Miles Glenn

Baby boy #2 was due May 11th. I had a doctor's appointment Wednesday May 9th. The week before, I had my doctor strip my membranes but like with McKay, that didn't help. I was down on my hands and knees scrubbing my house and baseboards. I got very sore but nothing "contraction" wise. At my appointment May 9th, I asked my doctor if he could schedule an induction for Friday, May 11th. After calling McKay Dee and finding out how very busy they were, I was put on the "waiting list" for a Friday induction. I was so frustrated because I was going for a natural birth again but knew if labor was anything like it was with McKay (having my water broken and pitocin started), I was in trouble. I have never physically felt what it feels like to go into labor on my own with no medicine. Supposedly this is normal and many woman do not labor without help.

I was told if I hadn't heard from the hospital by 9:00am Friday morning, I should call them. Thursday night I got really sad rocking McKay to bed. I was thinking how much life was going to change and this was the last time I would put him, my only child to bed. I wondered honestly how I could even begin to love another baby like I did him.

Friday 9:00am came and no call. So I called and when I told them I was on the waiting list to be induced, the nurse on the other line kind of laughed and said no way would they be able to get me in that day. Gary and I were both bugged as we had anticipated having a baby that day. He had taken the day off from work and we felt it was all a waste. My mom called and invited me to go get some of her favorite chocolates with her in SLC and since I was feeling sorry for myself, I went. Gary met us with McKay later and we went to Tony Burger's for dinner and then I went for a long, fast-paced walk up a steep hill trying to make myself go into labor. Nothing helped but I did get a call from McKay Dee and was told that I needed to be at the hospital Saturday morning at 5:30am and I would be induced then.

Gary and I left McKay in my dad's hands bright and early Saturday morning. I was nervous as the memories of McKay's birth started coming back to me. We checked in and I was assigned the BEST NURSE! I loved her from the first moment she started talking to us. When asked if I wanted an epidural, I told her no but then explained I wasn't against one but wanted to try natural if I could. She said I was in luck because she is the nurse on the unit that helps with the most natural births and she would help me out. She began to explain everything that would happen and then what I would be feeling. She told Gary what his job would be and then since I wanted my sister there to be a cheerleader for me, she was told her job. My mom had always wanted to see a birth so I decided she could be there too. After everything was explained, my iv was started, pitocin was started and my doctor came in and broke my water...all at 7:00am. I was having little contractions according to the monitors but was feeling nothing. After a few hours, I was getting bored and asked Stacie, my nurse if there was any way I could walk the halls. She went and brought in a wireless monitor (one of only two on the floor) and spent 10 minutes re-hooking everything up so I could walk. She was amazing I tell you!

Shani and Gary started walking the halls with me around 10:00am. I was contracting and soon the contractions started getting so intense they were making me double over in pain. I would have to stop walking and I bent over to try to stop or lessen the pain. It would take my breath away and I could barely talk. After one of my laps, Stacie stopped me in the hall and said she was going to check me again at 11:00am. It was then 10:30am. As she is telling me this, I contract and double over in pain. She saw this and said she had better check me then if I was having that much pain. We headed back to the room and she checked me. I was 6-7cm dilated but the baby's head was still pretty high up. The contractions were coming faster and harder and I could barely hear her tell Gary what to expect. There was a "labor" ball in the room and I was sitting on that but every contraction made me want to fall to my knees and scrunch into a ball. I had never felt such pain....and no, kidney stone pain was not even in the same realm as labor!

Well, after what seemed like FOREVER to me, I heard Stacie tell another nurse to go call my doctor and to do so fast. Once I was in transition, all I wanted to do was push and I was told that was okay. The most intense pain I have EVER felt. I was so hot and almost felt out of my mind. I just wanted the pain to go away! Gary said I told him and the doctor that I couldn't do it anymore but they said I didn't have a choice...the baby's head was crowning. Dr. Housel got to my room at 11:25am and after a few pushes and 5 minutes, our son was born at 11:30am. I couldn't believe it! I had given birth naturally with pitocin and my water being broken! I was crying in relief that the pain was over and then all I can remember is my sweet baby being placed in my arms. More tears as he is crying. Then the shaking started. Intense shaking and then I was so cold! The doctor told me that was all normal and it was my hormones. I tore a little but no episiotomy like with McKay. So I was stitched up and after our son was wiped off, given his shots, made sure his vitals were stable and he was weighed, he was placed back in my arms.

Our perfect baby, 8.0 lbs, 20 inches long had no name until we got home and he was 5 days old. We had the hardest time with his name but we finally decided on Miles Glenn. Glenn is my dad's name and he is literally my hero, my idol. There are not many people I look up to more so Gary and I thought it fit to pass on his name. Miles has a huge legacy to live up to!

Now we are just trying to adjust to life with 2 kids. It has been easier than I thought and McKay is really good with him. I can tell he is going to look out for Miles his whole life and be the big brother every kid dreams of! And would I do birth naturally again? Right after I delivered Miles, I would have said no. But as I'm slowly forgetting the pain, I will say yes. It was SO WORTH IT! I liked that I knew when my contractions were and I could push and feel something actually happening. And I healed so much faster this time. My labor from start to finish was four and a half hours so I was lucky. Gary wouldn't want to hear me say this but if we are lucky enough to have other children, I don't think I would do anything different! That being said, I couldn't have done it without him by my side!  I love my little family!!! I love being a mom to my little boys! And now tons of pictures in no particular order...