8days 'late',well worth the wait

My first was 26days 'late',had him in hospital with epidural.

My second 4days 'early' ,had him in maternity hospital with tens machine.

My third,whom this birth story is about came 8days ' late'.

I went in for a ctg and scan at 41weeks,listened to the doctor talk about induction and booked an appointment for 42weeks,hoping we wouldn't go that far..I was hoping for a spontaneous labour.i did however let them do a stretch and sweep then drove home.later that night around dinner time I had my show and started having 'contractions'...I had been having braxton hicks for a few days prior but was sure these were different so we got our boys ready for a sleepover at their aunty's and explained that I was going to bring their baby brother home etc,popped them into bed and went home to rest and get ready for labour,I rang the hospital and talked to the midwife and she said when we are 5mins apart to drive to the hospital (its just over an hour away),my partner and I tried to get some rest in between these contractions.couldnt really sleep due to excitement aswell..midwife rang a few hours later I said they had gotten to 10mins apart but weren't really sore yet...I kept remembering closer,longer,stronger..she told us to come anyway it was 1am,my 3rd pregnancy and she thought we could have a fast labour so we went...we got into the delivery room and waited,contractions still weren't close enough to matter...come morning time they still weren't...they sent us home..I didn't want to go home home we went for walks and chilled out in town for the few hours,me my partner and my tens machine,the contractions were getting sorer but not closer,by 1pm I was so upset with myself that I thought I couldn't do it, I was buggered.I rang and asked if we could come back,they said yes.we got there and they let us stay in the ward as they thought I looked tired and needed to rest..they kept saying prelabour is long I took a sleeping pill and tried to rest some more..I basically lied on my bed for 7hours pushing my button on my tens machine every 10mins,only getting up to go toilet I was sore,tired still and feeling deflated...my contractions still weren't textbook but I thought if this isn't labour then wtf is going on...I got up again and went toilet I had blood on my pad this time so I got my partner to call out to the midwife they said how about we have a look and see how we are going...I said yeah let's do that...I was 8cm dilated...I was relieved and had a sudden boost of adrenalin..soon I was going to have my baby...I was finally ready..its 9pm now we get ready to go into the delivery room they tell me to lie down I didn't want to,I wanted to go sit on the toilet we sat there for a bit(my tens machine cord come out here i gave up on it here) then I got up on the bed had my partner stand at the top I was on my knees facing him and we pushed through 4 contractions and here he was...I was so excited to hold him i accidentally pulled him up and forgot about the umbilical cord attached to the placenta inside me ha..we did delayed cord clamping,skin on skin ,he had his first feed they left us to be for about 2hours it was lovely...then they weighed him and we went to our room for the night...he was 8lb1oz,born at 10.40pm 26/6/2021...his name is Kiwa and he is so beautiful.we went home the next day I missed my big boys and wanted a cuddle from them so much,they have adapted so well to having a baby brother I know I can't leave them alone with him yet and probably not for a while not even for a shower unless my middle child is having his nap but my heart is so full right now I have birthed 3beautiful boys and I couldn't have done it without my partner he is so important he believes in me and knows and reminds me how strong I am and I love that.