I had an especially difficult labor. My water broke, and I went to 8cm in an hour. We called our planned Kaiser (Santa Clara) to let them know we were coming, and they told us they were full, so we went to the nearest Kaiser in RWC; this turned out to be especially fortunate. I didn’t want an epidural because I was entirely dilated and wanted to feel the contractions. I could push more effectively to move things along faster. I tirelessly pushed for 8hrs with Ayumi by my side, with almost 0 rest between contractions. At hour 10, the doctors told me it was time for a c-section, but I wanted one last try. So, I asked for another 30 minutes of pushing — believe me when I say Ayumi was beside me, encouraging me as if she was also giving birth. Thirty minutes later, I was able to deliver my beautiful baby boy via vacuum…it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, and I can honestly say it wouldn’t have been possible without Ayumi. I feel an especially profound debt of gratitude to Ayumi, she believed in me when many didn’t. Incidentally, the nurses said I broke the hospital pushing record.