This is my third baby and the first time I've felt like I did it my way. My girls are 11 and 13. We didn't find out the sex until he birth. 

I hired a doula (money well spent) for my birth this time to help me and my husband feel less pressure and stress about delivery. She was our calm in storm and a fountain of knowledge. I had a hospital birth and antibiotics because of GBS and eventually needed a low dose pitocin drip. 

On Wednesday September 21, at 40+3, DH and I were going out to dinner. The girls were at my moms and I needed to get out of the house. I had to pee before we left of course and I felt a pop followed by a little trickle. I walked out and told my hubby to wait a minute because I think my water broke. Few minutes later I stand up and there's a trickle. I texted my doula and headed to the ER to have the fluid tested. It was positive for amniotic fluid and we were admitted at 7pm. My doula arrived shortly after. I had a high leak and my midwife could feel the sac at my cervix so we decided to break my water fully to help things progress. Keeping in mind that I'm on a time clock to avoid infection for baby and fewer doses of antibiotics for myself. I labored through the night and walked and bounced on the ball. I tested between contractions. But labor stalled and I quit dilating at 4cm. 

So...we started low dose pitocin. Which was not something I wanted but again...time crunch. I was resolved to not have an epidural so I dug in my heels and labored on. By 7am, things had gotten real. I walked and danced with my hubby and got in the shower. The back labor was terrible!! I had my night nurse who said she was too emotionally invested to leave yet 😂, my day nurse and her orientee, my midwife and her midwifery student, my husband, my doula and then my mom arrived at 8. They were all so wonderful. Two people were squeezing my hips during every contraction and it was the only relief I could find. I wanted to give up during transition. I felt exhausted and like I was failing but every time I said I couldn't, someone reminded me that I already was. By 10am, I was ready to push. I got on all fours at the foot of the bed and pushed. I pushed for about 45 minutes when my midwife realized that baby had turned and was sunny side up. She manually turned the head in the right direction and a couple pushes later, my husband delivered our son into his hands at 10:50am on September 22. It was the most beautiful moment. We were overjoyed and there were smiles all around. We delayed cord clamping for a few minutes and we both cut the cord. I immediately had skin to skin and my husband took off his shirt to hold him while I delivered my placenta. It had gotten stuck with a large pocket of blood behind it and my midwife had to reach in to get it. That was probably more painful than birthing my baby. I got him back on my chest and that's where he stayed for about 2 hours. He had already passed mecomium by the time he was weighed and was 7lb6oz and 20". My birth was beautiful and empowering.