Lilah was born at 12:56am on July 15th. 8lbs 4oz and 20 1/2 inches long. On the 14th around 2pm I took some castor oil, and that kicked in around 8pm that night. I got a little bloody show, and contractions started right away, one on top of each other, and pretty strong. I spent most of my time laboring on the toilet, and for a little while I was in the tub. Around 10pm I told DH to call the midwife, and that we should leave for the hospital soon. He paged her a couple times, and he couldnt get a hold of her, so we called the hospital birthing center. One of the nurses talked to me, and it seemed like she was trying to talk me out of coming in! She asked me if the pain was "unbearable" yet. I said well, no, I guess it's not unbearable considering I'm still alive. She said that since I was planning a natural birth, to hold off coming as long as I could. So I thought maybe it wasn't time to go in yet, and I tried to lay down in bed and relax as best I could. A little while later my midwife called back, and when she started talking to me she said right away, ok it's time to come in. The car ride was so foggy to me, but it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. The worst part was when DH stomped on the gas getting on the highway, and I was jolted backward! At this point I was really in "labor land" as they call it! It was dark out, and it was raining lightly, I had the window rolled down and the rain hitting my face was helping me feel better, somehow. So we finally get to the hospital. They put me in a wheelchair and I sit at the admissions desk for about 15 minutes waiting for the birthing center nurse to come down and get me. I remember being so mad at the woman doing admissions because she was just casually taking to one of her other coworkers while I'm sitting here, in labor! It took her a few minutes to even address us. Within those 15 minutes I had 7 contractions, and they were strong! Finally the nurse comes to get me. We get up to the room with the tub, and I ask right away when I can get in. She says that my midwife really likes to wait until the moms' are in "rip-roaring labor" before getting in the tub. Hmm, so am I not in labor right now?? So I'm laying in the bed with the monitors hooked up to me, and the nurse is asking me all these obnoxious questions while I'm trying to relax and handle the contractions. Then, one contraction came and I felt myself pushing! So I yelled out, "I'm pushing!!" and the nurse flew out of her chair and said that she had to check me right now. For whatever reason I started arguing with her that I didn't want to be checked. DH talked me into letting her though. So she checks me and says, "I don't feel any cervix, you are complete!" I was SO relieved!! I thought all along that I would end up getting to the hospital and they would send me back home for not really being ready. That was not the case! She tells me not to push, to blow the pain away, 
and she leaves the room to go call my midwife. There was no way I couldn't NOT push. It wasn't even like I was trying to, my body just automatically did it. A little while after that my water broke. It felt like a huge warm wet bubble popping inside me. Within 10 minutes my midwife and her midwife in training were there, and I could really get things started. Pushing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I never felt a burning sensation like some women do. As her head came out I felt a real quick sharp pain, but it only lasted a second. Then I felt a warm gush as the rest of her came out. And that was it!! They said, It's a girl! and I was so relieved because towards the end we were worried about it being a boy! They put her on my chest right away, and I thought, wow she looks really clean, and BIG! She had a little vernix on her, but that was pretty much it. I labored for about 5 hours, and pushed for only 40 minutes. It felt like so much shorter though. I would have guessed I only pushed for 15-20 minutes! Well, that's my birth story! Things are going well at home, baby is healthy, happy, and a great nurser!
and she leaves the room to go call my midwife. There was no way I couldn't NOT push. It wasn't even like I was trying to, my body just automatically did it. A little while after that my water broke. It felt like a huge warm wet bubble popping inside me. Within 10 minutes my midwife and her midwife in training were there, and I could really get things started. Pushing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I never felt a burning sensation like some women do. As her head came out I felt a real quick sharp pain, but it only lasted a second. Then I felt a warm gush as the rest of her came out. And that was it!! They said, It's a girl! and I was so relieved because towards the end we were worried about it being a boy! They put her on my chest right away, and I thought, wow she looks really clean, and BIG! She had a little vernix on her, but that was pretty much it. I labored for about 5 hours, and pushed for only 40 minutes. It felt like so much shorter though. I would have guessed I only pushed for 15-20 minutes! Well, that's my birth story! Things are going well at home, baby is healthy, happy, and a great nurser!
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