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I'll start with Sunday, July 13th. This was the day of endless energy! Probably the only bit of energy I'd had the entire pregnancy. I awoke with a mission to get things done before babe arrived. I weeded flower beds, sanded furniture to be refinished, and mowed the lawn...among many other things. After I finished mowing part of our lawn (6 acres) with the riding mower I came in, as it was getting dark, and told DH that if that didn't start labor I didn't know what would. He laughed and said he'd thought of that when I mentioned I was going out to mow.
Later that night the kids were in bed and I had showered. I asked DH just when we might get around to taking those belly pics we'd been putting off for months. We set about doing so and stayed up until the wee hours taking them. These were to be my first and last belly pics of the pregnancy. As we lay in bed that night, totally exhausted and dozing off, I mumbled to DH "Now, I can go into labor."
Early Monday morning as DH was getting ready for work I was feeling some strange pains in my back, so I got up to pee thinking maybe the cause was my bladder being too full. That only seemed to bring them on more, but I did go back to sleep for a couple more hours until they were waking me and it was no longer comfortable to lay down.
It was about 9:30 when I got up and the girls were still sleeping. I was starving, so I got some breakfast while I waited for them to get up for the day, which didn't take long. I knew something was going on, but I was not convinced this was "it."
By noon I noticed I was having contractions at 8 min apart. DH was working about an hour away, but I felt things were going slowly and didn't need him to rush home and wait or want him to be nervous and distracted all day, so I waited to call him.
Later in the day DH called to check on me and I finally told him today might be "baby day." He was ready to leave right away and there was no convincing him that we would not have a super fast labor like we had with Caymen. I was hoping, but I could tell it just wasn't going to happen fast. He agreed to stay and wanted me to call the second contractions seemed to be getting closer than 8 min apart. After calling me back several more times he settled in and decided to finish out the day at work until I called and said otherwise.
I tried to busy myself and spent some time getting our things together for the birth. I also spent time on my exercise ball, eating, and just generally taking care of little odds n ends. I wasn't getting much done, but couldn't sit still either.
It got to be late afternoon and I was getting tired from being up so late the night before. I decided to make some raspberry leaf tea to try to nudge things a little further and lay down for a rest. After about an hour I had a contraction that bolted me out of bed. There was no way I was laying through another! As long as I was up, it wasn't bad at all.
Mom called to chat for a bit about 5ish and I noticed things were picking up a little. After that DH called to say he was leaving and would stop to grab some dinner. While I was talking to him, at about 7pm, I found my contractions to be at 5 min apart now. At that point I told him I needed to get off the phone and focus.
It wasn't long before I was rushing out to our in-ground pool for some relief, in the pouring rain I might add. At that point I was in tears wanting DH home NOW and afraid of what the hours ahead held for me. It wasn't another 5 min before DH was at my side asking how I was doing. He headed in to set up the birthing pool.
I followed not long after, as I was just too cold in the rain and it wasn't helping with the pain. I headed straight in for my bathtub and the warmth felt great! I called for my mp3 player after a bit and the music really helped. At some point I found the contractions were so much better when I pushed my back hard against the side of the tub. (Ah-ha, so this is what back labor is!) I got word that the pool was ready, but for a long time I was too afraid to move and of losing the hard side of the tub to push against.
During this time DH fed the girls, kept them busy and quiet, and read up on birth and delivery. He also kept me with plenty of ice water and each time he came to check on me he looked into my eyes and told me how good I was doing. He brought the girls in a couple times to visit and it was helpful to look at them and remember why I had chosen to do this again.
After a while I was just very uncomfortable in the hard tub and was brave enough to move to the pool. DH promised that he could apply pressure as needed.
I was starting to get really tired at this point, but the pool was a nice change. After being in for a while I asked DH the time. It was 10:10pm. At this point I was starting to get frustrated and question my birth choices, but I made it through another hour relatively well.
Things were getting more and more intense and I was growing more and more frustrated that she hadn't arrived yet. DH got in the pool with me at this point to better apply pressure to my back and suggested after a few contractions that I may want to try another position to help make some progress. I didn't want to, but after a while I was ready to try something.
