Oh - it was also filled with an epidural =) After experiencing contractions around the 50-ish mark, my doctor delightfully informed me that I could have my epidural whenever I wanted. Here was my dilemma: Do I keep breathing through the 50's-ish contractions & become very serious, only focusing on the pain that are the contractions (like they do in the movies) OR do I "wimp out" and ask for the epi? Once the contractions reached 55, I had my answer: Nurse! I'd like my epidural now please. Then, five minutes later - out of nowhere the epidural God breezed into my birthing suite and delivered me what would make my birth more like a fun family gathering rather than the stressful, painful, and screamful births I had seen on TLC's Baby Story so many times before. Within five minutes I had the epidural in place, and it WAS NOT PAINFUL - I'm not sure why the epidural needle gets such a bad wrap - if you can't feel it going in, why hate on it?! Anyways, once it was in place, my perfectly pain-free birth experience was a go and I dilated from 4 to 10 cm in about two hours! My theory: the epidural helps to relax your tensed body (from the excruciating contractions) and allows your vagine (pronounced va*jean in my world) to do it's job! Here's a pic of me & the Hubster after the epi is in place:

Pure Bliss I'm telling you. So needless to say - I'm an epi advocate! Would I have allowed the Daddy & Grandpas to clown around in the birthing suite like this if I hadn't had my epi?

The answer if ABSOLUTELY NOT. Contractions are the Devil - and in my world they must be subdued, or else I become the Devil.
Once I was 10 cm & I could literally SEE the babies head in the mirror they provided (how lovely!) and everything was in place to pop my little Lincoln out into this world, there was only one thing missing: MY DOCTOR! Unfortunately the baby next door was halfway out with a broken collarbone - poor thing! So there I sat, locked and loaded for TWO HOURS with his head crowning. The nurse even took me off the pitocin because the contractions were making it almost impossible to hold my little man in.
Skip ahead two hours - Dr. arrives, and 6 exhausting pushes later (the nurse was counting so slowly to 10 - it was more like 20), I have my precious and healthy Lincoln in my arms! Daddy claims that Dr. almost had him cut Link's finger off in the umbilical severing because his little hand flailed into the line of the scissors right at go time. But thanks to Daddy and his "cat-like reflexes" he saw the mini appendage and ceased fire.
Hearing my baby's cry for the first time was the most incredible moment of my life. The crying was such a precious sound and gave me great relief in knowing that he could breath and send that tiny little whale throughout the L&D floor. Then, seeing the perfect creation that was Lincoln was without a doubt the most precious sight I had ever seen in my life. And here we sit today, blogging together happy as two little clams on a couch purchased on craigslist. I thank God for it everyday. (My Mini Man, not the craigslist couch)

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