So we are 90% sure we will call our little girl Stella Grace after both of my grandmothers! Here's a brief write up on how she came into this world:
Last Saturday (10/12/13) we were finishing up some shopping for the baby. We wanted to exchange the crib mattress and then planned on going to one last nice dinner out before the LO made an appearance. We were planning on going to a great restaurant that was about 20 mins. from the store we were at. Since we were done so early we decided to stop at another restaurant for an appetizer on the way. We had one small app and paid the tab. As I got up to leave I felt a gush and ran to the bathroom! I was definitely leaking, but it wasn't buckets like I've heard can happen. I callled my practice and the midwife on call told me to go to the birthing center at the hospital to get checked. I sat on a piece of cardboard and newspapers on the way in case there was another gush. We had to swing by our house (which wasn't really on the way) to throw some things together. I still had not packed a hospital bag even though my husband had been bugging me to do so.
We got to the hospital around 7:30. They checked me out and confirmed it was amniotic fluid and that I'd ruptured my waters. Because I wasn't contracting (they hooked me up to the monitors) the midwife from my practice said I could go home if I wanted. She said to go back or call first thing in the morning. My dh and I agreed I'd get more sleep at home so we left the hospital. We stopped to get a pizza on the way home since we didn't get to eat. Contractions started then in the car. They got pretty intense once home and for an hour and were 5 minutes apart. I thought we were going to have to head back to the hospital, but they tapered off.
I was up all night with contractions about 10 minutes apart. I was frustrated because I wasn't sleeping, but they weren't too painful. They ramped up in the morning so we took a shower, ate some breakfast and headed to the hospital. We got there around 8:30 and I delivered at 1:49. They monitored me for a bit once we got checked in. Then they unhooked me to labor as I please. I was in the room for a bit and labored in the shower. My doula was amazing. She knew just where to apply counter pressure to minimize the pain. When the contractions got closer together and the pain really increased we moved to the jacuzzi tub. It was relief for a while, but then I went into transition. I stayed in the tub but shut the jets off. I was probably in there for an hour. My water really broke in there. I fet a pop. Not too long after my body started telling me to push. The nurse got a little scared and said not in here. I was in the tub for another 15 minutes or so with super intense contractions and trying not to push since I wasn't completely dialated. Once I was, they wheeled me to the room with the birthing tub. Once there I pushed for 20-25 minutes. The most effective and comfortable (not really comfortable of course, but the least excruciating) position was leaning against the tub on all fours. I pushed her head out and most of her body in that position and turned at the end to get her all out without wrapping the cord around me.
It was intense as I'm sure all births are, but I was very happy in the end. I hope to have my second the same way!
sorry!
it's amazing. Definitely overwhelming, but ALMOST makes crappy pregnancies worth it. I think my OH might be able to talk me into another after all, haha. Lord know he's mentioned it already.
