If I could relive this day, I would over and over. Even though it was one of my most intense births and I wanted to give up multiple times, the love I felt from the people around me and the way my body worked to bring my baby was unexplainable. With this being baby number 5, part of me felt worried that I couldn’t possibly love and bond with another baby like I did with my others. But of course, God works his ways and I am more in love with this baby than I think I’ve ever been with any baby. Somehow my heart expanded. Marcelino fits right into our family and his siblings love caring for and being with him. It is the best thing to experience as a parent. Seeing the love of siblings.
Wednesday the 15th I woke up to a text from my sister asking how I was feeling. Inside I was so ready, I told her that I was feeling good but didn’t think baby was coming for a while. For two weeks, every single night I was having prodromal labor. This baby was playing games with my mind. Around lunchtime I had my prenatal visit while the kids played in the pool, chatting and laughing with my midwives. Once they left I got to baking blueberry muffins through some more crampy contractions. Lewis got home and I started cleaning everywhere just in case. Vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning. The crampy contractions were super far apart but they were stronger. I still thought it was just prodromal labor but just in case I wanted everything clean. We had dinner which I didn’t really want to eat.
Afterwards I called my sister to come over for a movie night. Lewis had plans of working the next day. My contractions (very far apart) weren’t going away. (Just like every night for the past two weeks) I didn’t want to be alone while he was at work so she came over with my other sister who would also be at the birth. Before my sisters arrived, Lewis got to deep cleaning and helped me finish the bathrooms and floors. We watched count of Monte Cristo while I bounced on my ball through some more serious contractions (still very far apart) Once the movie was over I told Veronica to go back home and keep her ringer on just in case. It could be in the middle of the night or it could be another night of prodromal labor.
I got into my bed at midnight and knew that even though the contractions were coming, I should sleep. I got about an hour or two of sleep with minor contractions and then the more intense ones started. Lewis was the best and would rub my back through them and make them bearable. My body started to clear out and I was on the toilet for a while with stronger contractions. I would slip back into bed and wake up to contractions and instantly get on all fours to get through them. Every single contraction, Lewis would wake up and rub my back through them. Around 5 am I vomited which for me is a sign that things are serious. I called the midwife and let her know that I hadn’t really been timing them closely but they were getting intense and more frequent (I despise timing contractions 😝) she let me know she would be on her way soon.
I woke up Erica, my sister who was sleeping downstairs and told her to call Veronica my other sister. Part of me thought it could be soon but another part of me thought it could be a while. Everyone arrived around 5:45. We turned the office on and I walked around my room through contractions. Laughing and talking in between them. After a little while I got in the shower and noticed that my contractions were stalling. At that point I really wanted to just sleep but also wanted to know how dilated I was out of curiosity. Are we super close or could I attempt napping….I had my midwife check me and I was 4cm. Which in my mind was totally fine. Things were happening but at the same time I could take a nap.
It was about 8am and the midwives left. They were only 15 minutes away and would be back when we needed them. We closed the blinds, and Lewis and I laid down. I got some good stretches of sleep in between some INTENSE contractions and vomiting 😖. About an hour into my nap my contractions were super close together and I started to lose it. I started saying I don’t want to do this anymore. “These are really bad contractions and I can’t handle them” Lewis kept encouraging me and being the support I needed. He called me a rockstar even though I felt like a wimp and a baby. I said I just want this to be over.
Right when I was about to say let’s go to the hospital and get an epidural 😜, my water broke. It was 10am, I felt so much relief. I said okay I can do this. This is way better. Lewis called the midwives, cleaned up all the chucks pads and I asked him to turn the shower on. I figured I had about 3 hours left and the shower sounded right. After he turned the shower on, I asked Lewis to hug me. He hugged me and I had a really intense contraction while standing up. I could feel baby moving down. I got back down on all fours next to my bed and Lewis said “I can see things opening up” While on all fours I asked him to call my sisters back in to keep photographing. Thank goodness we did! I had a REALLY intense contraction and I knelt next to the bed with my hands on my mattress, my body took over and FER kicked in. My body started to push him out and his head came out at 10:21 as my sister walked in. The midwives walked in at 10:23 or so and his shoulders came out. My midwife asked me if i wanted to catch the baby or if she should. I said “I don’t know how to answer that right now” 😂 I was frozen. I switched to all fours and he slid right out into my midwife’s hands at 10:25. The whole time being very vocal and guttural. I am not a quiet birther 🤣 she passed him through my legs to my front and Lewis and I both got a glimpse at his boy parts 🤪 so the gender reveal was not as revealy as I thought it would be. We both whispered it’s a boy! He gave a good few cries and then went on my chest and looked around. Staring at me, taking in this new world. The relief I felt. We waited so long for this sweet boy and he was here. I told myself I would do that over and over if I had to.
We got right into bed and Charlotte poked her head in. She got right onto the bed and fell in love. She was so gentle and so happy. We told her to get everyone and she ran to the top of the stairs and screamed “guys! A Gaga (she calls babies gaga) guys! A Gaga!” The boys ran up and we asked them what they thought the baby was, Lewie and Iggy said girl and Sebastian said boy. I lifted the blanket off of him and Sebastian started cheering boy. Everyone was happy except Iggy who was just silent and still 😂 After a little while the cord was white and Lewie was called in to cut the cord. He was so excited and had been telling people for weeks that he was going to do it. After the cord was cut we snuggled in bed all together and just admired our new baby.
My midwives cleaned us up, cleaned up the mess and tucked me into bed. We napped for about two hours and snuggled with Lewis. That night family came to visit and brought dinner. It went so perfectly and everything was so relaxed. Since then, everyone has taken care of me, brought meals, and loved on our family so much.
This birth was probably my most intense birth. And I think because of the two weeks of prodromal labor, I was mentally exhausted. The contractions were the hardest part and those were PAINFUL 😆when it came time to crowning it was so much relief. I didn’t have the ring of fire. It was intense but I wouldn’t say painful. I didn’t tear at all and my bleeding was minimal. I would totally do it again and probably will as long as God blesses our family with another…….just like not right Away k? Thank youuuuu 😝
