The Birth of Elliott James

Delivery Day. And... panic.

As you know, my delivery of Hamilton was... less than ideal. All I really wanted from this second go-round was to have it happen on it's own. I wanted to "go into labor" without medical intervention. My second wish was for the epidural to work. Please God, let the epidural work.

I decided to take off the week before my due date (March 4). This would give me time to clean the house (nap), organize my life (nap), grocery shop for essentials (nap) and spend some more one-on-one time with Hamilton (nap). I spent Monday cleaning a bit, and I got groceries for the week ahead. I couldn't do much more than that unfortunately due to that sharp, intense, debilitating, unpredictable pains I was having in my groin. They were not contractions, but I think baby was very low and quite literally getting on a nerve. Jenn came over and helped me with some very awkward stretches that seemed to help. I went to the health food store and purchased some Evening Primrose Oil that was supposed to help soften my cervix (I as already dilated to a three and 75% effaced -more than I ever was with Hamilton without medical intervention). I took a capsule that night and sighed sadly to Seth that I had missed my chance at a Leap Day baby. He said "You still have four hours!" to which I laughed and said, "Trust me... labor will last more than four hours." I was right... but barely.

At 11:30, I woke up with cramps. They were different than Braxton Hicks. These started very low and wrapped around my back, not like the Braxton Hicks which were just a tightening of my stomach. I really really really didn't want to start this labor with a sleep deficit, so I tried to go back to sleep, but the cramps were pretty regular and a little uncomfortable. Around 12:30, I opened my app and began to time them. After an hour of 5 minute apart contractions, I woke up Seth and asked what to do. "Call the doctor if they're close," he murmured and fell back asleep.

I got up and began to pace. Now they were going from uncomfortable to painful. I called the doctor and he basically said "Do whatever you want." Not helpful. By now they were really intense, and I knew it was time. I woke up Seth and told him to call his dad and get our bags ready while I walked and began to cry with each contraction. Seth's conversation with his dad went like this: "Hey dad. K, see you." As opposed to my call to my mom and to Jenn, which involved information like time between contractions, pain scales, plans, etc. I tried to call Kayla, but couldn't speak through the contraction and threw the phone to Seth. This was real.

We got to the hospital and all checked in around 2:30. The contractions were coming right on top of one another, about two minutes apart. Even the nurses were surprised by how quickly they were coming. I was dilated to a five, but 100% effaced. As I'm sure you know, the pain was indescribable. I mean, truly. All I could do was grip the bedrails and moan. Sheer torture. My mom and Jenn arrived and (as per my request), sat quietly as I worked my way through the pain. Seth was strong and silent (also per my request), and just how I needed him to be.

At long last, the anesthesiologist arrived and administered my epidural. It only worked on my right half though, which concerned me, but not enough to go through that again. My nurse recommended pressing the bolus button, and eventually it spread to the other half. I cannot even tell you the relief that flooded my body when those contractions disappeared. I was rejoicing with my birth team about how amazing this was, how much better things were, how happy I was to have them there - praise Jesus!

Very shortly after the epidural, my nurse came to put in my catheter, but had a really hard time because Baby was pretty much crowning already. She managed it, and just a few minutes later, I was told it was time to push. The doctor had me do a couple practice pushes, where I pushed with all I had. Things moved really quickly after that. I wasn't sure (because of the epidural) if I was pushing "right" so I really put all that I had into it. In just a few contractions, they said the head was out. I was able to reach down and feel all of his crazy hair, and I looked in the mirror to see my Baby half out of my body. Insanity, people. Then things began to get a little weird - the contractions went from one on top of the other to about 5 minutes apart. So now... head half out and half in my body... we waited silently for the next chance to push. It was all a little eerie. Baby was between two worlds and we quietly waited to bring him fully into ours. Finally, it was one last push and I felt that insane WHOOSH of relief as Elliott left my body.

They placed his perfect little body on my chest and we snuggled skin to skin and I held my son for the first time. His scores were perfect, and I was encouraged to nurse him, which he did very well and for a long time. I couldn't have been happier with how we began our relationship - surrounded by loved ones, oohing and ahhing over his perfection, and somehow being "just us" at the same time.

All in all, we went from first contraction to baby in my arms in only six hours. Only three hours in the hospital before he arrived. I was so proud of my body for knowing what to do this time. The hospital was extremely full again, so we were placed in the overflow room... which happened to be a suite at the end of the hall. It was very quiet and we loved it. Because Elliott was born at 5:30 in the morning, we were very tired that day and rested with few visitors. Of course, Hamilton met his new brother, and were all so happy with how easily and excitedly he has accepted him as a member of our family.

Elliott James is all that we could hope for in a baby, and his birth was so redeeming for me. May the trend continue!