I am NAK, but I wanted to post a quick update. I posted Saturday morning that I thought I was in labor, and I was!
She was born at 11:09PM (my third baby and my longest labor - 19 hours). She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. We're both doing very well.
I'll come back later to post my birth story,and some pictures (how do you post an album from Facebook so everyone can see it?).
The Birth
I woke up around 4:30 in the morning with contractions that were 5-7 minutes apart, and lasting about 60 seconds. I finally woke up DH around 7:30 to tell him, and I went and took a bath. The water did not seem to help the pain at all, and the contractions kept coming irregularly although they did get slightly longer and more intense. DH called MIL around 10 to tell her this was probably it and that she should come. We were waiting to see if the contractions would get closer together before we called my dad, who had to rent a car (his is still being repaired) and had a longer drive. DH finally called him around noon. The contractions were still around 5-7 minutes apart, but were becoming more intense, and we he should probably come.
MIL got to our house around 12:30. I was in a lot of pain by then, and was not talking through the contractions. I was feeling frustrated because they were not getting closer together. I really felt like walking might help, but the weather was rainy and yucky. At 2:30, they were definitely more intense, but still coming 5-7 minutes apart. DH and I decided to go to the Gardens to walk. They have a large indoor area, and I figured it would not be very crowded because of the weather. I was right, and we stayed for about two hours walking around. As we walked, my contractions went from me having to stop and lean on DH in the parking lot, to 3 minutes apart, and so mild I would say "oh, I am having another contraction". We left, and stopped to get food for MIL on our way home. During the 20 minute drive I only had one contraction, and it was pretty mild.
Got home, I felt very discouraged and went in to lie down. I slept on and off for about an hour, then woke up and stayed in bed for another hour tracking my contractions. They were now about 5-12 minutes apart, and varying in degrees of intensity. I slept on and off for about another hour, and when I woke up my dad was there.
I was in a lot of pain at this point, and the contractions were back to coming 5-7 minutes apart. I had already been in labor for over 12 hours, which was how long my longest labor (DD1) had lasted. I finally broke down and started crying, and DH called the midwife. I was happy that it was Gail, my primary midwife for this pregnancy and for DD2's pregnancy. She said that we should go ahead and go into the hospital. The car ride slowed my contractions down again, and when they brought me up to triage, I was barley having any contractions and they were really mild again. I was starting to freak out and think that maybe I wasn't really in labor, and that all the pain was for nothing and I'd have to go through it all again. The nurse checked me and said I was 4 cm. I couldn't believe that was all, and she said she'd check with Gail. She said something about sending me home, and I know that was what she was expecting to do.
She came back and said that Gail did feel like I was probably in labor, and that I should try walking if I felt up to it, and that they would recheck me in an hour. I tried walking, but the contractions go really bad again, and I went back in to lie down. The contractions were very bad at this point. Comparable to the last hour or so of my other two labors. I think it was around 8PM now, and when they rechecked me, I was at 5 cm. and they admitted me.
They took me to a delivery room, and I got into the bath. Again, the water did not seem to help with the pain. I was having "clusters" of milder contractions, followed a few minutes later by an extremely painful contraction. Gail had said she'd like me out of the bath by 10 so they could check my cervix again. It took me 10 minutes to get out of the tub, it seemed like I would have a contraction every time I moved. I was in so much pain at this point, I considered asking for an epidural. I know a lot of women have them, but I delivered my other two without ever even considering asking for one, so it was a big deal for me to even be thinking that way.
They checked me again, and I was 7 cm. I laid on my side in the bed, which was my most comfortable position during my other two labors, but it really didn't offer any relief this time. I was in pretty constant pain, and tried getting up and walking, swaying my hips, kneeling, etc., but nothing helped at all. I finally got back into the bed, and I don't know how much longer I was there before I started feeling the urge to push. Gail ruptured my membranes and I started pushing. The pushing was different from my other two as well. With both of my other deliveries, I had pretty much constant contractions and both babies were out in six minutes. This time, I pushed for about 15 minutes, with breaks in between contractions.
Before my last two contractions, I was able to relax and rest for a bit (no idea how long), DH told me later he thought I had fallen asleep. I could hear the midwife explaining to the nurses that I was in a latent phase of late stage labor, and that my body was giving me a chance to rest, but that once it was over the baby would come out quickly. I had another contraction and pushed again. I could feel her head starting to come out, and the contraction ended. While I was waiting for the next contraction, I could actually feel her moving downward on her own. Gail said, "oh look, she's coming out on her own" then I had another contraction, a few more pushes and she was out.
The entire labor lasted 19 hours, and was so exhausting. It was completely different from my other two, and I have a new appreciation for how relatively painless they were!
My MIL, my father and both DDs were there, along with DH. My 4 year old, who stayed in the entire time and watched everything. DD1 also stayed. She was there for my 4 year old's birth too, but didn't see anything. This time she watched the whole delivery. I was so proud of both of them. Once the baby was out, DD2 said "are you going to clean up that blood?"
