I’ve decided that now is the time to share. For years I had looked forward to having a natural birth in the birth center where we live. I tried with my first son but was transferred to the hospital after he passed him meconium and encouraged to accept the epidural. At that point almost 8 years ago, I still delivered naturally.

I decided this time would be different. I thought to myself, I’m older now, I’m wiser now, I’m stronger now! I can do things right this time around. I exercise religiously, eat a super clean vegan diet, and so on.

Welp, you know what they said, we plan and the creator laughs. This past Friday, was my 39th week appointment and my cervix was check; 1cm dilated and super soft tissue. How exciting! I had been taking evening primrose, motherwort and fenugreek to encourage labor. For about a week, I had experienced cramps, backache, frequent bowel movements and etc; but still no true labor yet. By Monday night, my official due date, I was fed up! I was tired from nesting, walking miles that week, and general physical discomfort. My son had been very active and I felt constant pressure and movement low in my pelvis, which I thought was his head settling in to birth position m.

I broke down and made the midwives brew and damn if that didn’t work! I was in active labor in a mater of hours Monday night! My bags and car seat had been pack in the car for over 3 weeks! I called the midwife and she invited me to come get checked out at the birth center after I took a shower. I called my doula to meet us there and off we went. Upon arrival, the midwife was eager to check my cervix again, but to her surprise I was dilated anymore than before and she couldn’t feel his head. She gave me an ultrasound and low and behold he was breeched again!

Around 35 weeks, we discovered that he was breeched by I did spinning baby techniques to flip him back, which worked. But all that movement I felt over the weekend was actually him flipping again!

I was told that I would need an emergency c-section and we would be going to the hospital. I cried hysterically because that was my greatest fear! I feared dying on the operating table and/or recovered from a major surgery. My goal had been true natural labor and practicing all the lovely labor pain coping techniques that I had learned!

Welp, after 20 minutes of crying and begging to go home, I accepted my new circumstances and head to the hospital across the street. My midwife actually had rights at that hospital and accompanied me and my husband there.

Everything moved to fast and within and 2 hours, he was born via csection. First of all, how women for that procedure voluntarily is beyond me. The spinal block was very painful to insert and it took them 4-6 tries because the kept hitting bone. Then In recovery I started to experience the worst pain of my damn life in my abdomen after the numbness wore off and I’ve been on heavy pain meds every since.

All in all, I’m healthy and baby is healthy, but I’m not looking forward to recovery.

We don’t technically have a name yet, but he was 6 lbs 11 oz and 20 inches long!