Our Birth Story (detailed, but not too gory)

I woke up at 2am to my first contraction. As a first time mom, I wasn't exactly sure what was happening, so I sat with the contraction and went back to bed. Half an hour later I awoke again to the same feeling. I proceeded to wake up every half an hour or so and by 5:30am I called my mom to tell her what was happening. By 6:30 I called my midwife. Since I was so new at this I couldn't exactly explain what was happening; was it like strong menstrual cramps? Or was it more like my entire stomach was contracting? I couldn't say. It was recommended that Colton drive to the birthing center to get the birthing tub. But I couldn't let him leave. So they recommended that I come with him to the birthing center so that they could check me; I thought that this was ridiculous, even impossible in my current condition. My friend Leslie came by to bring me groceries and decided to go get the tub for us. She had given birth to four children at home earlier in life, and somehow, I was drawn to her. I asked that Colton go and she stay with me. Within minutes of Colton leaving I felt things getting more intense, but still wasn't sure that this was it; I thought that this was early labor and was beginning to feel unsure about how on earth I was going to make it through the later stages. Leslie decided to run me a bath. Meanwhile I sat on the toilet groaning and feeling like if only I could poop I would feel better. Leslie called our midwife to tell her that things were really progressing, and as she was doing so Colton arrived at the birthing center. They gave him the tub and told him to hurry home, they would be right behind him. When Leslie hung up the phone my water broke, right into the toilet. She called them back to ask if it was still okay for me to get into the tub; they said yes, but wanted to stay on the phone with her because there was a chance that the baby may come before they got here. Shortly thereafter Colton arrived at home to see me in our tiny bathtub in full-on labor. He later said "I got home and it was go time"; needless to say that that was true, he had no time to prepare himself, but neither did I :) . He got on the phone with the midwives who proceeded to tell him the same thing that they had told Leslie- "the baby might come before we get there"; not the words he wanted to hear. But they got here and as soon as they did I began to push. I grunted and groaned and breathed my baby down. There was no veins bulging out of my forehead and no cursing at my husband. Only moaning and groaning and kissing my sweet, sweet husband. It was once Elijahs head was out that I had to wait patiently for another contraction; this seemed to take forever, but I didn't want to push until my body was ready. When another contraction came I birthed one shoulder, and then the other. On the next push I got him out to his waist and, expecting him to slide out of me the way that most baby's do at that point our midwife told Colton to grab him and tole me to "reach down and grab your baby Jenna", I will never forget those words. It took only forty minutes of pushing for me to birth my baby, but I'll remember it for a lifetime.