The birth story

My mom had arrived on Friday, we went and got dinner and ate it on the top of the world. Saturday my Aunt and Uncle drove up and we went to a car show.

Sunday, July 7th woke up, went to church. We were taking it easy and getting antsy around the house. We went on a walk which I walked very slow because I love walking slow when my hips are going to split. We started on a drive and ended up driving around looking at houses and peoples yards and farms. It was lovely. I was in no pain until I had to go to the bathroom. Whew that is the worst. We drove home and went to the bathroom and then ate some water melon. She konked out and I was texting my sister at 11 and I fell asleep. At 11:21PM I woke up having to go the bathroom. I went into the bathroom and what do you know, I couldn't go. I wasn't feeling so good so I started the bath. Got in the bath and was laying there and had a contraction. Oh whatever I was thinking. I have had this before. Then a while later another. by an hour I had a total of 4. I looked at my cell phone and was in shock. I had four contractions. My sister had texted me just as I fell asleep to text her when my labor started. Boy did she know what was coming or what? I sent her a text, I think it is coming now.

I threw up all the watermelon I had eaten and that was nasty and gross and 30 oz of water.

I sent my cousin and my birth coach, she daddy that I had these pains. I started to have another so I raced to the tub and had another. It was so nice to be in the tub for them. I couldn't feel them at all. I woke up my mom. Is this normal? She said start timing them. In a perfect world we have a app on our phone that has the contractions on it. BEST APP EVER. I had uses it a couple times before.

June 17th was my first time thinking I could be in labor. I had two that day 23:23:47 apart from the other.

July 2nd I had 2 stronger ones I timed, they were 5 minutes apart and nothing really happened after those.

July 8th was different

Time Duration, Interval
12:46, 45, 99:99:99
12:51, 31, 4:35
12:56, 1:26, 4:48
1:02, 48, 5:56
1:07, 57,5:21
1:16, 41, 9:03
1:21, 19, 5:08
1:26,51,5:17
1:33, 1:08, 6:46
1:39, 1:04, 5:55
1:44, 19. 4:30
1:45, 23, 1:17
1:49, 37, 3:47

By then my coach had been called and she made it. I really just wanted to get in the bath and she said Alice, if this has been going on for this long we really need to go to the hospital. I began running around making sure I had the few other things for my hospital stay. I had made a list of the things to grab that I use on a daily so I could get those. We got everything ready. Got in the car, contraction. I was sad I couldn't walk to the hospital but I was in quite a bit of pain. When we got to the hospital, which is a few blocks away, contraction and I laid in the parking lot. We got upstairs and I knelt on the bench, contraction.

They wheeled me to my room and checked me, I was at 7. SEVEN!! How did that happen I thought. I couldn't help but feel pretty good about myself. I was also starting to bleed more and that was good too. I was in LABOR, there was no turning back. I was kinda in shock. I thought, so many people come to the hospital and they are at a 2 still. I was a seven. Then I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to get in the Jacuzzi. I threw up shortly after getting to the hospital and my cousin did so so good. In between the contrations she scalped massage my head, pain rollered it and was so so soothing. She made the experience so nice. She gave me ice chips and was lovely. As I was having a contraction they put the IV in my arm and didn't stop. That was so so rude and annoying. I kept thinking I want to get in the Jacuzzi. By 3:00 AM  I was free to get in to the Jacuzzi and as I was getting in I had the WORST back labor. This nurse, Kirsha taught my cousin how to do this AMAZING pressure points on my back. THIS SAVED ME and gave my sweet cousin the work out of a life time.

At 4:30 I told my cousin, I can't do it. I think I need the epidural. The favorite nurse came back and said Alice you can do this. You are doing better then anyone I have ever seen do this. I would just close my eyes and breath and I felt so great doing it up until 4:30. She got a book and showed me some positions to try out (she was pictured in the book doing them when she was a prego) and that was REALLY helpful too. We checked my dilation and I was at an 8. The transition. BLAH.

From 4:30 to 6 I labored. I was thinking this was awful. I would whipper to cousin, this is hard, I just can't do this and then the contraction would ease up and I would keep my eyes closed and prepare for the next one. Around 6 a woman dr came in to break the water. She said I was dilated to a 9 1/2. 9 5 she said. I was so happy. I was just about there. The water coming out was kind nasty feeling. SO SO warm and SO SO MUCH. The nurse Kimberly said when you feel like pushing let me know. Kimberly stayed with us the whole time because I was going to be going "natural" or as my lamaze teacher says doing no meds. After a few contractions I told her I was ready. She checked me, pushed some of the cervix to the side and said you are ready, you are at a ten. I did some breathing for those next contractions and said okay, I am ready to push. I had to check that if I started pushing that my Dr would be able to deliver. She would be in at 7 so I should be on perfect time.

6:30 I started pushing. My cousin was on my left side and I had Kimberly on my right. Each time that I was pushing they grabbed a leg and helped count big breath, hold and push 10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1 exhale, big breath, hold and push 10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1 exhale and third time hold and push 10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1 exhale,.

This was the best part of the labor. The contractions HELPED to make the baby come and the pushing wasn't so bad. I was loving this pushing stuff minus being SO SO tired. I did fall asleep during the contractions a couple times earlier. The pushing was really quite nice.

Around 7 the baby started to crown and could see his hair and I got a new nurse. Kimberly who was kinda annoying and stinky went home and I got the nicest calmest nurse. She was lovely. I don't remember her name. Dark hair and calm. Kirsha came back and said she was off but had to see the baby born. My cousin, new nurse and Kirsha are the best cheer leaders around. New nurse called Dr around 6:55 and said I know it is a little early but you have a patient here, Alice and this is her progress. At 7:10 dr walked in. She looked so tired. Bless her heart. She was VERY calm and just sat down. I told her, I waited for her and I was so glad but I wasn't able to walk to the hospital. She just smiled with her cute little fish earrings.

Around 7:15 I said, how much longer do I have to push? They said, if you are doing it like last time it shouldn't be long. They pulled out the mirror and WOW, was that really my body. It looked like a hairy rat was coming out of me, not a baby! I just stared at that.

At 7:25 I got my next contraction and I was staring at the mirror and out came the little monkey arms out and legs out. HE WAS HERE! Cousin cut the cord, GOOD JOB!  They said do you want to hold him? I just said I didn't think I could, he was so so dirty from having pooped inside I had them clean him off, get weighed and cute before holding him. I couldn't help watching him. Although his hair was still full of poop he was the cutest thing ever. They pulled out my placenta and it looked like a football. Pretty cool though too.

Cousin fed him 23 ounces and I called my mom. We got out of bed, WHEW that was rough and I held baby as we went down to my room.

I love him. He is the best baby in the world.