Finally - Finn Prentice Doucette is here!

Well, it's been almost two weeks since we birthed a healthy baby boy called Finn. Personally, I am delighted the first week is over - so full of nerves and learning curves (that will never end, I know) (also, that rhymed which is sweet) and learning how to breastfeed and changing diapers a billion times a day. Here is the birth story if you would like to know it:



Let's start with the fact that I was 13 days past Finn's due date and things were getting a tad frustrating. Going to the midwives office for appointments were a little disappointing - hearing that girls that were due after me were already enjoying their newly formed families, and I was here enjoying the gift of more stretch marks and peeing every half hour. I would sometimes get emotional talking to Chris, feeling like this baby was never going to come.



At my last prenatal appointment with the midwife, they gave me a recipe for a 'labour cocktail' that involved Castor oil, almond butter, mango juice, and lemon verbena. I choked this all down (in stages - first the oil/almond butter, then the juice/verbena followed by a carbonated water chaser) around 4pm. After that our friends came over (see photo!). Before dinner we went for a walk and that's when I started to feel my back hurting and tummy cramping. Could this be it, I wondered? Finally?



A couple hours later after dinner around 8pm and Travis and Jessica had left, the contractions started. When we started timing them shortly after, they were already coming at no longer than 4-5 minutes apart, so we called the midwife. She said to wait a bit when they were more regular, so we called again later when they were consistently 2-ish minutes apart. She told us she would meet us at the hospital.

After rushing and packing last minute things in the suitcase, we hopped in the car, me groaning with every contraction. Upon arriving at Surrey Memorial, I got checked and was already 6-7cm dilated. I got into my room (the last one available!) and pretty much hopped in the shower and there I stayed for the next three hours. Again, groaning. Long story short, after three hours I went to the bed and was now about 8-9cm! Around 7:30am, I was 10cm and the midwife told me that when I felt the urge to push, I could. I started to cry - the time was here and I couldn't believe it! I asked how long the pushing usually took, and she said one, maybe two hours. Ha! From about 7:30am to 11:43am I pushed and pushed. Toward the end, Finn's heart rate suddenly went up and they strapped an oxygen mask on my face as well as the fetal monitoring belt. I was a tad nervous because I had no idea what was going on...but all resolved itself. I continued to push and finally, at 11:43am Finn was out and in the world. When the midwife put Finn on my chest, I could not believe it - we had a son! Chris was emotional, I was emotional, my mom was emotional...it was quite the experience.