Mason Parker Hadlock: his birth story

l The weeks flew by for me on this pregnancy that is until the last one and then it dragged on and on and on! It took me a little longer on this one to prepare myself mentally for another child and the thought of going through labor again but by 39 weeks I was feeling pretty ready! The week before I was able to have a fun girls night with my sisters and mom, I got my hair done, got the kids' haircut, went to the temple, got my nails done, packed my bags, and cleaned the house and tried to keep it that way! I thought it would be nice to have a baby right before conference and then I could just sit and cuddle him through the sessions but he had different plans.

Marcus's mom flew in the day before my due date and that evening I started having contractions... I thought well isn't this perfect BUT they never got more than 20 mins apart so then it was April 3rd my due date. I had told myself before that I was prepared for him to come late since Micah did but something happens when you hit your due date and there is still no baby! The next couple of days were very hard. I had regular contractions through the nights but then they would always stop by 4 or 5 in the morning. Marcus wanted to be home from work cause his mom was here and he had already told his work that I was having contractions but still we waited! I knew deep down that this baby would come at the perfect time but I wanted the perfect time to be now! Anyway on Thursday my good friend Joann (who was due the same day as me) decided to go out walking until these babies decided they were ready to come! We took a good long walk (I had walked with Joann the day before Micah came so I thought this would surely do it)! Then after our walk I went with Marcus and his mom and the kids to IKEA and we walked some more! By the time we left I was having some good steady contractions and thought surely this was it! BUT they again continued through the night and stopped around 4 in the morning!

The next morning Marcus headed to work and I went to my foot zone class while Grammie Pammie watched the kids. And as I am driving to my class I got a text saying Joann had had her baby... if it would have been anyone else then I would have been upset but since I knew she knew exactly how I felt then I was thrilled for her! We got home and had a nice dinner and decided to do a movie night with the kids... we watched We Bought a Zoo. That evening the contractions started again... I knew deep down that this was it but I stayed calm and didn't say anything cause I wanted to be sure. Around midnight I knew there would be no sleep for me and Marcus was still up so i told him we better just head in. I started to feel really sick too and I did not want to be throwing up in the car and usually when I start throwing up then the end is fairly near. I called my midwives on the way in and let them know we were coming. We got there and settled in at about 1 that morning. They checked me and said I was a 3... not going to lie that was pretty depressing for me seeing that I had been feeling stuff for almost a week now! I guess they thought it was pretty depressing too cause they did not want me in the tub and wanted to send me home until I was in "active labor". Well being a 3 or not I was in VERY active labor!

An hour later they checked me and I was a 5. Things started to intensify for me and I got really sick and started throwing up. They told me last time that throwing up makes you dilate faster so I tried really hard to appreciate the throwing up. I kept asking if I could get in the tub to try to relax a little and they continued to tell me not until I was really progressing. I felt like I was progressing quite quickly but they though differently I guess. I was starting to feel a little panicked because I was exhausted and didn't know how much more I could handle and they seemed to be telling me that I had a ways to go still. Finally at about 3:30 am i asked once again if I could get in the tub... the student midwife said she would fill up the tub and then came in and said she did it too hot on purpose so that I would have to wait til it cooled down to get in. I was feeling very overwhelmed at this point but decided to just focus on having this baby!
The tub had really helped me with Micah to take the edge off of things and to be able to really focus and concentrate. So at 4 am I asked again if I could get in the tub... the midwife and 2 students then came in and sat down in my room and told me that they really only wanted me to stay if I was in "active labor" and that it might be better to go home and relax in my own tub until I was closer to having the baby! I just stared at them in disbelief and then looked to Marcus for help who was staring as well! I knew there was no way I would be able to climb in the car and drive 40 mins home let alone go home and "relax" and come back in. (Seriously who relaxes when they are in labor?) I just said I don't' think I will make it home and back in time. SO they decided to check me and I was a 7 so they said I could get in the tub but that I needed to get out if the contractions slowed down. Trust me they DID NOT slow down or lessen!

However, the tub helped me immensely get through the rest. The contractions kept coming one after another this time and I wondered how much longer this was going to be... they made it seem like I still had hours. At one point I looked at Marcus and said I didn't think I could keep doing it. He kept reassuring me and so I kept going, praying for the baby and the strength to get through. And then when I really, really thought I was done I stood up in the tub and felt like I was pushing. The midwives asked if I was pushing and I couldn't answer because as soon as that one was done then the urge came again. This time the urge did not stop, it literally lasted a couple of minutes ... the pressure was immense and I felt like I was going to collapse. I didn't have any idea how close I was and then I heard Marcus ask if that was the babies head. The student said no it is her sack and Marcus said no it is the head. And then I knew I could do it so I lowered myself into the tub and out came his head and 2 seconds later (all in the same push) came his body. He came out still in the sack which they cut open and then handed him to me.
There are no words that express quite what a mother feels in that moment. LOVE, relief, happiness, hope, LOVE, admiration, thankfulness, more relief, so many feelings at once. He came out so dark and with all this dark hair, I could hardly believe it. He is so beautiful and so perfect. He didn't cry at first just looked at me and Marcus. I had to rub his back to get him to cry and clean his lungs out. We sat there and just admired our little miracle. I believe that giving life is about as close as one can get to heaven here on this earth. I truly felt that my Heavenly Father had been there and helped me especially in those moments when I didn't think I could keep going on. And I guess that is how life is... He is always there when we need Him most and He will carry us through when it feels like we can't do it anymore.

There is no greater feeling for me then to look at my new little one with Marcus and know that he is ours and that we both helped create him and bring him here. We are so so happy to have our little Mason here with us! He was born at 5:06 am and weighed 8 lbs and 2 oz and was 21 inches long. After getting out of the tub and getting situated in bed I tried feeding him and it only took him about 30 seconds to figure out what to do. He is a champ!

I wasn't 100% sure about his name til we sat there holding him but Mason Parker he is! Marcus had suggested Mason awhile back and I had liked it but wanted to see him first... the kids had been calling him Mason for weeks and then one day Hayden started calling him Spiderman. I said why Spiderman? And he said cause if his name is Spiderman then he can fly! I love my little Hayd... he has been so excited for a baby and especially for another brother! So we got to thinking and decided to use Parker after Spiderman's real name Peter Parker.

Well it is late and I am tired but wanted to get that written before I forgot things but tomorrow I will post pictures and more.