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This pregnancy was my hardest one. I had hyperemesis, threw up every day and was in and out of the hospial for fluids. I was depressed and not very happy about this unplanned pg. I never really got excited about this baby until after she was here. At my last appointment, my bp was way up and I was beginning to consider home induction methods. I had been having 4-5 hours of contractions at night for about a week. On Thursday, I went to our health food store and bought some castor oil. I was planning on calling my midwife on Friday to ask her if I could take it. Since I have a history of precipitous labors, I wanted to make sure she was in Baltimore and not Southern Maryland. Around 2 am on Friday, they started up again, but I didn’t really pay attention. I got up to pee as that usually made them stop. About 15 minutes later I had to pee again and had a contraction on my way there that brought me to my knees. I leaned over the counter in the bathroom waiting for it to pass and hollered to wake up DH. I told him it might be time to call and asked for a cup of ice. I wasn’t sure they were real contractions because they didn’t feel like any I had ever felt before. They were only in my very lower abdomen, and didn’t last very long, even though they were intense, not painful, but powerful. They also didn’t really involve my back which was unusual for me. While looking in the mirror, I noticed my nose looked different and that convinced me that I was really in labor, and that it was time to call the attendants. I have no idea how I determined that was relevant, but it was to me at the time. I leaned over our foot stool while Eric rubbed my back during contractions. I tried to use my hypnobabies cues but it wasn’t right, and I couldn’t stand to listen to the scripts either. DH called our midwife and doula. We found out my mw was 2.5 hours away and I verbalized some explitives because I have a history of going fast. I knew my doula would be here first and that was a relief. She got here around 3:30 and I asked her to set up the pool. She was amazing. Sh reassured me just the right way when I expressed displeasure with pushing, and her calm excitement spread throughout the house. Around 4 I started vocalizing during contractions, and DH suggested we move out of the bedroom where the other kids were still sleeping. About 10 minutes later, the pool was ready, and getting in was not as heavenly as I had expected, but did help me relax. The weightless feeling was very nice. Our assistant midwife got here about this time, and she had her 7 year old daughter with her. I told her there was a bed she could sleep in if she wanted. Around 4:30 my 5 year old Bella came out and her daughter also wanted to come back out. About 15 minutes later, my brother woke up and so did our 2.5 year old son. Our midwife got there right before 5 and listened to baby. Minutes later, I started having pushing contractions. I hate pushing. The sensation brings back some bad memories, and I started really fighting the contractions. With some I would bear down to get it over with, and with others, I would almost hold her in. I shouted NOOOOOOO with every contraction. My body didn’t care that I didn’t want to push. It just did it on it’s own. At this point, my doula left my side to take pictures and was replaced by our assistant. I had my brother on my other side and dh was on the sofa with our son. My water broke during pushing, and I was terrified even more because this is when my labors really got hard in the past, and I couldn’t imagine handling any more fear, tension, pain, discomfort, etc. The intensity didn't change though, and I was able to relax a little more. I continued this cycle of fighting and pushing for about 20 minutes when until her head was born. Her head and shoulders were out, but it was as if her belly was stuck! My midwife wanted me to turn over so I could get her, but I couldn’t move, so they just flipped me. I couldn’t reach her, so my midwife helped me and another push or two and she was on my chest. Oh the relief!
I have a history of pph, so I got some nasty tasting herbs about ten mins later to help my placenta separate because I was starting to bleed heavily. Dad cut the cord at 5:42, and the placenta came about ten minutes later. I groaned through those third stage contractions too. They got me to my bed and I got a shot of pitocin and methergine. I was throwing up and dropping a lot of clots. Once I rolled over and got the clots out I felt much better. She started nursing about an hour after birth and latched on great right away.
Two days later, my milk is in, she’s peeing and pooping like crazy and I’m starting to feel stronger. Labor was about 3.5 hours. She weighed 9lbs 13 oz and is a short 20 inches.
Congratulations! 
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