After a message from God that I would have my son and finding out I was pregnant 6 months later, in my 32^nd week we found out our son was in the breech position and my midwife told me that if Canyon did not turn on his own by 37 weeks, the OB Dr’s would try to turn him manually., which totally threw off my plans for a water birth which I have always wanted to do but did not have the option with my girls and this being my last baby, I was so ready to do it. At my check up on June 14, 2004 he was still breech so the 2 OB Dr’s turned him and it hurt but was well worth it since I wanted to give birth in the water and I had my 3 daughters vaginally. If turning him did not succeed, they would have to do a c-section. Well thank God that they got him turned and he stayed that way. I was having contractions that day after they turned him and was dilated 1 ½ cm’s.

On Thursday night, June 17,2004 at about 9:00p.m., I was having contractions every 5 minutes and they burned at the top of my uterus when I would have one. Well, after having 3 girls and never experiencing this with them, and this pregnancy being my son, I was a little uncertain as to what this was. So I called my labor and delivery hospital and the nurse told me she did not know what that would be, that she had never heard of anyone experiencing that, to lay down and rest and see what happens or I was more than welcome to come in and be checked if the contractions kept coming. Well, I just assumed they were “braxton hicks” contractions so I stayed home. My mother told me to call her if I wanted to go and she would take me to the hospital and I told her no, I would just wait and see what happens through the night and try to get some sleep.

After making my husbands lunch for the next day and getting my 3 girls into bed, I finally laid down in bed about 11:13p.m. My contractions were still coming and coming every 2-4 minutes apart and were starting to get more intense. So, I decided I would lay there and time them for at least an hour and if they were still coming by then, I would go on to the hospital just to be safe. I got up to go use the bathroom and was having some painful contractions so I woke my husband, Stevon, up and told him I was going to the hospital did he want me to call my mom to take me and him stay at home with the girls until we found out if I was indeed in labor or did he want to get the girls up and go ahead and go too. He said that since they were that close, he was going. I called my mom to let her know Stevon and our girls were going, she got my dad and brother up and got them ready and we were all off to the hospital 40 miles away.

We got to the hospital about 12:30-1:00 a.m. and I was hooked up to monitor the contractions and Canyons’ heart rate. I was still having contractions every 2-4 minutes and was checked for dilation, upon which I was a loose 3 cm’s. So they monitored me for awhile and checked off and on through the night.

About 5:00 a.m. I was checked and was 4-5 cm’s so we walked since I was only 70%effaced and not thinning with the contractions. I was rechecked at 8:00 am and Shelly then broke my water and was then 6 cm’s and was admitted finally. Still not effaced anymore. Each time I was checked for dilation, Canyon would grab the nurses fingers and hold onto them. He had his hand on top of his head, so Shelly pushed his hand back up over his head. My midwife, Shelly, had me do nipple stimulation to try to prevent being on Pitocin for 2 hours. I then chose to sit in the shower on the birthing ball which felt really good to be able to move around through the contractions.

I was rechecked at 10:00 a.m. and was a good 7cm’sn and still not thinned out anymore. So then I was hooked up to the IV with Pitocin. They got really strong and painful then and I sat in the rocking chair for awhile rocking through the contractions. They were so strong and hurting that I asked for something through my IV, which I am not sure what it was, some type of narcotic. It made me sleepy for about 10 minutes and then wore off so I asked my nurse, Dianne, if she would please see if they would let me get into the birthing tub that they had already filled up for me and she asked for and I was able to get in then. I was checked as soon as I got into the tub, and I was a good 9cm’s then, at about 11-11:30 a.m.

My 3 girls were in the room with us the whole time, aged 9, 4, and 2 ½. They were all excited and anxious to meet baby brother. Being in the water helped a lot, as I didn’t even know I was having the urge to push, I just thought my contractions were getting more harder. I realized then that after being checked and my son's head being “right there”, that what I was actually feeling the urge to push. It was like a flashback of how I felt when I needed to push with my last daughter. I never  made it past 9cm’s or 70%effaced, and after my midwife rechecked me at about 1, she told if I felt like pushing to push . So I started pushing and Mr. Canyon was born into a tub of water at 1:12p.m. to meet his 3 sisters beside the tub, mommy in the tub, daddy behind the tub behind mommy, and grandma on the other side of the tub. In the room was my dad and my brother as well.

Canyon was easiest birth and labor, and he weighed 6 lbs. 15ozs, and 19 inches long. I really enjoyed the water birth and would have done it with all my children had it been available, as it made the birthing process a lot easier to me. I thank the good Lord that I was able to have our son the way I had planned to, with our daughters there to watch, and my parents and my brother there with us to share the experience. My girls really enjoyed being in there and their excitement of seeing their only baby brother and last sibling come into this world into our family, sent by God above! I encourage water birth if you are willing to try it. It is awesome in my opinion! Good luck to each of you and God bless!

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