I went to the midwife on 9/8 and was examined by the attending OB. He said I was 3 cm. (didnt' say anything about effacement) and stripped my membranes. (I had this done with my second baby, but it didnt' do anything for me)
About 2 am Thursday 9/9, I started contractions - about 10 min apart - and they lasted for about 2 hours. They weren't terribly strong. I dozed between them. Then they stopped. They came back around 6 am, and I lost my mucus plug, again, 10 min apart, and a tad bit stronger. Stopped around 8.
I had some off and on through out the day - randomly. They never got closer than 10 minutes. Some were stronger, some were weaker. I was unsure what to do. Dh was home with me, but he was useless as far as labor went. He tended to the other two kids. Left me to labor alone.
Around 4 pm, I called my doula - unsure what else to do. I didnt' feel the need to call the midwife. Kim, the doula, showed up around 5 and we went for a walk two blocks up the street to a beautiful park. Contractions picked up quickly while we were walking - and by the time we were heading back to my house (4 blocks away) I was having contractions every 20 steps or so!!
By the time we made it to the other end of my block, I was in transition. I could barely make it across the street without a contraction. Made it back into my house to the bathroom - and told dh he needed to call my sister to come stay with the kids (unfortunately, all our family is out of town - my family is an hour away, his is even further) There wasn't enough time for them to come, so my Ds ran down the street to a neighbor who had offered her help and asked her to come. She no sooner showed up and we headed out the door.
As I was trying to get into our van, my water broke and I immediately needed to push! I had Kim and my dh yelling at me - NO!! DON'T PUSH!! BLOW IT OUT!! BREATH!!
yeah, right!
the hospital is 10 blocks away - I didn't think we'd make it. Thankfully, Kim had called the midwife and the hospital - and the ER staff was waiting for us with a wheelchair. (the midwife wasn't on call, unfortunately) They literally RAN me through the hospital to L&D - with Kim and the ER staff yelling at me to not push, to breath... (Dh was parking the van).
They got me into L&D, on the bed and I was SCREAMING - I NEED TO PUSH!! Now I have L&D staff yelling at me to wait for the OB.
UH... NO! I CAN'T!!
the ER doc said, let me examine you and see where you are - and when the nurse got my undies off, (I was still in my street clothes) he gasped! LOL Said - The baby's head is right there - PUSH!!
OK! (the OB still hadn't made it to the hospital)
Two good pushes and my beautiful tiny baby girl popped out! Completely drug free. I did tear at '6' and '12' o'clock, but the midwife (when she examined me on Saturday) said they were minimal and would heal fine on their own.
It was 6:35 pm. It took me one and a half hours of walking!
Little Erin weighed in at 6 lbs, 10 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. (my other kids were 7lb 4 oz and 7 lb 5 oz and both were over 21 inches long)
She is full term, tiny and gorgeous. She has a head full of black hair (unlike her sibs.. they had heads full of dirty blonde and strawberry blonde hair!)
She is a nursing champ. She left the hospital at 6lb 2 oz and within 3 days was back up to 6 lb 9 oz! She sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time. During the day, it is mostly 2 hours, and once already she slept 5 hours at night - I woke up in a panic and woke her up to nurse.
I was amazed at how quickly it went for us this time. With my first VBAC, I labored for 19 hours. My doula and MW tell me that I am just made to have babies! (*unfortunately, this is our last)
About 2 am Thursday 9/9, I started contractions - about 10 min apart - and they lasted for about 2 hours. They weren't terribly strong. I dozed between them. Then they stopped. They came back around 6 am, and I lost my mucus plug, again, 10 min apart, and a tad bit stronger. Stopped around 8.
I had some off and on through out the day - randomly. They never got closer than 10 minutes. Some were stronger, some were weaker. I was unsure what to do. Dh was home with me, but he was useless as far as labor went. He tended to the other two kids. Left me to labor alone.
Around 4 pm, I called my doula - unsure what else to do. I didnt' feel the need to call the midwife. Kim, the doula, showed up around 5 and we went for a walk two blocks up the street to a beautiful park. Contractions picked up quickly while we were walking - and by the time we were heading back to my house (4 blocks away) I was having contractions every 20 steps or so!!
By the time we made it to the other end of my block, I was in transition. I could barely make it across the street without a contraction. Made it back into my house to the bathroom - and told dh he needed to call my sister to come stay with the kids (unfortunately, all our family is out of town - my family is an hour away, his is even further) There wasn't enough time for them to come, so my Ds ran down the street to a neighbor who had offered her help and asked her to come. She no sooner showed up and we headed out the door.
As I was trying to get into our van, my water broke and I immediately needed to push! I had Kim and my dh yelling at me - NO!! DON'T PUSH!! BLOW IT OUT!! BREATH!!
yeah, right!
the hospital is 10 blocks away - I didn't think we'd make it. Thankfully, Kim had called the midwife and the hospital - and the ER staff was waiting for us with a wheelchair. (the midwife wasn't on call, unfortunately) They literally RAN me through the hospital to L&D - with Kim and the ER staff yelling at me to not push, to breath... (Dh was parking the van).
They got me into L&D, on the bed and I was SCREAMING - I NEED TO PUSH!! Now I have L&D staff yelling at me to wait for the OB.
UH... NO! I CAN'T!!
the ER doc said, let me examine you and see where you are - and when the nurse got my undies off, (I was still in my street clothes) he gasped! LOL Said - The baby's head is right there - PUSH!!
OK! (the OB still hadn't made it to the hospital)
Two good pushes and my beautiful tiny baby girl popped out! Completely drug free. I did tear at '6' and '12' o'clock, but the midwife (when she examined me on Saturday) said they were minimal and would heal fine on their own.
It was 6:35 pm. It took me one and a half hours of walking!
Little Erin weighed in at 6 lbs, 10 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. (my other kids were 7lb 4 oz and 7 lb 5 oz and both were over 21 inches long)
She is full term, tiny and gorgeous. She has a head full of black hair (unlike her sibs.. they had heads full of dirty blonde and strawberry blonde hair!)
She is a nursing champ. She left the hospital at 6lb 2 oz and within 3 days was back up to 6 lb 9 oz! She sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time. During the day, it is mostly 2 hours, and once already she slept 5 hours at night - I woke up in a panic and woke her up to nurse.
I was amazed at how quickly it went for us this time. With my first VBAC, I labored for 19 hours. My doula and MW tell me that I am just made to have babies! (*unfortunately, this is our last)