She was born at 11:09PM (my third baby and my longest labor - 19 hours). She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. We're both doing very well.
I'll come back later to post my birth story,and some pictures (how do you post an album from Facebook so everyone can see it?).
The Birth
I woke up around 4:30 in the morning with contractions that were 5-7 minutes apart, and lasting about 60 seconds. I finally woke up DH around 7:30 to tell him, and I went and took a bath. The water did not seem to help the pain at all, and the contractions kept coming irregularly although they did get slightly longer and more intense. DH called MIL around 10 to tell her this was probably it and that she should come. We were waiting to see if the contractions would get closer together before we called my dad, who had to rent a car (his is still being repaired) and had a longer drive. DH finally called him around noon. The contractions were still around 5-7 minutes apart, but were becoming more intense, and we he should probably come.
MIL got to our house around 12:30. I was in a lot of pain by then, and was not talking through the contractions. I was feeling frustrated because they were not getting closer together. I really felt like walking might help, but the weather was rainy and yucky. At 2:30, they were definitely more intense, but still coming 5-7 minutes apart. DH and I decided to go to the Gardens to walk. They have a large indoor area, and I figured it would not be very crowded because of the weather. I was right, and we stayed for about two hours walking around. As we walked, my contractions went from me having to stop and lean on DH in the parking lot, to 3 minutes apart, and so mild I would say "oh, I am having another contraction". We left, and stopped to get food for MIL on our way home. During the 20 minute drive I only had one contraction, and it was pretty mild.
Got home, I felt very discouraged and went in to lie down. I slept on and off for about an hour, then woke up and stayed in bed for another hour tracking my contractions. They were now about 5-12 minutes apart, and varying in degrees of intensity. I slept on and off for about another hour, and when I woke up my dad was there.
I was in a lot of pain at this point, and the contractions were back to coming 5-7 minutes apart. I had already been in labor for over 12 hours, which was how long my longest labor (DD1) had lasted. I finally broke down and started crying, and DH called the midwife. I was happy that it was Gail, my primary midwife for this pregnancy and for DD2's pregnancy. She said that we should go ahead and go into the hospital. The car ride slowed my contractions down again, and when they brought me up to triage, I was barley having any contractions and they were really mild again. I was starting to freak out and think that maybe I wasn't really in labor, and that all the pain was for nothing and I'd have to go through it all again. The nurse checked me and said I was 4 cm. I couldn't believe that was all, and she said she'd check with Gail. She said something about sending me home, and I know that was what she was expecting to do.
She came back and said that Gail did feel like I was probably in labor, and that I should try walking if I felt up to it, and that they would recheck me in an hour. I tried walking, but the contractions go really bad again, and I went back in to lie down. The contractions were very bad at this point. Comparable to the last hour or so of my other two labors. I think it was around 8PM now, and when they rechecked me, I was at 5 cm. and they admitted me.
They took me to a delivery room, and I got into the bath. Again, the water did not seem to help with the pain. I was having "clusters" of milder contractions, followed a few minutes later by an extremely painful contraction. Gail had said she'd like me out of the bath by 10 so they could check my cervix again. It took me 10 minutes to get out of the tub, it seemed like I would have a contraction every time I moved. I was in so much pain at this point, I considered asking for an epidural. I know a lot of women have them, but I delivered my other two without ever even considering asking for one, so it was a big deal for me to even be thinking that way.
They checked me again, and I was 7 cm. I laid on my side in the bed, which was my most comfortable position during my other two labors, but it really didn't offer any relief this time. I was in pretty constant pain, and tried getting up and walking, swaying my hips, kneeling, etc., but nothing helped at all. I finally got back into the bed, and I don't know how much longer I was there before I started feeling the urge to push. Gail ruptured my membranes and I started pushing. The pushing was different from my other two as well. With both of my other deliveries, I had pretty much constant contractions and both babies were out in six minutes. This time, I pushed for about 15 minutes, with breaks in between contractions.
Before my last two contractions, I was able to relax and rest for a bit (no idea how long), DH told me later he thought I had fallen asleep. I could hear the midwife explaining to the nurses that I was in a latent phase of late stage labor, and that my body was giving me a chance to rest, but that once it was over the baby would come out quickly. I had another contraction and pushed again. I could feel her head starting to come out, and the contraction ended. While I was waiting for the next contraction, I could actually feel her moving downward on her own. Gail said, "oh look, she's coming out on her own" then I had another contraction, a few more pushes and she was out.
The entire labor lasted 19 hours, and was so exhausting. It was completely different from my other two, and I have a new appreciation for how relatively painless they were!
My MIL, my father and both DDs were there, along with DH. My 4 year old, who stayed in the entire time and watched everything. DD1 also stayed. She was there for my 4 year old's birth too, but didn't see anything. This time she watched the whole delivery. I was so proud of both of them. Once the baby was out, DD2 said "are you going to clean up that blood?"
congratulations 
I can't wait for pictures of your cute new teeny girl! 
