K
Keepercjr
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Here are the important details:
Scarlett Joy
7 lbs 8 oz - 18 inches long
6 hours of labor
Born at 12:25 PM on Tuesday Aug 5th
Now for the story:
Early Tuesday morning I was lying in bed and had some noticeable contractions though none that would make me think "this could be it". I jokingly thought to myself that it was nice of her to wait till I'd had a good nights sleep since I slept really well Monday night after not sleeping much the previous nights. Not even 10 minutes later I felt a "snap" in my belly that startled the baby. I thought that it could possibly have been my water breaking but there was no gush or anything. 10 minutes later (6: 30 am) I coughed and there it was - the gush. Joshua was in the bathroom getting ready for work so I notified him and then called the midwife. She was 3 hours away visiting family so she said she'd leave immediately.
Thankfully we had already set up the birth pool and put it away in another room. So we got the birth pool out to the living room and began to fill it since we knew it would take a few hours. I also started to time the contractions on the computer - they were 3 minutes apart. I called my chiropractor at 8 am and told her I was in labor and wanted to come in (she had offered to see me in labor even if she had to come to my home - I love her!). My mom came over at 9 to take my son to the zoo and we headed to the chiro. After we got back from the chiro I decided to get in the birth pool. The contractions were probably 2 minutes apart at that point and I really had to focus through them.
My midwife arrived around 10 am and at 11 am she checked me (my only exam) and she couldn't find any cervix and said baby was at 0 or +1 station. I labored out of the tub for about a half hour then got back in because the contractions were extremely intense and probably only a minute apart. It was so exhausting. I just wanted to take a nap! After a bit in the tub I started to feel more pressure and then started pushing. At first I was just pushing lightly and trying to breathe her down. It was such a relief to push because I then had some control and it lessened the intensity of the contraction. I pushed for probably 30 minutes or so and then she was out. Holy ring of fire! I helped pull her out and bring her up out of the water. So amazing. We sat in the water till the cord stopped pulsing then we cut it and I got out so I could deliver the placenta and get checked out. No tears even though she came out w/ her hand next to her head!
My son came home at 5 after we had a chance to rest and stare at the baby. He was just in awe. She's nursing great and had a perfect checkup at the pediatrician yesterday morning. We are all in love w/ the little one!
I will say that her labor was one of the most intense and exhausting things I have ever done. The contractions were never more than 3 minutes apart and probably 1-2 minutes apart for the majority of the labor. There wasn't much time to rest between them before I had to focus through the next one. BUT there was never a time where I felt like I couldn't do it or that I wanted to be at the hospital. If I were to ever get pregnant again (not likely!) I'd do it exactly the same way.
Pictures to come in the next post. I have to upload them to photobucket
Scarlett Joy
7 lbs 8 oz - 18 inches long
6 hours of labor
Born at 12:25 PM on Tuesday Aug 5th
Now for the story:
Early Tuesday morning I was lying in bed and had some noticeable contractions though none that would make me think "this could be it". I jokingly thought to myself that it was nice of her to wait till I'd had a good nights sleep since I slept really well Monday night after not sleeping much the previous nights. Not even 10 minutes later I felt a "snap" in my belly that startled the baby. I thought that it could possibly have been my water breaking but there was no gush or anything. 10 minutes later (6: 30 am) I coughed and there it was - the gush. Joshua was in the bathroom getting ready for work so I notified him and then called the midwife. She was 3 hours away visiting family so she said she'd leave immediately.
Thankfully we had already set up the birth pool and put it away in another room. So we got the birth pool out to the living room and began to fill it since we knew it would take a few hours. I also started to time the contractions on the computer - they were 3 minutes apart. I called my chiropractor at 8 am and told her I was in labor and wanted to come in (she had offered to see me in labor even if she had to come to my home - I love her!). My mom came over at 9 to take my son to the zoo and we headed to the chiro. After we got back from the chiro I decided to get in the birth pool. The contractions were probably 2 minutes apart at that point and I really had to focus through them.
My midwife arrived around 10 am and at 11 am she checked me (my only exam) and she couldn't find any cervix and said baby was at 0 or +1 station. I labored out of the tub for about a half hour then got back in because the contractions were extremely intense and probably only a minute apart. It was so exhausting. I just wanted to take a nap! After a bit in the tub I started to feel more pressure and then started pushing. At first I was just pushing lightly and trying to breathe her down. It was such a relief to push because I then had some control and it lessened the intensity of the contraction. I pushed for probably 30 minutes or so and then she was out. Holy ring of fire! I helped pull her out and bring her up out of the water. So amazing. We sat in the water till the cord stopped pulsing then we cut it and I got out so I could deliver the placenta and get checked out. No tears even though she came out w/ her hand next to her head!
My son came home at 5 after we had a chance to rest and stare at the baby. He was just in awe. She's nursing great and had a perfect checkup at the pediatrician yesterday morning. We are all in love w/ the little one!
I will say that her labor was one of the most intense and exhausting things I have ever done. The contractions were never more than 3 minutes apart and probably 1-2 minutes apart for the majority of the labor. There wasn't much time to rest between them before I had to focus through the next one. BUT there was never a time where I felt like I couldn't do it or that I wanted to be at the hospital. If I were to ever get pregnant again (not likely!) I'd do it exactly the same way.
Pictures to come in the next post. I have to upload them to photobucket
Can't wait to see pics. The more I read up on the posts, the more I remember both you and Leah from Cystic-L... I can't wait until I hear more as well as get to post my big milestones on this pregnancy and future child!