My sweet little baby is celebrating his third birthday today and it's a celebration. Where has the time gone? Out of all my kids, he truly seems to be aging the fastest. I guess it's because he's the baby of the family and a reminder that if we're going to have another, we'd better do it sooner rather than later (sorry Hubby - no pressure).

My sweet little Gunny is quickly growing out of his little body and is shedding the veil of toddlerhood; he's growing into a little man. While it makes me a little sad it does inspire some hope that the older version of Gun-Gun will become a little more cooperative with our rules and regulations.

Normally, I honor my birthday celebs with just a quick little posting and a goofy picture. With Gunny's birthday, I've decided to do a little more. Gunny's birth was a huge deal to me and hopefully after reading this (and it's gonna be long), you'll understand why. It was a personal and triumphant event that I love to share over and over.

I love reading birth stories. Hearing about a woman's greatest personal achievement is inspiring and can be entertaining at times. After all, who wouldn't enjoy a story that encompasses nudity, gore, screaming, bodily fluids and a happy ending? Ok, maybe not everyone so take this as your official warning. The following paragraphs will cover the birth of Gun-Gun and the work I did to get 'em here. There will be no gratuitous hoo-hah shots, so you don't have to worry about that, but I do mention things like "contractions" and "dilation," which are strong words not meant for the weak of heart.

Gunny's Birth Story
Birth Stats: 9 lbs 9 oz, 21 inches long (half born)

I discovered that I was pregnant with Gunny while rounding third base with my t-ball team, the “Angels.” I had never coached t-ball before but I knew that the waves of nausea and sore boobs I was experiencing during practice were not consistent with the type of abuse a coach goes through. Four pregnancy tests later confirmed my suspicions and thus began the joys of my third pregnancy.

My pregnancy flew by without a hitch. Other than the obvious discomforts of pregnancy and caring for a busy family, things went by very smoothly for me and I was able to keep working throughout my entire pregnancy.

When I reached my sixth month, I had a conversation with a friend that I would forever thank her for; it was about the topic of doulas. I had heard of a doula and was under the assumption that only large cities had doulas and they were only used by first time moms. Here I was, an experienced mom who had twice before, gone through labor and the joys of breastfeeding. I already had a great husband and family support system that were there for my labors and deliveries. Why would I invite a stranger into such a private moment? But it was what my friend said and how she said it that convinced me to call Tracey Dahlen.

When I first spoke to Tracey, I immediately liked her. I felt an instant connection and knew that she understood what I wanted for my birth. I had used a minimal amount of drugs during the birth of my older two children and had not liked the “power” they took from me. For this labor, I wanted to be completely drug free and experience the process as naturally as possible. Tracey was completely supportive of this and promised to smack me back into shape should I decided to “wuss out” and beg for drugs.

For the remainder of my pregnancy, Tracey encouraged me along, reminding me to stick to my Gestational Diabetes diet and checking in to see how all my Non-Stress tests went (they were weekly by the end due to Gunny’s large size and unwillingness to cooperate with kick counts). When the final night came, I was so excited to call her because I knew that we were going to be doing something special .

I began my labor at approximately 3PM, with mild but regular contractions. My two children joined me in the bathtub as I attempted to relax and prepare for the birth. Taters used the bath time to rub soap on my swollen belly and put a “no pain” spell on me so that she could have “her” baby sooner than later. I continued to take things easy for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. The contractions were slow and steady, easily managed by the breathing and focus exercises that Tracey had previously instructed me on.

At about midnight, the contractions were closer and more painful. Hubby called Tracey and she made her way out to our house. By this time, I had placed myself on a large exercise ball that felt perfect to bounce on, during the painful contractions. Tracey offered soft words of encouragement and expert touch during the painful moments and this allowed my husband to make all the phone calls and get things ready to go for the impending birth.

The night continued on and as the contractions became unbearable, I began to hum, softly at the beginning and quite loud at the crescendo. Tracey recognized the changes in me and we decided it was time for me to go to the hospital. We arrived at Redwood Memorial Hospital at about 3AM and I was quickly defeated to learn that I was only a few centimeters dilated. Tracey immediately noticed the look on my face and promised that the nurses would not make me go back home – especially since I was now beginning to panic at the idea of another bumpy car ride!

I started on the labor ball and quickly progressed to walking the halls. My contractions continued to be regular and were getting much stronger. Tracey ran interference with my parents and in-laws who had taken their places in the waiting room, with my two children. Hubby stayed with me, encouraging me on through each contraction and putting up with the humming that was progressively getting louder. I remember waiting for Tracey to leave the room so that I could “hint” to the nurses about what drugs might be available. She would then come back in and remind me to not be a “wuss.”

When I finally progressed to between three and four centimeters, I was allowed to get into the labor tub. The nurses reminded me (in an ever so friendly way!) that this was only a “labor” tub and not a “birthing” tub, as they expected me to progress quickly once I became more comfortable. I was only in the tub for a short time before I began to experience a great deal of pressure. The nurses then had me get out of my warm enclosure and head back to the delivery room. Within a half hour, I had progressed to seven centimeters and the doctor had arrived and offered to break my bag of waters. After this was done, things progressed very quickly and the feeling of pressure was intense. The doc checked me again and at this time offered to give me a Pudenal Block as he could tell that Gunny was a very big baby. I looked at Tracey and I remember her telling me that it was ok, and I thought that she looked a little worried too.

I have never experienced pain like I did with that injection. I screamed so much that even the nurse questioned the need for the medication, telling him that I was doing fine until he had started with that injection. I remember the doc apologizing and then stopping – I only went numb after the delivery. After the screaming subsided, Tracey went and retrieved Taters from the waiting room so that she could watch her little brother be born.

With even more screaming, Gunny was quickly born after only a couple of pushes. I felt him emerge with a loud “pop” as his little clavicle had been broken during the birthing process. While Tracey took pictures, Hubby helped Taters cut the cord and then give him his first bath. The nurses were so patient to explain everything to Taterbug, and allow her the opportunity to prepare him for meeting the rest of his family. It was instant love for the grandparents and his older brother, although Gunny looked like a Mafioso, red and swollen. But he was my Mafioso and we loved him instantly.

Thinking back over the process, the thing I appreciated the most was the overall clarity I had over the entire birthing process. I felt so peaceful and so proud of myself and know that it was because of the team we had formed to tackle the birthing process. I only wish that I would have found her about eight years ago, when I first tackled the issue of pregnancy. I look forward to not only the pregnancy but the journey of the birthing process as well, because I learned so much about myself and the strength of my friends and family, when I experienced the birth of my third child.

Thank you Tracey and Happy Birthday Gunny!

If you'd like more information about the joys of a doula, you can visit Tracey Dahlen's site here or her blog, here.