This time last year/birth Jan 3rd

I was preparing to go to the hospital for my 8th, and last, induction.  Yes, you read that right... All 8 of my babies were over 40 weeks.  Even at that, we had a hard time giving them their eviction papers. I had everything packed and ready to go, the kids were all snuggled in bed and it was going to be my last sleep of a mother to 7.

I was fortunate that this last birth ended up as a vaginal delivery, as were the previous 7.

I was scared that he was going to be breech on the day of, but he managed to hear me and turned a few weeks ahead of time.  When they were finally able to get me into labor they realized that he was "Sunny side up" and  that it was going to be a difficult labor.  Difficult is not new to me so I pushed away.... and pushed... and pushed...

Then I realized that it had never hurt so bad to be in labor and during delivery.  The epidural that I had was doing the job of taking the edge off, but there was something seriously wrong.  He just felt stuck.  I begged to be cut open, pleading with my midwife and telling her that he was stuck, there was no way that he was going to come out the way he was.  She didn't understand, said there was plenty of room, that I had a 9 lb baby before and that I could DO this!  I can't begin to explain how supportive she was.  She was really on my side and did not want to call in the OB, we had worked so hard and so she didn't understand when I lost my self and broke down.

I was laboring on my back, on my hands and knees, flipping over and standing on the bed, rolling back to kneel and straight up, on my side... She even mentioned that she had NEVER seen someone move so fast in labor.  I just wanted the pain to stop and if moving to a new position was going to do it, then by god I was going to MOVE THAT WAY!  Nothing worked.

She looked to my DH and asked if I was "like this" during labor, and he just looked and shook his head.  He looked a bit worried when he saw my face pleading to him that I needed it to be over.  He knew there was something going wrong because I am terrified of being cut open.  My first birth I threatened to walk out the door AMA if they threatened to cut me open one more time.  (I even recall saying I would give birth to the kid in the woods next to a tree screaming before I would let them gut me open)

She asked me over and over to explain HOW it was different and I just couldn't put my words into order.  The pain was blinding.  It was telling me that I was going to kill him trying to get him out like that, and that I might not make it either... I remember being terrified.

Finally I was able to explain that he felt like he was on my pelvic bone and my tail bone, my body still contracting despite my willing to get it to stop.  I was trying my hardest to NOT push but the pitocin willed me along.  I convinced her that she needed to prep me, she asked for the OB and consult to come in.

They turned down the pitocin and I continued to move, one side leg up over my midwifes shoulder was horrible, the other side leg down felt better... I was able to relax for a moment.

When the OB came in she talked openly with the Midwife.  They were counfounded.  The pit had been turned off and my labor stopped, yes, stopped and not slowed.  So I felt so much better.  My body was not doing a marathon run anymore.  Thankfully the OB checked and realized what the problem was...

The baby was indeed stuck while I was in labor.  When he was in the birthing canal he managed to try and turn.  He was no longer sunny side up and looking at the ceiling, he was facing my left side and so I was smashing his left shoulder into the top of my pubic bone, and the right one into my tail bone.  My little guy knew he couldn't fit while looking towards the ceiling and tried to move for me, to no avail.

When the Pit was turned off and I decided to roll to my comfortable side, little one finished rolling.  He was now looking towards my back and so the OB asked if I wanted to give it a go, she was willing to do my request, but she saw no reason that I could not deliver now that he had resolved his issues.

I told her she needed to make sure, I was not willing to torture him more, or myself.  Upon her inspection she found his arm folded back from the turn, she brought it forward so he was tucked right.  We turned the pit back on and I was able to push out my little 9 lb butterball with nary a problem.

The poor little guy was so bruised they didn't give him a good starting APGAR, thinking he was not breathing... then when they got his next APGAR they realized that his entire face and head was bruised and gave him perfect scores.

My poor baby was purple for the few days following his birth, but he couldn't be more perfect now.

Happy 1 yr little one~