I moved to a squatting position through a few contractions and noticed I was starting to vocalize and push a little through some. I couldn't stay in the position very long, as my legs just wouldn't hold me, but we made great progress while I did. Another change in position and a few contractions later came one that was huge and seemed to go on and on when I heard myself tell DH "Look down!" There was a look of surprise on his face as he moved into a better position to deliver her. Her head was right there, but I needed to wait for the next contraction.
This was the one that took forever! I got a little one, but knew it was not enough and didn't even push with it. During this time I couldn't decided if I wanted it to come sooner so I could get her out or stay just this way a bit longer as this was the first time in hours I was fairly comfortable. Then it came! I pushed with all my might, and fairly loudly I might add.
My water broke as her head was emerging. The most amazing part to me was that I could see my new daughter's head emerging and the faces of my husband and little girls all at the same time.
We waited for what seemed like a while, yet again, for a contraction to push her body out. There she was! Her cord was quite long and she was not a bit wrapped in it. She was very pink and breathing well right away. My girls were climbing all over trying to get a closer look shrieking with joy "Baby, Baby, I want to see baby!"
My first thought was "She has hair!" Neither of my other girls did. Then I realized that she seemed so tiny compared to my other girls at birth.
Suddenly, I yelled "Marc, the time! What time is it?!" It was just after midnight. Best guess is 12:03am, but certainly after midnight. She was holding out for the 15th!
With that taken care of the very next thing I did was check for tearing, as I just knew I would have some. I had an episiotomy with my first
: and 2nd degree tearing along the scar with my 2nd, so I just knew there was no way around it, but hoped it would be minimal. It was, none! Just a bit of a skid mark really.
At this point we were all exhausted and ready for bed!
It took me a few days to really realize that I did it! I created the birth that I always wanted for myself and it was amazing! What I failed to realize is just how much it would empower my husband and how amazing it would to be not only to watch him deliver our child, but for him to do it. Before I got pregnant I never would have dreamed UC was for us.
I'll start with Sunday, July 13th. This was the day of endless energy! Probably the only bit of energy I'd had the entire pregnancy. I awoke with a mission to get things done before babe arrived. I weeded flower beds, sanded furniture to be refinished, and mowed the lawn...among many other things. After I finished mowing part of our lawn (6 acres) with the riding mower I came in, as it was getting dark, and told DH that if that didn't start labor I didn't know what would. He laughed and said he'd thought of that when I mentioned I was going out to mow.
Later that night the kids were in bed and I had showered. I asked DH just when we might get around to taking those belly pics we'd been putting off for months. We set about doing so and stayed up until the wee hours taking them. These were to be my first and last belly pics of the pregnancy. As we lay in bed that night, totally exhausted and dozing off, I mumbled to DH "Now, I can go into labor."
Early Monday morning as DH was getting ready for work I was feeling some strange pains in my back, so I got up to pee thinking maybe the cause was my bladder being too full. That only seemed to bring them on more, but I did go back to sleep for a couple more hours until they were waking me and it was no longer comfortable to lay down.
It was about 9:30 when I got up and the girls were still sleeping. I was starving, so I got some breakfast while I waited for them to get up for the day, which didn't take long. I knew something was going on, but I was not convinced this was "it."
By noon I noticed I was having contractions at 8 min apart. DH was working about an hour away, but I felt things were going slowly and didn't need him to rush home and wait or want him to be nervous and distracted all day, so I waited to call him.
Later in the day DH called to check on me and I finally told him today might be "baby day." He was ready to leave right away and there was no convincing him that we would not have a super fast labor like we had with Caymen. I was hoping, but I could tell it just wasn't going to happen fast. He agreed to stay and wanted me to call the second contractions seemed to be getting closer than 8 min apart. After calling me back several more times he settled in and decided to finish out the day at work until I called and said otherwise.
I tried to busy myself and spent some time getting our things together for the birth. I also spent time on my exercise ball, eating, and just generally taking care of little odds n ends. I wasn't getting much done, but couldn't sit still either.
