Brigit arrived yesterday.
8lbs 8oz, 21.5 inches long, 14.5inch head 
I started having nice regular contractions on Thursday night...about 7 or 8 minutes apart.
I napped off and on through the night, and by 6am, they were 5 minutes apart. And they HURT!
Called the midwives and the came and checked my vitals, talked to me and assured me that it could be a while, and to call when the contractions got closer, water broke, mucus plug...etc etc.
So, from 6am-around 1pm I napped between 5 minute apart contractions, and showered (hot water is the BEST labor tool ever!) After a contraction around 1:30pm, I got up to use the bathroom and on the way in to the bathroom...my water broke! woohoo! Mucus plug came out at the same time. DH called the midwives and checked to see what they thought, and see if I could get in the birth tub and all that. They told him that the apprenttice would be over shortly to keep an eye on me, and to get in the tub - it would either slow them down or speed things up - and to call if it sped things up.
I have never been so happy to get into a giant tub of hot water ever!!!!
The first two contractions I had after getting into the tub were blissfully easy to weather.
And then...well, the sped up. I felt the baby flip, hard, and went into a contraction. A big bad contraction. And then they were a minute apart. After about 5 of those coming right on top of one another, I had one where I had a massive urge to push. (This was about 20 minutes after my water broke.)Dh called the midwives again and told them that they needed to come now - things had sped up, and I wanted to push. The apprentice arrived shortly after that and told me not to do anything about that urge unless I couldn't help it. I told her I couldn't help it and she told me to push. This was about 3:24pm. The othe two midwives arrived sometime after I started pushing.
No clue when. Brigit was born at 6:12pm. She had flipped posterior (had been in a GREAT position until I felt that flip that triggered the urge to push) and had her little fist up by her ear. Her cord was a bit short, and she couldn't be on my chest until it was cut. She came out a bit purple, but pinked up great and fast.
I had three small tears (none perineal of all things, all labial and on the sides!) one of which was over a small artery on the right inner labia...which was bleeding like crazy. And my uterus didn't want to cramp down...so I got a shot ofpitocin and some cohosh to get things started there. The midwife estimates I lost about 4 cups of blood. So, I spent some time getting stitched up and some shots to numb me before the stitches were done (YEOUCH!). And today, am alarmingly sore.
Baby is nursinglike a champ, and is currently sleeping well also.
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