It's a Boy!

Although I love the painted eggs, chocolate and candy that Easter is known for, in my family its simply an opportunity to spend time enjoying the company of our loved ones over plates full of delicious food.  After this year however, Easter Sunday will never be quite the same.  Even though the date changes from year to year, how could I possibly forget that in 2011 we missed Easter dinner because we were busy welcoming our newest little family member to the world?

Here are the quick and dirty details:

• It's ANOTHER boy!
• Born Sunday April 24, 2011 at 4pm
• 7lbs 9.2 oz
• 20 inches long

Although this was my second time around, I still had some concerns about labour expectations, but I need not have worried, we were at the hospital with more than enough time to spare.  In fact my contractions weren't coming strong and regular enough to get me dilated and we ended up needing to break the water and introduce a little oxytocin into the picture (FYI - both were required when the boy was born too).  That being said once the oxytocin started, an hour and ten minutes later the pushing began and about 5 minutes after that I had my little bundle of joy in my arms.  And because we are perhaps a little crazy (in many people's eyes), four and a half hours later we were home from the hospital, ready to settle into our new reality.

labour expectations

All you momma's out there, please don't hate me for what I'm about to write.

For me, labour with the boy was easy.  I don't mean skipping in the park easy, but I do mean totally manageable and not anywhere near as intense as I was prepared for.  Granted I have an incredibly high pain tolerance, which I attribute to a near-death episode with meningitis at about 8 months, but the truth is, for me, labour was easy.

If I hadn't already been at the hospital due to a positive group B strep test and a small leak in my membranes, I wouldn't have even considered calling my midwife or going to the hospital until I suddenly found myself pushing.  I never actually felt my contractions at the intervals that warrant a trip to the hospital; I only felt the peaks of my contractions.  In fact when the pushing started two hours later, I seemed so in control that the nurse grabbed the gas, positive that there was no way that I could be ready to deliver. 37 minutes later, the boy made his grand debut.

I promise you I'm not bragging, in fact its almost the opposite.  Given the fact that second labours tend to be considerably faster than the first and that active labour barely registered on my pain scale, I have what I consider to be a very valid concern that I may not make it to the hospital in time to deliver.  I absolutley don't want to have my baby alone at home or in the car en route to the hospital.  The boy didn't breathe immediately after delivery and I lost a lot of blood - I want to be at the hospital, surrounded by people well equipped to take care of us.

Granted, my awareness of the issue and the fact that I live about 10 minutes from the hospital makes it unlikely that we wouldn't make it on time, especially since my midwife has consistently urged me to go to the hospital as soon as I feel 'funny'.  Logically, I know the whole thing is a bit irrational; I did know I was in labour last time, I just anticipated more intensity, but this time around I'll know what to expect.  Yet I still can't seem to shake this niggly little worry that I might miss my window of opportunity to make it to the hospital with time to spare. 

Did/do you have a somewhat irrational worry about your labour and delivery?