to come down, it would have to hurt.
They said I needed to transfer, possibly to get an epidural to see if it would relax my pelvis and let him come down, or even a possible cesarean. I could go to the local hospital 5 minutes away or the one they preferred 45 minutes away. I was almost guaranteed a cesarean at the local hospital, and they had a good relationship with the providers at the farther hospital and knew they would try to help me have a vaginal birth. So I had a delightful car ride. I was screaming quite loud but falling asleep between contactions.
I got to a room right away and there was a hospital midwife there. They started an IV bag of fluids that needed to be finished before I could have an epidural. The midwife broke my water. He had moved down during the car ride and was now well applied to my cervix with bulging water. DD got to see the water breaking.
I thought I would get the epidural, and DH took DD to the cafeteria since it might be a while. Then I said I needed to poop, and they said I could push. My midwives called DH to come back. Pushing felt better than the contractions had. I did about 4 on the bed, but it wasn't getting him down, so the hospital midwife said I should do a few over the toilet and then deliver on hands and knees. Once I got off the bed, I squatted and pushed next to the bed, but that didn't feel right. I made it to the toilet and got his head almost emerging. Then I got on hands and knees and pushed out his head. They said to spread my knees apart and get my belly flat on the floor, and his body came out. I hadn't felt DD's body come out because she had shoulder dystocia, so that was a new experience. I was surprised how it didn't hurt compared to the contractions.
There were a few seconds before that gave him to me since after wiping him the midwife wanted to let DD touch him, which she didn't want to since he was bloody. When they finally passed him through to me, I was surprised that I didn't smile right away. I felt protective and relieved, but wasn't joyful yet. I think I was a little traumatized at how much more the contractions hurt than last time.
Overall I'm happy to have had a nice, natural birth with my family, even though it didn't go as planned.
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