Hi mamas!!
My baby girl arrived at 2:24 p.m. on September 30th (one of the last September babes?) after a beautiful 3 hour labor. She weighed in at 7lbs 15.5 oz and measured 20 inches long...and boy is she a nursing champ!!!
After a non-responsive NST and ultrasound, my midwife and I decided to have her break my water Saturday morning as I was highly favorable (3cms, 100% effaced) for labor. Arabella apparently knew this was going to happen and my fluid started to leak right around 11 a.m. It was steadily leaking by the time my midwife broke it completely at 11:24 a.m.
What a journey- my second labor was definitely intense and had no clear "phases" as my first had. What this birth did teach me is that you can have a beautifully blissful birth at a hospital. Granted, my hospital is very progressive and I was surrounded by midwives and nurses who embrace natural childbirth. They completely followed my birth plan (and didn't even require any vaginal exams to see if I was "ready" to push) and allowed me to labor as my body was telling me to. I was on all-fours nearly the entire time and squatted to birth Arabella- I also found Ina May's "horse blowing technique" to be incredibly helpful through contractions. Even though this was my second natural birth, I feel as though this one really allowed me to lose all inhibitions and just be surrounded by love and constant support- IT WAS AWESOME!!!
Thanks again for sending all of the positive birth vibes- it felt so good going in knowing that there is such an empowering and wonderful community of women routing for me!
My baby girl arrived at 2:24 p.m. on September 30th (one of the last September babes?) after a beautiful 3 hour labor. She weighed in at 7lbs 15.5 oz and measured 20 inches long...and boy is she a nursing champ!!!
After a non-responsive NST and ultrasound, my midwife and I decided to have her break my water Saturday morning as I was highly favorable (3cms, 100% effaced) for labor. Arabella apparently knew this was going to happen and my fluid started to leak right around 11 a.m. It was steadily leaking by the time my midwife broke it completely at 11:24 a.m.
What a journey- my second labor was definitely intense and had no clear "phases" as my first had. What this birth did teach me is that you can have a beautifully blissful birth at a hospital. Granted, my hospital is very progressive and I was surrounded by midwives and nurses who embrace natural childbirth. They completely followed my birth plan (and didn't even require any vaginal exams to see if I was "ready" to push) and allowed me to labor as my body was telling me to. I was on all-fours nearly the entire time and squatted to birth Arabella- I also found Ina May's "horse blowing technique" to be incredibly helpful through contractions. Even though this was my second natural birth, I feel as though this one really allowed me to lose all inhibitions and just be surrounded by love and constant support- IT WAS AWESOME!!!
Thanks again for sending all of the positive birth vibes- it felt so good going in knowing that there is such an empowering and wonderful community of women routing for me!
And that she finally arrived after an 8-day wait. We're on day 6 here... 
Are you going to call her Bella for short? Always one of my favourites, but dd1 is Ayla, and I feared it might be a bit too rhyming....
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