Well, I've spent another week waddling.  Took the nooner today and felt pretty tired.  If my sister hadn't been with me and Bella signed up for childcare, I might have just gone home and taken a nap.  I actually left class after one set of Pranayama to go eat a granola bar.  I was SO HUNGRY, but class felt good.

Marla, Bella and I headed home after class to take naps, but I couldn't sleep.  I'd been having Braxton-Hicks contractions all day.  Not sporadically or when I was active, but even when I was lying down.  While everyone was napping, I "peed" my pants at least 5 times.  I'd just be lying there and suddenly a little fluid would come out.  I'd immediately go to the bathroom and have to pee, so I assumed the pressure from his head or the B-H contractions were just pushing a little urine out.  Well...it turns out I'd been leaking amniotic fluid all day.  I didn't find out until the midwife checked me that night and there was no sac between my cervix and the baby's head. 

As I was trying to nap, I remember thinking, "I should call Jaylon and tell him not to poke around getting out of work."  It was Friday and I knew he'd be trying to tie things up for the weekend and his paternity leave, especially assuming a baby was going to come sometime over the weekend.  Instead, I got up and put the eggplant parmesan in the oven for dinner.  By 5:30 pm, I was sure these B-H contractions were working their way up to labor.  By 6:30 pm, I called the midwives to let them know I'd be coming in sometime tonight.  We ate dinner and I tried to make it as normal an evening for Bella so she could go to sleep easily.  I couldn't believe I was able to eat (putting the plate down during contractions) most of my meal and never felt nauseous.  With Bella, I puked twice.

At 8 pm, the contractions were intense enough that I wanted to be at the birthing center.  We met Val there at 8:30 pm.  After checking my stats (5 cm and 90% effaced), she told me I could get in the tub if I wanted.  I told her I didn't want to get in the tub too early in labor.  She laughed and said, "This isn't early in labor, Sara."  I just assumed I had hours to go because I'd just gotten there. 

By 10 pm, I started to feel the beginning of pushing contractions.  Whoever coined the phrase "the urge to push" has obviously never had a baby.  It's more like the overwhelming, tidal wave, heroin-fix NEED to push.  I couldn't believe I could possibly be ready to deliver.  "Don't you want to check me?" I asked.  Who asks for another internal exam?  The midwives just encouraged me to trust what I was feeling in my body and if I wanted to push, then push. 

Again, I wanted to be on my hands and knees.  I just feel more in control in that position.  I was able to hang over the side of the birthing tub and grunt his head out in about 5 contractions.  What an incredible amount of pressure from pubic bone to tailbone.  I'd definitely forgotten how hard labor and delivery is.  On the way to the birthing center, I told Jaylon he could have the next one.  It's a wonderful experience, especially once its over, it just takes all you have physically, mentally, emotionally.   Anyway, his little head popped out underwater with his eyes and mouth squinched up tight.  Waiting for the next contraction to deliver his shoulders felt like forever, but I'm sure it wasn't over a minute or so.  One more push and his whole little body slithered out at 10:09 pm. 

And I mean it when I say little.  He was only 7 pounds, 1 ounce, but he was 21 inches long.  A little string bean.  Bella was 7lbs, 14oz and 19 inches.  He felt so tiny.  And was mellow from the start.  He made a little lambkin ma-a-a sound and then just wanted to relax and look around.  We had to keep poking him to make sure he was breathing and pink up that newborn skin.

Twenty minutes out of the womb, he could already pick up his own head.  My sister says it's all that yoga.  Who knows?  All I want is a chocolate milk shake...