Gray & Jak: Wellington Gregory Cato

He wasn't budging.
From the beginning this boy was trouble. At 34 weeks he had flipped himself from right side down to wrong side up. He was breech until 37 weeks and I can't express how relieved I was when he finally turned. I would pay for those chiropractic adjustments ten times over if it means helping the baby into the right position! Then at 40 weeks he was still riding high. I had only dilated one centimeter and after two membrane sweeps and two times drinking the nastiest concoction we were faced with a decision. He seemed quite content to continue his stay in my belly, so the induction was scheduled.
On Friday, July 22nd, at 6:30 am, at 41 weeks, we walked into the hospital with no intention of leaving until this little boy made his entrance. I was all sorts of anxious and fearful. I really really hate needles and it might sound funny, but my reasoning for going natural has more to do with that fear than any other convictions. An induction with IV's and augmentation medicine sounded awfully scary, but at the same time I was counting my blessings that we had avoided a scheduled C-Section.
We got to our room and I had a chance to grill my nurses and my midwife with all my questions and for the moment my fears were assuaged. I got dressed in the backless, shapeless hospital gown (much more embarrassing when you are conscious and not in the throws of labor) and then the sticking began. I tried very hard not to pass out as they went back and forth between my two arms four or five times trying unsuccessfully to find the "right" vein (of course that would happen to me), one of the worst parts of the day. Once that was settled and the fetal monitors were in place I was given a small dose of Cytotec at 8am. Contractions started but didn't really progress much over the next four hours. When my midwife checked me at 12pm and I had only dilated one centimeter more we opted to start pitocin.
Once the contractions started with the help of pitocin there was no going back. It got harder and harder to concentrate and manage the pain. One of the toughest things for me mentally was trying to gage whether or not I needed an epidural. With Tobias, I went into labor naturally and by the time I got to the hospital I was seven centimeters and with my fear of needles I was determined to avoid an epidural at all costs. But with this one, I had heard bad things about pitocin and how different it made contractions feel that for me meant all bets were off.
What I wasn't counting on was how positive and determined Gray would be. See he'd done this before, and he knew what I could handle and what it meant to me to go natural. He was at the same time my labor coach and doula. I didn't realize how desperately I needed both those roles until he was filling them and then some. He was truly amazing, cliche, but I couldn't have done it without him. On the rare off chance that someone else got to help or advocate for me my midwife was there. So involved and completely on my side. She was especially helpful when it was determined I wanted to get in the water but was sadly put in a room without a tub. The nurses for some reason didn't want to move me, too much of a hassle, but Gray and Kim wouldn't stand for it. So a blow up tub was brought in and filled up while I camped out under the shower. For me, water during labor is a life saver!
Both Gray and I got into the tub and we weren't there long before I felt the overwhelming need to push. Everybody rushed in, my midwife included, and after pushing four times Well's made his way into this world letting out a lusty scream. Hard labor started around 3pm and at 6:47pm little man arrived, 7lb 10oz of pure perfection, 20in long. A very different experience compared to when I had Tobias and honestly so much easier. It is so hard to describe that moment you finally birth your living child. Glorious, beautiful, so full of love and hard work, weighty, precious, joyful. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be a mother twice, he's graciously written my story and I am so grateful.

Tobias meeting Well's for the first time.