Baby Pete’s first birthday will be in a few short weeks is today. I can’t believe it. Where has the time gone? In some ways, this has been one of my most difficult years’ in a long while. So much has changed this past year with illness, life, death, joy, hope, grief.
I have yet to pen his birthstory. I wish I had written it down sooner, but I also love taking a trip down memory lane. This is the story of Pete.
If you followed along my pregnancy, you will know that it wasn’t complication free. He was sunny side up, he was a VBAC hopeful, and I had gestational diabetes to top it off. Did I mention I also wanted an intervention free birth with midwives?
Well, Pete was late. By late I mean he was only two days early which therefore FELT late in comparison to my other babies.
Now for the story …
I had started to worry that this baby would never come and that I’d have a repeat c-section. The weekly (yet inaccurate) ultra sounds were showing that he was a large baby, I had diet controlled gestational diabetes, baby’s position was suboptimal (posterior) like Amelie’s who was born via caesarean, and I wanted a vaginal birth.
The midwives were wonderful and calmed my fears, but I believe they were also trying to figure out the signs of when this baby would make an appearance.
On November 20, it was go time. I had my weekly ultrasound to measure baby. I was going to cancel this appointment by the way as I assumed baby would have been born. Alas, I was there. Lying uncomfortably, with cramping in my back. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the pressure of babe or just being very pregnant – but the cramping was 10 minutes apart. It didn’t feel insanely intense, but it felt like something. Luckily, my hubby was home and I told him “this could be it. I’m going to take a nap. Let’s take the girls to my mom and dad’s after nap time.”
Whelp. Any twinges I did feel were completely gone. They started at around 2 pm and at 7 pm … nothing. Vanished. The midwives told me to rest but of course my mind was restless. I turned on Elf (yes, still my fave Christmas movie) and tried to relax. around 10 PM I told hubby I had called the midwife and it was go time. The midwife said “I’ll meet you at the hospital in an hour”. My reply? Nope. Now!
I arrived at the hospital and was ready to go. By ready to go, I dilate quickly but pushing the baby out takes quite the time for me. I have some really funny stories of the actually birthing process (my water breaking in the hall and me nearly vomiting seeing it, nurses not being able to insert an unwanted IV due to how sweaty my hands were, LOVING the nitrous oxide …) Three hours of pushing later, Pete was born in the wee hours of November 21.
He was born the way Amelie “couldn’t” be. He was born with all the odds seemingly against us. He was born wonderful and powerful. He was born a story of redemption of my birthing fears.
Pete is unique like the other two and this year has transformed us. All of us as a family of five.
My midwives were empowering. Supportive. Loving. They never left my side and never left my story. Honestly, when someone travels through the most transformative moments of your life, you never forget. You never feel more captured and held. If you’re reading this Birth Partnership, thank you for journeying with me and helping me ease into motherhood time and time again.