The morning of Sunday May 15, 2016, my due date, I woke up with mild contractions. I told Mitchel I thought that I might be in the beginning stages of labor but didn't want to get my hopes up! As the morning went on the contractions started to get a little stronger and more frequent so we decided to time them, just for fun! ;) To our surprise they were only about 4 minutes apart. I started to be skeptical in the "this is too good to be true" kind of way and didn't think it was time to call Shauna, our midwife just yet.
I took a shower and fixed my hair and we headed off to church. During sacrament meeting the contractions continued steady and got stronger and started to be closer together. I was still thinking that it was all too good to be true, I mean, having my baby on his due date would be like winning the lottery and I am definitely not that lucky! Or I guess I am, but I just couldn't believe it! ;)
We went into Sunday school, which Mitch was teaching that day. He told me afterward that he could tell things were getting serious because I kept holding my belly and staring off into space for what seemed to him, lengthy periods of time! We went to check on Grace in the nursery and things really started to pick up. Mitch insisted that I call Shauna and let her know what was happening. I did, reluctantly still, because I couldn't believe I was actually in labor! When I called she told me I could come in and boy are we glad we did! By the time we got in the car and Grace dropped off at my parents house, I was really feeling the contractions! We headed to Silver City with Mom and my sister Paige shortly behind us.
We got to the Birth Center around 2:45 and I was dilated between 5 and 6 cm! We went down to the birthing room and got comfy and settled in. Mom and Paige got there and our Birth photographer Ezmia wasn't far behind. I sat on the bouncy ball and that felt good for a little while, but I decided I'd really like to walk around ( how awesome that I didn't have to be hooked up to machines and could labor freely, such a blessing!). I laid down on the bed and Shauna brought me the most amazing smoothy popsicle that tasted so much like heaven it almost took the pain away! But not quite and I decided I was ready to get in the birth tub. WOW the warm water was such a sweet relief, that too was almost like heaven! After a little while, my body went into transition and my sweet hubby was there supporting me through every contraction, I couldn't have done it without him. I'm not sure what time it was that I felt like I needed to push, but when I did, I had the most amazing midwife and husband coaching and talking me through it. I felt so supported and empowered. At 6:30 pm My beautiful baby boy was placed in my arms and I will never forget that moment. He was so perfect, absolutely perfect and I was overwhelmed. The moment we had all been waiting for was here, and our lives instantly and forever changed for the better!
We had the most beautiful birth experience, it was everything I had dreamed of. I will forever be grateful for La Clinica Health and Birth Center where we found the most amazing midwife on earth and the sweetest birth assistants ever. I've known since we had Grace that I wanted a midwife to deliver the remainder of our babies, and I wanted to do it naturally. I feel so extremely blessed that we were able to give birth where we did and that my sweet mom and sister were there to witness it! :)
I've attached a slide show of our birth photos below. I can not thank Ezmia enough for freezing that day, those moments, in time, forever! We will be able to relive those moments over and over again, I never want to forget that day.
Do be advised if you decide to watch that there are birth photos and breastfeeding photos. Please be considerate, I never thought I would be willing to share such an intimate and special part of our lives with other people. I know I'm opening myself up to public criticism, but I am so proud of these pictures, so in love with them, that I want to share the beauty of giving birth and the raw reality of what it is.... strength, beauty, power, love, a miracle! ♡
https://youtu.be/v2mnlvgIIt4
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