Silas Loren Wright was born Saturday, April 6, 2002, six days before his due date. I went into labor at 8 a.m., and until we got to the hospital about 10:20 a.m., it was fairly easy to handle. For the next hour and a half, the contractions were stronger, but still manageable with the help of David and our doula (labor assistant), Ginny Potter.
At 11:57 a.m., my cervix had dilated to 5-6 cm. By then, the nurses had finished with various monitoring and blood work and I was allowed to go labor in the Jacuzzi down the hall from our hospital room. However, within a few minutes (and on the second contraction in the Jacuzzi), we all realized the baby had moved lower and I was starting to push him out! The nurse started shouting at me, "Julie, you have to get out of the tub NOW! IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THE BABY!" With their help I staggered out of the tub and into a wheelchair she had brought. Somehow as we whisked off down the hall they collected another nurse and the only doctor on the floor at that time.
Back in the hospital room, they cranked the bed down in record time and somehow got me onto it, while I was having what felt like continuous contractions that cycled from painful to alien-taking-over-my-body. Right after they bundled me onto the bed, my water broke (exploded was more like it). Labor was overwhelming at this point, and I felt like things were completely running away from me and that I couldn't possibly go through this much longer. I was terrified that perhaps I wasn't really at the pushing stage and would have hours more of this kind of pain. But I also grasped that all these professionals really expected that this baby was about to be BORN, and part of me believed it too and felt exhilarated. Then through the blur I heard someone say "complete!" and I knew that at least I had reached the magic 10 cm point.
After two pushes, I felt the baby's head come out, and on the next push, he was born into David's waiting hands! It was 12:13 p.m., only 16 minutes after the nurse had checked me and found me to be at 5-6 centimeters. Everything had happened so fast it had almost felt like a movie, not our real lives. But there he was, born at last, indisputably a real, honest-to-god BABY... Silas Loren Wright, 8 lb 6.5 oz, 21 inches, with a 14 inch head and Apgar scores of 9 and 9. He was covered with vernix (that waxy white stuff) and had lots of brown hair on his head, and wrinkly little hands and feet with long nails. He cried some before dozing off to recover from his big experience.
I did tear some during delivery and needed stitches, but it was only a first-degree tear (not through muscle), and hurt much less than the second-degree one I had last time. My physical recovery has been a lot easier than it was then, too, and I've been able to leave the house to do things since the first day home.
My favorite memory from the whole day was when Russell (Silas' older brother, born 12/21/99) came to visit with his grandparents (David's parents), Metta and Roger, whom he was staying with. His face was lit up with the most beautiful smile I've ever seen; he was just so thrilled to see the "tiny baby". He has been so, so sweet to Silas and to us; he loves helping and taking care of the baby. I know there will be sibling issues ahead, but for now it has been wonderful.
THANK YOU to everyone who's helped welcome this new baby into the world, by helping us all during and after the pregnancy and birth, being happy with us, and/or reading this story!