Owen's Birth Story
>> Friday, February 26, 2016
Owen's
Birth Story
To say we were ready for Owen would be an understatement.
All the bedding, clothing, and carpets had been washed. I even had the nursery
ready to go (mostly). Being that it was summer, I wasn't teaching nor were we
remodeling! I could kick up my feet up and relax without a tinge of guilt. I indulged
a significant amount on the daybed outside watching Emily and Mary play and
explore. I remember from when I was pregnant with Emily my mom saying
"Babies are easier to take care of in the belly than out!". I had
learned twice that she was right. So, I enjoyed reading back issues from The Sun magazine and being present with
the girls.
I thought Owen would arrive in mid June, but as July 20th
rolled around I began to wonder if I was even pregnant. Just kidding! My
swollen feet, lack of sleep, and giant body reminded me every second that I
was. Even though it was summer, I still checked my school email daily. I
learned from our principal that tragedy had struck the family of two of my students.
On July 23rd, I attended a funeral for the mother, father, and grandmother.
Ryan stayed home with the girls, and I went alone. I was obviously overwhelmed
with grief for the four children who had been orphaned. I was relieved to have
time to myself and to process the tragedy. After the service, I went to Fred
Meyers to get fresh fruit and a hippy pizza. I called my dad and caught up too.
Once I got home, it was almost nine and I hadn't eaten dinner yet. I popped in
the pizza and sat down to relax and spend some time with Ryan. I got up for a
third piece of pizza, don't judge, and felt an amazing amount of pressure. I
told Ryan how odd it felt, and not a second later my water broke. Of course I
wasn't sure at first, but I received confirmation once I headed to the
bathroom. Ryan promptly sprung into action and started filling the tub. He also
laid out the birth kit. I contacted Pita and Mary. Both said they were headed
over even though contractions hadn't started yet. I was reluctant to have the
midwives come so soon, but I also didn't have the energy to convince them
otherwise. I was happy I didn't.
Like I said, we were ready for Owen to come. Ryan had
installed the hardware for filling up the birth tub weeks before. I had all my
clothing (pre, during, and post labor) already laid out and ready to go. This
level of preparation is significant to mention only because of our previous two
births. This also meant that Ryan had nothing to do. He was there to help me
through each contraction, but Ryan works well in high intensity situations. He
shines while saving the day. This wasn't needed. He relaxed on the bed until
the contractions were too intense to manage on my own. He was in the trenches
with me for only a few minutes as Owen's birth was quick: 2 hours and 55
minutes quick. I only remember thinking that the contractions weren't strong enough
for a birth any time soon, and that our midwife team was much too early. Mary
sat at my writing desk doing some paperwork while Pita and Patricia, midwife in
training, talked and laughed on the chair next to the birth tub. Once they
stopped recording my contractions, I knew we were getting closer to a birth. I
had two really intense contractions, that I remember, before I pushed twice and
Owen was born. During those two contractions, I buried my nose into Ryan's
chest and breathed deeply through each wave. When it was time to push, we got
work done. It was quick and amazing. We didn't know the sex until the birth, and it was a wonderful
surprise. He was perfect in every way.
Owen weighed in at 8lbs and 4 ounces. Emily was 6 lbs and
Mary was 6 lbs 12 ounces. Thanks, dude:-). To be honest, the labor wasn't any
more difficult, but the pregnancy was. He nursed right away and continues to be
an amazingly happy boy. We love you, Owen.
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