In case you missed it, you can find Part 1 of Easton’s Birth Story here.

Here is a look into part 2 of Easton’s Birth Story:

When we left off last I had just had my pitocin administered just before 7:00 AM. I knew things were going to pick up quickly, so I tried to relax as best as I could.

I was honestly surprised just how quickly things escalated. By 8:30-9:00 AM I was having very consistent contractions that were about 3-4 minutes apart. I could watch the monitor and see that they also weren’t leveling out as much during the “off” times which made it harder for me to relax. Thankfully my husband and Mom were both great cheerleaders for me and helped talk me through the pain.

By 10:30-11:00 AM the contractions were coming so frequently that I felt like I wasn’t getting a break. I started to panic a bit and was scared how I would manage through the rest of this plus delivery. As I mentioned in Part 1, my plan going into his birth was to due it medication and epidural free, but also kept an open mind knowing I’d never been through this before and things can change rapidly.

The nurse came into check on me and I remember looking at my husband and saying “I need something.” I was wearing down and whether it was a moment of weakness or not, I knew that the pitocin was making my contractions absolutely unbearable. The nurse suggested some pain medication that was relatively low dose and would just help to “take the edge off.” I agreed.

She administered the medicine and while I didn’t feel too much of a difference in the pain it did help me relax much more between contractions. The only downside looking back was that during the time in between contractions I was drowsy which made me feel out of it. I told them ahead of time I absolutely did not want to feel out of it when the baby came. I was still able to go without the epidural but I won’t lie – there were times where I definietly almost gave in to it.

They kept checking me throughout the next several hours. I went to 3 cm then 6 cm and slowly we were making progress towards delivery. The hours honestly went by quickly. I’m sure for those waiting in the hospital room they seemed to take forever, but I don’t really remember it seeming like it 5 hours between when they gave me the pitocin and when I began pushing.

The finally checked me again and I was 8-9 cm so they felt like I could start pushing very soon. There is a moment for a lot of women during labor where they feel a sense of panic – this was that moment for me. After the past several hours of contractions I already felt tired and I couldn’t imagine having to push. I took the advice that several of my friends had told me and focused on delivery like I would a marathon. This was the final 6.2 miles of a marathon. The hardest part but also the most rewarding. I focused my mind on just getting ready to meet our little boy.

The nurse came back in and got me ready to begin pushing. Wes stood beside me and my Mom and Mother-in-Law stood on the other side of the room. They talked me through several pushes just trying to get me to the final 10 cm that I needed to really begin pushing. After about 10-15 minutes, the nurse called my OB in. It ended up being a super busy day in the L&D so they were running around all over the place.

My OB came into the room and talked me through how to push and focus on getting the baby out. I remember looking at my husband and asking “is it really time?” For some reason I just couldn’t believe that the moment was here. I started pushing and just focused on getting through one contraction at a time. I had an amazing nurse who counted through each contraction and talked me through even the toughest parts.

I won’t sugar coat it, this was probably one of the hardest times during labor. I remember at some point even saying to my OB, nurse, and husband that I was scared. I felt so tired and I couldn’t imagine pushing any longer a few times. I ended up pushing for just over an hour, which looking back I realize wasn’t too bad. My wonderful husband kept encouraging me and reminding me that we were so close to meeting our sweet boy.

I am sorry if the following is TMI. After about an hour of pushing my OB said that she didn’t think I could deliver without tearing. She recommended doing an episiotomy if I couldn’t get him out in the next little bit. I looked at my husband to reassure me and he did and I said OK. Wes and I had the conversation before I went into labor that if a medical decision had to be made, and I was too tired or in too much pain to make a decision, I would look at him and he would let me know if he agreed.

To be honest, I didn’t feel anything during the episiotomy. I was so focused on getting my baby out that I didn’t even know she was doing it. After she had completed the cut it only took 2 more pushes and suddenly my whole world changed. Easton came out crying, which is such a relief to hear the sweet cry. They cleaned him up a bit, gave him to me, and let Wes cut the chord.

I couldn’t believe I was holding this sweet boy in my arms. In all honesty, during pregnancy I had a hard time connecting to this little boy inside of me. I knew he was there and I knew I loved him but there wasn’t that instant connection that some talk about for me. The moment they put him in my arms this amazing love began. He was ours. To other mamas who don’t feel that connection don’t worry – it does come and you aren’t a bad mom for feeling that way.

After the chord was cut and we had a few moments of skin to skin they took him away to clean him up and run some tests. At this point I also had to get sown back up after the placenta had been delivered. This part wasn’t fun but I just focused on wanting to hold my boy again that I didn’t care. I ended up with a 2nd degree episiotomy which I wasn’t planning on, but I knew it was the right thing in the end.

After I had my stitches they finally got me cleaned up and my mom called to let my dad and father-in-law know that they could come in (they had been waiting in the waiting room).  They gave Easton back to me and for several wonderful moments it was just Easton, my husband, and I. It felt like no one else was in the room and it felt so surreal that we were now a family of three.

Our family came around next and each had their chance holding him. He was an absolutely perfect baby and didn’t cry and let everyone have their time loving on him. It was such a wonderful feeling to sit there and watching both of our families welcome the first grandchild. To see the joy on everyones faces made me just want to freeze that moment in time.

The nurses got me ready and moved me to my room to recover. From there it was lots of testing, checking vitals, and time with family. I’ll save you the details in hopes of not having this post go on for days. The time in the hospital were spent learning how to breastfeed, enjoying baby snuggles, and soaking up time with family.

I can honestly say that even though his birth was probably the hardest thing I’ve done it was also the best thing I’ve ever done. Now I start this wonderful journey of learning how to be a Mom to this sweet boy and being a family of 3.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! Thank you for supporting me throughout this pregnancy and I can’t wait to share my new journey with you all.