I was hopeful right from the start of my second pregnancy that things would be different from the first. My firstborn, Nolan, was a frank breech, which necessitated a Cesarean section delivery, which I really didn't want!

I was even more hopeful as time went on when it appeared that No. 2 was cooperating position wise. My doctor told me I could try a VBAC if the baby was in the right position. At 37 weeks she sent me for an ultrasound to determine that the baby was indeed head down. Much to my happiness the head was exactly where it was supposed to be!

The last couple of weeks went on with the usual doctor visits. The baby was due the first week of November, and as there was no position problem this time, I was told the likelihood of my needing a C-section was low, as long as I didn't go past my due date.

At 39 weeks, winter hit us early, and I can remember going out to shovel the snow out from around the car in case I went into labor. My doctor was going away, and she too was hopeful the baby would make an appearance on its own a little early.

A few days later I had an appointment with the doctor who was covering for my regular doctor. Thank goodness I at least had met this doctor before, so it wouldn't be a complete stranger looking after us. In fact, this was the doctor who had performed the C-section to deliver my first child.

That morning I awoke at 6:30 a.m. with an aching back. I got up to see if it would go away with a bit of walking, but instead felt as if I were having menstrual cramps and an aching back. Walking didn't really do anything, but as it was still early, I wandered around the house to see what if anything would happen. I never experienced labor with my first child, so I really didn't know what to expect.

A couple hours later I debated whether I should go to the hospital or the doctor's appointment. I decided to go to the doctor's appointment in case it was just false labor. I got there right on time, and he said, "Let's have a look." To my utter surprise he told me I was 4 centimeters dilated and completely thinned out! He went on to tell me to get to the hospital and not waste much time getting there. (I found out later that the bag of waters was bulging like crazy, and he thought it would break at any time!) I went home, got my husband and son, drove over to my dad's – where I left my son – and proceeded to the hospital.

Once admitted, I was told I was now at 5 centimeters. The contractions just felt like rhythmic cramps so they weren't too bad. By 2 p.m. I was at 8 centimeters but my water had still not broken. The doctor offered to break it for me to help things along. It felt as if a dam had broken with all the liquid gushing out! Less than an hour later it was time to push.

I didn't think I was very good at pushing. All I really wanted to do was use the washroom, because it felt like I needed to have a bowel movement. I know I did eventually have a BM, but the doctor pretended like it never happened.

I felt my mind wander near the end when the intense burning started. I think I asked for pain medication about then, but the doctor said no, because the head was already out. A couple of pushes later, after one last kick in the side, out slid my second baby boy, slightly smaller than his brother, weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

To my amazement I pushed for only just over an hour, with no pain medication. Other than a momentary uncertainty about the position of his head in the birth canal, his birth was perfect. He was calm and seemed ready to greet us and the world. I couldn't have asked for the birth to go any better!