As my first pregnancy had been, my second son's pregnancy was sheer torture with hyperemesis (unable to keep anything down, including water) and a lot of pain. When we did the alpha fetal protein test, it came back with a weird level. Not knowing what was going to happen, I had to wait a whole week for my ultrasound.

The doctor assured me that there were no signs of malformations, spina bifida, hydroencephalitis, etc., but I still worried about Down syndrome or maybe something the doctor couldn't see on ultrasound. I worried the whole pregnancy, thinking I was being punished because he was unplanned, and I hadn't wanted to be pregnant at that time, if ever again. After that though, I realized I LOVED my baby, and he and I would fight this horrible pregnancy together!

I was diagnosed (again) with pre-eclampsia, but this time it was at almost 8 months instead of 7. My midwife, as always, treated me VERY well.

As my symptoms worsened, an induction date was scheduled (just like my first son). However, my midwife had an emergency appendectomy the week of the induction. When they called to reschedule, I burst into tears. I wanted to end the pregnancy as soon as possible! I was in MISERY! My midwife agreed to induce me anyway, and she gave up her own healing time to be with me in my induction.

I had the stuff placed on my cervix at 7 p.m. with no results by 7 a.m. So Pitocin was started. The last time it took two days and resulted in a Cesarean section! This time my labor started within a few hours, and my water broke! Instead of a nine-hour labor and an emergency C-section, this time I was in active labor for only five hours!

Nubain made me sleep between contractions, which meant I wasn't up and walking or being proactive, and I was psychologically going through one long contraction for hours because I didn't know I was sleeping! The Nubain wore off, and I demanded a C-section when I was in transition and didn't realize it. My mother and midwife talked me into waiting, as I had gone from 4 centimeters dilated to 7 centimeters in only an hour. I got up and walked down the hall to the birthing room. With a couple of stops for embarrassing contractions and scream fests in the hall, it only took a few minutes, maybe 10.

By the time I got there, being held up by my husband and mother, I stood by the bed and said It's coming out! I had a great urge to push, and no one believed me, as I had been only at 7 just 10 minutes before that. They offered me the birth ball to lean on, and I told them again No, it's coming out now. Someone do something! They laid me down, and there he was, starting to crown! Now that was powerful! I knew my own body well enough to know I had transitioned and was at full dilation even when the nurses and midwife thought I was nuts!

Ten pushes and 13 minutes later, he was born VBAC! Only 10 pushes for a second born, but the first to travel through the birth canal. I was totally invigorated! I was so proud of myself and felt so powerful! I didn't think I could possibly achieve a vaginal birth, LET ALONE a VBAC!

He was a healthy 7 pounds, 2 ounces at three to four weeks early!