Baby Bear's birth story

Preface/warning: My family will tell you, I am a full disclosure person. So... this'll be a long one. Secondly, I really really really wanted to try and give birth without medication. I wanted to with Chloe but I didnt feel I had the support system in friends or family. A few weeks before Barrett was born I was told by one of the doctors that I had strep B and would need an IV during birth. Since then I have been more open to the idea that this birth was not going to go the way I hoped.

July 4th
 I woke up from my nap with some strong contractions. I thought I knew what a contraction was. Boy was I wrong. They started at ten minutes apart and I was SO excited! I packed a hospital bag, made our contribution to the BBQ that night and patiently waited for them to speed up. They did! So I called the hospital and they told me to do things to slow them down to make sure they were real :( I took the bath and they slowed down. I started to feel some self doubt but was still hopeful we would not be returning home that night.

We got to the BBQ and continued contracting every 10 minutes. Everyone said I was over reacting and not in true labor yet. I called the midwife hoping for someone to think I was in labor. She was super rude and wouldn't let me finish a sentence. Everything I told her she got mad about so we went home. I was angry and hurt and just wanted to go to bed. But the contractions continued and I couldn't sleep through them. I only got about 3 hours sleep that night.

July 5th
Mom and Bonnie called me to go to the temple with them first thing in the morning. I jumped at the opportunity! I was tired and still contracting every 10 minutes. We ended up going for bagels and my contractions were getting more intense. Everyone could sense how frustrated I was so they put me down for a nap and went to do things. I slept for, you guessed it, 10 minutes before a contraction woke me up. I burst into tears and called the midwife. I did not have the emotional capacity to keep having these and not be in labor! It just wasn't fair! She was very sweet and said that if I wanted to I could go to the hospital right now and she would induce me. (Side note: I was going to deliver at the new hospital by Bonnie and the hospital she was at was the old one and not where I planned). I called Jamie, telling him to make the decision for me. He told me to call my Mom. Mom asked what I wanted and I said I wanted to be done.

I called the midwife back and told her I would be there in 30 minutes.

Mom and Boo showed came to watch Chloe, Jameson drove a sobbing Becky to the hospital. He asked who I wanted to tell and I said "No one." I was so ashamed that I cracked. I was so close to my due date! I sat there doing paperwork and felt really peaceful. I was still contracting but they were getting a little closer, more like 8 minutes. The nurse that came to get us was super nice. She asked if anyone ever told me if I look like Jessica Biel! I laughed and said I hadn't heard that one before. She asked who and I said Mandy Moore to which she freaked out "THAT'S IT! We were all sitting back here trying to figure it out!" She was nice :)

I got changed and waited for the midwife. Jamie was smiling and supportive this whole time. When I contracted he did what we practiced and kept me focused. He was my rock. The midwife came in and we got down to business. She checked me and got this weird look on her face. I thought she was going to say I had like... un-dilated or something. She checked again and said "You're dilated to a 7. Do you have the urge to push?"

*side note: The contraction that woke me from my nap, I had the thought 'I wonder if I push if it'll feel better'

SAY WHAT?!

Second pleasant surprise: They checked my chart and the doctor told me wrong. I didnt have strep B! So I wouldn't be needing an IV! I had the midwife AND doctor double check to make sure.

The next nurse came in to ask the million questions. She was awesome. She told us to tell her when I was contracting so she'd shut up. Jamie would tell her then coach me through and I would answer. She got a kick out of watching us cause I wouldn't make a sound. I would just lean on Jameson and wait it out. She said there was a woman across the hall at a one screaming bloody murder. Another nurse walked in to prep the room and she asked her "Does she look like someone dilated to a 7!?" She gave me confidence :) A third nurse came in saying "I heard we had a patient that looked like Mandy Moore! You totally do!" To which the midiwfe said I was here under a pseudo name. They were seriously cracking me up. I would recommend this hospital to anyone.

After an hour or so of being in the room, the midwife broke my water (I was now 8 1/2) and told me to call when I had the urge to push. Maybe a half hour-ish I started to feel it. She came in and said I was 9 and she'd let me push!

Pushing is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Watching me push was probably one of the hardest things Jamie has ever done. But he didn't waver. He was right there talking me through everything. After pushing the "conventional way" the midwife suggested bringing in a birthing bar. Basically it's something they attach over the bed that you sit up, throw your arms over and hang/crouch to push. Best. Thing. EVER! She offered me an epidural when I started to tell Jamie it was too hard. But she followed the question with the statement that I was very close and could do it without it, that I was made for this. I took her word and Jameson's and kept going.

I started to doubt her... so she turned to Jameson at one point and said, "Tell her how much of the head you can see!" He looked down and I could see the shock on his face when he said "I can see most of it!" It is impossible to tell you how treasured the pictures in my head of Jameson coaching me through this are. This one time, he got me to open my eyes to look in his when he told me I could do it, and every fiber of my being believed him. I could not have done this without him.

When Barrett began to crown they stopped me because the midwife only had one glove on and the tech nurse hadn't been called. Umm... first off, like HECK I am going to stop pushing and secondly, how flattering that I exceeded their expectations :) They barely had time to catch him.

30 minutes of pushing. That's all. It was the weirdest thing being able to feel it all. But weird in a cool... inexplicable way. There he was. 7lbs 10 oz 20.5 inches long, dark brown hair and the most beautiful baby boy I had ever seen. They gave him right to me! I didnt get to hold Chloe until after they had checked her. It was so cool! Jamie even cut the cord this time :)

So, that was how Barrett came into this world. It was crazy and emotional and I cant believe I got exactly what I wanted. I got to labor almost entirely at home. I made it without medication. My husband, my love was with me. And Barrett was perfectly healthy. My friend text me within an hour of having the baby asking, "Would you do it unmedicated again?" And I didn't hesitate with my answer, "Definitely." To which I have been chuckling about since because it was dang hard work! I hate saying one birth was better because that simply isn't the case. Chloe got here how she was meant to and both births brought me wonderful, glorious children.

 I loved that Jameson and I got to laugh and talk and nap waiting for Chloe, watching my contractions on the monitor and giggling, having no clue what we were getting into. And this time I loved that we were doing this together, working as a team. That being said, I cant argue with the amazing feeling Barrett being born and the post birth experience I had. I was up and walking by the time Bonnie and Mom got there (less than an hour after having him). I could go to the bathroom by myself, I had the saftey-net IV out before going to bed. I loved the freedom of being able to move! I ate my dinner standing up for goodness sake!

After eating half my dinner I went into the bathroom where Jamie followed me because I wasn't allowed to be alone yet and after washing my hands I turned to him and said "I think... I want to lay down" He laughed at said "I bet!" It was just a completely different experience. I loved it and I would definitely do it this way again. So yeah, I guess I can say I prefer birthing naturally. And I can still love Chloe's birth.

Before I end my novella, I want to tell you about Barrett's name. We had a lot of trouble picking his name. More accurately, I did. Jameson was cool with whatever. We had narrowed it down to two family names. And I honestly thought we'd name him one of them, especially because I thought Jameson prefered it. But when I saw another name earlier in the pregnancy I just couldn't get it out of my head. Barrett is the name of one of my Dad's siblings that passed away after 3 precious days of life. Robert is Jameson's middle name which he got from his Grandpa. So that is how he got it :)