The last 2 months have been a total whirlwind. I still look at Max and can't believe he's mine. I can't believe I have 3 kids! Anyway, I still haven't posted Maxwell's birth story. I love birth stories and I want his documented. It won't be a long post because labor was quick and uncomplicated, just the way I like it!

About a week before I went into labor, I was starting to get very anxious for his arrival. I had a lot of fear that he would be late and I would have to be induced since we were leaving for WA 2.5 weeks after his due date. Thankfully, just like Mia, he was born on his due date, November 18th.

On Sunday night, I had some mild contractions but they didn't last long. Monday morning I woke up with cramps, which had me felling a little off. I canceled a play-date with my friend, Hillary, because I was moving super slow and just felt like I needed to stay home. I spent the day cleaning and getting laundry done while the girls played. Joe and I went to bed around 9pm but I woke up about an hour later with painful contractions. I let Joe sleep since I knew it would be awhile before we would need to go to the hospital. I started timing contractions, put together the final things in my hospital bag, and took a shower. Joe woke up and I updated him and he started helping me breathe through the contractions, which were getting more intense. At 11:45pm, contractions were less than 5 min apart.  I wasn't ready to go to the hospital yet because I didn't think I was far enough but Joe felt otherwise, so he called the hospital and they said I needed to come in.

Hillary, arrived at our house at 1:10am to watch the girls and we left for the hospital. At this point my contractions were happening every 3 minutes. They were painful but not unbearable.

Once we got to the hospital around 1:30am, the nurse checked my cervix and I was 6-7 cm and 90% effaced. I wanted to have another unmedicated birth and Joe did great helping me breathe through contractions. I ended up staying in the bed because it was the most comfortable and the nurse thought I was progressing too quickly to go in the bathtub.

I don't remember the exact times at this point, but around 3am, I was about 9cm. The nurse said the only thing stopping me from being 10cm was my water breaking. I wanted it to break on it's own so we waited. Shortly after, I felt this huge urge to push and my water broke. Now, it was getting close to go time. Joe kept reminding the nurse that I pushed my last baby (Naomi) out in one push and the doctor wasn't even in the room yet. The nurses got the room prepped for delivery and the doctor was called.  I started to feel the need to push but of course, the doctor wasn't there yet. I started pushing and the doctor arrived.  Everyone seemed to be buzzing around the room in a hurry yet time seemed to be standing still. There's nothing quite like the painful contractions that happen as the baby makes it way down the birth canal. It took about 3 long pushes and my little guy made his appearance at 3:47am. This was probably my easiest labor but the pain I felt during delivery was more intense than with the other two.

There aren't many moments in life that are more amazing than holding your baby for the first time and it's amazing how that moment is equally as joyful with each child.

Maxwell came out crying loudly for the world to hear.  His cries were music to my ears; he was and is absolutely perfect at 7 pounds, 12 oz and 19 inches long.

*The pictures were taken 3 days after Maxwell was born

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I came across this Consumer Report regarding overused procedures during childbirth...What to reject when you're expecting.  Stats listed in this article are astounding: "The infant mortality rate in Canada is 25 percent lower than it is in the US; the Japanese rate, more than 60 percent lower.  The number of premature and low-birth-weight babies is higher now than it was in the 1880s and 1990s." -ConsumerReports.org

I didn't choose to have Mia without medication to brag or to pretend that I was stronger than other women.  I chose to have a natural birth because I was terrified of unnecessary interventions. Yes, it took me a long time to push Mia out and yes, I was in labor for 24 hours, but I would never change my labor experience.  It was calm, peaceful and there was never a moment where things were "going wrong".  Maybe things would have been the same had I taken the Pitocin the doctor wanted to give me to speed up my contractions but I wasn't willing to let a drug I didn't need possibly stress out my baby or make contractions too bearable for me to handle.

 I know that hospitals are businesses and they need to get women in and out because babies are being born all the time, which in my opinion is why they are so eager to use drugs to speed up the process.  I also respect and appreciate hospitals and choose to deliver in hospitals because I like knowing that if something went wrong with me or my baby, we would be taken care of.  I'm so thankful that there are c-sections for emergency situations and drugs to induce labor if a problem arises, but for women that have normal, healthy pregnancies and labors, a lot of these interventions are not necessary.

I will not judge you if you chose drugs to help your labor and delivery.  I may need to use drugs for one of my deliveries as well.  I understand that everyone has a different experience and one woman cannot compare her labor to another.  I just want women to be educated about the process and the drugs that will be administered.  As I get ready to deliver my second baby, I pray that things will be uneventful and I will be able to have another unmedicated birth.  I also hope that the nurses in doctors don't pressure me into an intervention unless it is truly necessary for the health of my baby.

Sorry to get all heavy but I'm only a couple weeks away from the big day and I honestly needed to come across an article like this to help confirm that I'm making the right decision to have another natural delivery, because let's be honest... labor hurts!

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