Jake's Birth: Our Romantic Last Push

Baboo #2 arrived into the world on Friday the 13th of April, just two days past due.

Born 11 months and 22 days after his big brother, little Jake's birth signified the end of our pregnancy/baby-building phase and transition into parenting two babes under 1 (for another week!).

Here's the unedited version of events!

Wednesday, April 11 was my official due date, and with no signs of impending labour, I trudged up to my midwife visit at the hospital. The last four weeks leading up to DD were quite physically challenging, so I was eager to get the show on the road and evacuate the little man. A teething/learning-to-walk 11 month-old at home left me with little down time, and we moved apartments in my 39th week.

These factors, paired with pretty intense labour flashbacks from #1 had me feeling a bit out of sorts and anxious. 
It was time to gather my inner warrior strength and get through the final task at hand.

A healthy scan and membrane sweep later, I was heading home feeling much better about things. I knew baby Jake wouldn't make me wait forever.

Fast-forward about 48h, and it's Friday morning, the 13th of April. Hubs has just left for work, and I decide to take a nap with Theo at about 10AM. We lie down in bed, and Theo drifts off, while I dilly dally on my phone a bit before closing my eyes. Not 5 minutes after falling asleep, my water breaks and wakes me up. This didn't happen with my first pregnancy, so it's exciting but also kind of foreign. The water just gushes out onto our bed (sorry hubby, I was on his side too!).

I grab my phone and dial him.

"Babe, you have to come home, my water just broke."

I hang up, pick a sleeping Theo up and put him in his baby park, where he'll be safe in case I get hit with a contraction. I go into the bathroom and take off my soaking wet leggings and tunic, and change into fresh clothes. Hubs gets home not 12 minutes later, out of breath and concerned.

At this point I'm not even having contractions, so I'm pretty relaxed.

I've called the hospital to advise them of the situation, and they tell me to come in within 3 hours. I decide to go right away, since I know things can move quickly once the contractions start, and I don't want to have my baby in a Swiss taxi.

Hubs calls me a cab, and we kiss and part ways with the understanding that he'll drop Theo off at my mother-in-law's and then meet me at the hospital.

Cab ride is smooth sailing and I'm at the hospital within 8 minutes. I walk towards the delivery rooms with my two hospital bags, taking my time to avoid any dramatics.

 I arrive at 11AM and  am greeted by a lovely older midwife- the one I had spoken to on the phone- who escorts me to a large birthing room and leaves me for a few moments to get some supplies. When she comes back she gets me hooked onto the fetal and contraction monitor to check out the baby.

I am 2cm dilated but she doesn't seem to think that the baby will come thaaaat soon. I agree, because I am only having one mild contraction every 8-10 minutes.

I lie back and text some friends and family, updating them on things.

Just admitted - feeling pretty relaxed!

Hubs arrives to the hospital some 45 minutes later and we go for a little walk to the hospital cafeteria.
I eat a pretty disgusting vegetable soup and breaded Boursin bites that are equally unsatisfactory. Hospital food is not top, but I'm hungry and know that I'll need the energy.

We go back to the maternity ward and sit outside on their terrace. We look at the Alps while a super sweet breeze floats over us. It's really a perfect day, and I have a cheesy "inspirational quote" thought about how strong mountains are. I joke about how mountains would not be afraid of contractions. They  are strong enough to withstand any pain.

Somehow, facing a second natural delivery is feeling overwhelming to me, and I am even more fearful of the idea of a long labour. I'm glad that my humour is still intact, but I'm actually doubting my abilities.

We talk about different pain management options and he reassures me that whatever I choose is totally acceptable. There are no rules and no one to answer to here. I love him.

We giggle and enjoy how the benefit of things progressing a bit slower means that we have time to talk to each other. 

We go back into the birthing room, where I decide to get into the tub to relax a bit. It's 2:30PM. I'm telling husband that we've already been here for close to 4 hours and I'm expecting it to go on for quite a few more hours.
Contractions are about 5 minutes apart.
We eat peanut M&M's and Twix bars while I float around in the water. 


THEN. Out of nowhere, everything starts to accelerate- and fast. All of a sudden I am being struck with strong contractions that are hitting every 2-3 minutes. Shit is getting real. I want medication.

Thomas goes to get the midwife, who comes in and gives me a shot of Tramadol (opioid pain reliever, which doesn't actually have a huge effect during labour!). Even though the pain barely diminishes, I calm down a little bit and try to breathe.

Need to get out of the tub. Too hot, too unstable.

Suddenly, things are exactly as they were when Theo was born.

I am wanting to go to the bathroom, and also lie down.
Hubs helps me out of the tub. It takes a few minutes because the contractions keep coming and I have to get back on my knees to ride them out.

I have to act fast when I have some downtime.

A pause. I grab onto him and let him lead me out of the tub and into the bathroom. I go to the bathroom quickly and practically run back to the birthing bed before I am struck down again. Naked preggo lady on the run, clear the room!!!

I get on my left side and tell my husband that I don't think I can handle the pain. I want an epidural.

I want anything to get out of the discomfort, to escape it.
The midwife checks my cervix and tells me that I'm 8cm dilated and can essentially start pushing if I feel the urge.

I look at Thomas. It's too late for drugs. All I have is him. All of a sudden, I realize that he's all I need. I feel more love for him than I ever have in this moment. 

So, in similar fashion to how I birthed Theo, I push as hard as I can.

While I am pushing, hubs is telling me over and over again that it's almost over. The baby will be here soon and I'll never have to do this again. I'm so strong. He loves me.

All of this is keeping me going. All of a sudden I'm not the scared girl who needs an epidural, I am the warrior woman who can push babies out in less time than it takes to cook pasta and not require stitches afterwards.

I scream, I groan,I make all the noises that I need to in order to release the emotions, pain and obviously, the baby.

I focus on his hand holding mine (gripping might be a better word?), his words, the baby that I can feel coming into the world as the midwife tells me to breathe and slow down (LOL).

6 minutes.

He's born at 3:51PM. We are both rejoicing about his arrival and also the fact that the baby birthing bits of life are behind us.

Baby Jake we love you!!! Happy parents about an hour after the birth.

We did it, again. Together.

The next hour we are cuddling our little baby, cuddling each other, and just feeling so in love and blissed out. In the woozy after moments of labour, I can see how beautiful the past 5 hours really were, and how much I've gained from the experience.

My midwife gives me a big hug, and tells me I was a pleasure. She is so genuine and kind, and I am so grateful that she was there every step of the way, in a non-invasive way. (Shout out to midwives, yet again, I can't ever express how much respect I have for this profession).

Daddy has another boy to cuddle and watch football with <3

So that's it!

Baby Jake is now 5 days old, I am recovering super quickly and we are feeling complete and happy as a family of 4 (5 with Milo the dog!).

We feel so blessed to have our two little babes who are in different phases of baby-hood, but still both so precious and small. Every moment is magic.

I'm so amazed that in one year TWO little humans were born and entered our family. I'm also overjoyed that I don't have to go through another pregnancy, and that we can now enter the phase of raising our babies and enjoying all of their milestones.

Mini and mini-mini. 

Heart is totally full, family is complete, and life is more beautiful that I could have ever imagined. <3