It got to be late afternoon and I was getting tired from being up so late the night before. I decided to make some raspberry leaf tea to try to nudge things a little further and lay down for a rest. After about an hour I had a contraction that bolted me out of bed. There was no way I was laying through another! As long as I was up, it wasn't bad at all.
Mom called to chat for a bit about 5ish and I noticed things were picking up a little. After that DH called to say he was leaving and would stop to grab some dinner. While I was talking to him, at about 7pm, I found my contractions to be at 5 min apart now. At that point I told him I needed to get off the phone and focus.
It wasn't long before I was rushing out to our in-ground pool for some relief, in the pouring rain I might add. At that point I was in tears wanting DH home NOW and afraid of what the hours ahead held for me. It wasn't another 5 min before DH was at my side asking how I was doing. He headed in to set up the birthing pool.
I followed not long after, as I was just too cold in the rain and it wasn't helping with the pain. I headed straight in for my bathtub and the warmth felt great! I called for my mp3 player after a bit and the music really helped. At some point I found the contractions were so much better when I pushed my back hard against the side of the tub. (Ah-ha, so this is what back labor is!) I got word that the pool was ready, but for a long time I was too afraid to move and of losing the hard side of the tub to push against.
During this time DH fed the girls, kept them busy and quiet, and read up on birth and delivery. He also kept me with plenty of ice water and each time he came to check on me he looked into my eyes and told me how good I was doing. He brought the girls in a couple times to visit and it was helpful to look at them and remember why I had chosen to do this again.
After a while I was just very uncomfortable in the hard tub and was brave enough to move to the pool. DH promised that he could apply pressure as needed.
I was starting to get really tired at this point, but the pool was a nice change. After being in for a while I asked DH the time. It was 10:10pm. At this point I was starting to get frustrated and question my birth choices, but I made it through another hour relatively well.
Things were getting more and more intense and I was growing more and more frustrated that she hadn't arrived yet. DH got in the pool with me at this point to better apply pressure to my back and suggested after a few contractions that I may want to try another position to help make some progress. I didn't want to, but after a while I was ready to try something.
I moved to a squatting position through a few contractions and noticed I was starting to vocalize and push a little through some. I couldn't stay in the position very long, as my legs just wouldn't hold me, but we made great progress while I did. Another change in position and a few contractions later came one that was huge and seemed to go on and on when I heard myself tell DH "Look down!" There was a look of surprise on his face as he moved into a better position to deliver her. Her head was right there, but I needed to wait for the next contraction.
This was the one that took forever! I got a little one, but knew it was not enough and didn't even push with it. During this time I couldn't decided if I wanted it to come sooner so I could get her out or stay just this way a bit longer as this was the first time in hours I was fairly comfortable. Then it came! I pushed with all my might, and fairly loudly I might add.
My water broke as her head was emerging. The most amazing part to me was that I could see my new daughter's head emerging and the faces of my husband and little girls all at the same time.We waited for what seemed like a while, yet again, for a contraction to push her body out. There she was! Her cord was quite long and she was not a bit wrapped in it. She was very pink and breathing well right away. My girls were climbing all over trying to get a closer look shrieking with joy "Baby, Baby, I want to see baby!"
My first thought was "She has hair!" Neither of my other girls did. Then I realized that she seemed so tiny compared to my other girls at birth.
Suddenly, I yelled "Marc, the time! What time is it?!" It was just after midnight. Best guess is 12:03am, but certainly after midnight. She was holding out for the 15th!
With that taken care of the very next thing I did was check for tearing, as I just knew I would have some. I had an episiotomy with my first
: and 2nd degree tearing along the scar with my 2nd, so I just knew there was no way around it, but hoped it would be minimal. It was, none! Just a bit of a skid mark really.At this point we were all exhausted and ready for bed!
It took me a few days to really realize that I did it! I created the birth that I always wanted for myself and it was amazing! What I failed to realize is just how much it would empower my husband and how amazing it would to be not only to watch him deliver our child, but for him to do it. Before I got pregnant I never would have dreamed UC was for us.
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