View from my labor & delivery room
I wasn't planning on sharing the birth story of baby Charlie but Grace said she always loves a good birth story and well, I just adore Grace so bear with me. I was due around Friday, November 20th and well, the day came and went and no baby. I had to be induced with both Henry & Kate because they were so late and an induction was scheduled for Charlie a week after my due date. I started having contractions the Monday before he was born. Nothing consistent, but contractions. They continued on Tuesday and were in full swing by Tuesday night. I had contractions through the night (nothing that kept me up much) and by morning they were a steady 5 minutes apart. They told me to come in when they were 5 minutes apart for an hour. I didn't want to risk being sent home, so I waited until it had been 4 hours with them 5 minutes apart. We headed up to UCLA hospital around 12:30, parked, got checked in, etc.,. They checked me about an hour later and I was only dilated to a blasted 2. I couldn't believe it. We were sent walking. So I changed out of my hospital gown and back into my clothes. They weren't sending me home, but wanted me to walk around Westwood for 2 hours. So we walked, contractions still coming but this mama was hungry. I hadn't eaten all day. We stopped at BJ's for lunch. I had a wedge salad (my fav) and a cobb sandwich. We walked back up to the hospital. 
But it hadn't quite been 2 hours yet and I wanted to get some more walking in. So I this is where I walked. Around these fountains. I made the loop around this courtyard for what felt like dozens of times and when the 2 hour mark hit- we went back up. The contractions were stronger and harder now. I was checked again.It was 4 o'clock now. This time, I was a dilated to a 4. They were letting me stay. Back into the gown and into the labor & delivery room (see picture on top.) The deliveries with Henry & Kate were so short. Within a few hours of being induced (2-4) they were born. The labor with Charlie was by far the longest and the hardest of the 3. I opted for an epidural around 6 or 7. It kind of worked- well not really. Just for a short time. They decided to break my water at 9:15 p.m. and told me they'd come back & check me in 2 hours. I knew there was no way it would take that long. The pain was intense (as I imagine all un-medicated labors are) and it felt like the contractions were right on top of each other. I was feeling pressure. They came in to check . "During the next contraction why don't you try to give us one push and we'll see what your body does" so the contraction came and I pushed once.
"STOP PUSHING" yells one of the nurses
"I"M NOT PUSHING ANYMORE" I yell back.
"He's coming…the baby is coming!" I tell them.
They are not ready. The doctor is not gowned-up, no gloves, totally unprepared to catch the baby. The nurse reaches down to HOLD THE BABY IN. I'm thinking- 'you've got to be kidding me! I've been working all day to get this baby out and you are HOLDING HIM IN??? Are you insane??' Chris almost reached down to catch him. The Dr. frantically throws her gown and gloves on and barely catches him in time. It was exhausting. 
Chris started making the calls that Charlie had arrived. I overheard him say, "yeah, he just shot out like a cannonball!" Oh really? Geez, sounds so, I don't know.. SIMPLE and EASY and um, EFFORTLESS. Sheesh!
But little Charlie is here and we love him so much. He is an absolute dream. I am ready for another!
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