Is it too late to share my birth story?

I had it posted on Cafemom and now that the site is gone I want to document it somewhere else just for memory sake.

My second son had a due date of July 6th 2017 - the same as his daddy’s birthday.

This pregnancy was very uncomfortable. My hips were constantly on fire and he was very, VERY low for weeks. I was convinced (and hoping!) that I wouldn’t make it to my DD.

I remember being disappointed when my midwife wouldn’t do a membrane sweep for me at my 39 week appointment like my first son. She said membrane sweeps were considered forms of induction now and she’s required to wait until my due date. So, I didn’t get a sweep but she recommended I use evening primrose oil which I did about every other night after she mentioned it. The rest of that week was spent doing long walks, lots of dancing, and lots of bouncing on my yoga ball. It did absolutely nothing. The hip pain was unreal at this point.

So finally July 6th comes around and luckily I had my 40 week checkup scheduled on the same day. There, my midwife checked me, said I was at a 2 and could feel baby’s head. She finally did the sweep and said expect a baby very, very soon. I was so excited! After the appointment I decided to stay active to hopefully get things moving. I went to the party store to buy my husband birthday balloons and then to Walmart for a birthday cake. I remember the store employees sympathizing with me because of how far along I was and hot it was that day. I went home and set up for my husband’s birthday with nothing exciting to report on the baby front. I was disappointed because with my first son, after my sweep I started having bloody show about 6 hours later. I was in labor for 3 days with him almost immediately- but not this time.

After my husband’s little birthday celebration we went to bed, me feeling defeated and him wanting to have a little more birthday fun. I thought “what the heck” it couldn’t hurt at this point. So, I broke open a capsule of primrose oil and used that I get things a little more.. uh... slippery. We did the deed and I went to bed sad that nothing was happening. ...so I thought.

That next morning around 5am I woke up having to pee. I was being extra lazy and not wanting to deal with the hip pain at that moment so I laid in bed on my phone. I felt the baby move and every time he moved I’d feel liquid come out. I was trying so hard to not get my hopes up so I was coming up with every other rational explanation- “the remnants our fun last night?”, “discharge”. Needless to say I got up and went to the bathroom. As soon as I stood up from peeing a hush of liquid came out. I woke my husband up still in the bathroom saying “oh my god babe I think my water broke”! He got up in a panic like “really? Really? Are you sure?!” I was like “I don’t know what else this could be!” I remember sitting on the bathtub calling the midwife feeling gushes of liquid every time my son moved. It was off to the hospital we went!

At this point I wasn’t having any contractions. At the hospital the swabbed me to confirm the liquid was amniotic fluid - which it was, and oddly enough the midwife asked to look at my parties while the test was being conducted. She looked and was like “oh yeah, your water broke” lol. I think they could tell how done I was because she came in from getting the swan results and said “well, it’s not your water breaking.... just kidding”. Haha... what a sense of humor.💀

So, grandma comes to pick up my 2-year-old and we get a room. I was waiting for contractions to pick up, which they somewhat did, but the felt mostly like Braxton Hicks and not real contractions. I used the jet tubs in the room, walked around .... nothing. I wasn’t dilating anymore than a 2 so pitocin was started. I was asking for an epidural about an hour later. It was about 7pm and my nurse came in to tell me that she is going home since it was the end of her shift. I got this overwhelming sense of anxiety and asked her to check me and apparently I was dilated to a ten at that point and had LOTS of bloody show. The epidural was doing its job because I didn’t feel any of those contractions leading up to it lol. She says do you need to push? And I said somewhat panicked “yes I need to push” she was like “hold it! Don’t push yet!” And she runs out to grab the midwife and all the other help. While she’s gone my life kind of flashes before my eyes. I’m thinking “oh my god the end of this chapter is over”, “Z won’t be a single child anymore”, at this point the midwife and nurses are in the room and they are getting my legs set up and I’m crying. The midwife was like “why are you crying, are you ok”, and I’m like - “yes! Just lots of emotions rn”. I was wanting to push so, so bad at this point and she’s telling me to hold it. She rubs some sort of oil in my vagina and gives me the ok. My husband is holding my leg and everyone is coaching me. While I’m pushing I keep saying “I don’t want to poop!” 😂 and everyone is like “there’s no poop” lol 🤣. 3 pushes later and he’s out!

The next chapter of our story began 7/7/2017, 7:11 pm. Riker Joshua was 7 pounds and 11 ounces. He’s our lucky boy.

He’s one YO now and is your typical energetic little boy. Sorry for the long story and any typos. I just want to be able to look back on this one day. 💕💖