I guess it is time to share this story for posterity and anybody else that wants a good story. I have just been trying to get back to normal and get through all the crazy that is putting your house on the market 3 and a half weeks after you have a baby. We are insane, but this is how we roll.First of all, when I got pregnant I was so nervous because I knew I would have to go to the doctor. I HATE going to the doctor, but after 2 failed attempts at having my last 2 children at home I didn't want to push it. I wanted midwifery care, but I didn't want to pay for a midwife and then end up at the hospital again with another hospital bill. So, I told myself I would go around 25 weeks (or so) for prenatal care. Then I had the brilliant idea to order urinalysis strips to check my own urine (this ain't my first rodeo) just for my peace of mind. I knew that if there was no protein in my urine I was fine and my bp wasn't high. So, I started out doing my own prenatal care. I checked the heart rate, tested my urine, took my blood pressure and measured my uterus to make sure the baby was growing alright. I was always measuring right on. Urine looked good and heart rate was always in the normal range. BP was fine and everything was going great. So 30 weeks rolls around and I thought I could make myself go to the doctor and I just couldn't (anxiety is real and such a jerk). So, 34 weeks and 36 weeks rolled by and I just figured the heck with it, I'll go to the hospital when I'm ready to have this baby or when I see a problem.
37 weeks came and went with no problems (no protein in my urine). 38 weeks...39 weeks... 40 weeks...and all was well. I was getting more and more anxious because I got to where I was so nervous about taking my blood pressure that I just had to quit and have faith it was fine as long as my urine was clear. So around 39 weeks I stopped stressing about that and just kept checking my urine. Urine, urine, urine- I think that's the last time I need to use that word.
When 40 weeks came and went and I was still pregnant I started getting even more nervous, but I kept praying and had peace that everything was okay. Saturday morning May 23, I woke up around 4 and couldn't go back to sleep. I started praying and pleading with Heavenly Father to just let me have this baby because I couldn't take the mental exhaustion anymore. After about an hour or so of flopping in bed and praying I fell back asleep and woke up a couple of hours later with a strong contraction. I had another one about 12 minutes later and then another. My first thought was that I just needed to go to the bathroom, which I did and got back in bed. I then had 2 more contractions 12 minutes apart. After our kids made it apparent we weren't going to get to go back to sleep I got up, got dressed and headed downstairs to make breakfast. My contractions kept going every 10-12 minutes. Jeebs asked me if we should go to the hospital and I told him I wasn't going until they were at least 5 minutes apart. He was worried because I always have such quick labors.
After sitting around for a couple of hours with consistent contractions I decided I didn't want to just wait around for nothing to happen so let's go shopping! I got a shower, did the best job on my makeup and hair I could do (because, dang it, this time I was going to look good in the 'I just pushed a baby outta my body pics and I didn't want to be treated like a drug addict having done my own prenatal care). We headed to the outlet malls just after lunch. We took back some things we had gotten and then headed to the Vans outlet to get Jeebs some shoes. After that, I was done, still contracting, not getting any closer than 10 minutes apart, but they were tough to get through. We headed back home and watched a couple of movies. At that point I wanted to work out, but the contractions were too strong and I was getting tired. Around 6:30 I was having a hard time getting through them, but they were still exactly 10 minutes apart. Jeebs kept asking if I wanted to go to the hospital yet and I kept saying NO, we're waiting until they're 5 minutes apart!
Around 6:30 I asked for a blessing and felt very reassured everything was going to be fine and go as it should. Just before 7 I got in our big tub hoping the water would ease the pain and maybe relax me so the contractions would speed up. Oh did they speed up! As soon as I got in the tub I couldn't move. Contractions went from 10 minutes on the nose to 5 minutes or less. I told Jeebs to put on some hymns to listen to and he chose "Press Forward Saints" which was hilarious even during transition contractions. After about 4 contractions or less I felt the baby do a total 180 in my belly. I got up on my knees and at that point I knew we'd never make it to the hospital and so did Jeebs. Next contraction I pushed and screamed (which I have never done before) and baby's head was out. Jeebs kept saying, "you're okay, you're okay, head is out." I think at that point he also started trying to get my mom's attention downstairs to get her to come up and help. Next push Jeebs caught the baby and handed her to me with a casual, "I think it's a girl." I stood up with a vernix covered baby as Jeebs went down stairs to grab my mom, who after hearing me scream ran outside thinking one of the kids was hurt. They both came back up and scrambled to get warm towels and find floss to tie off the umbilical cord. Jeebs helped me to bed and checked to see if I had any tearing. No tearing, baby pinked up, we cut the cord and baby and I cuddled in bed. Jeebs was my hero. Even though it was totally not the plan, it was the best birth I could have ever hoped for. Just Jeebs and me getting the baby here. It was crazy, but awesome.
