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Well I woke up this morning about 3:30- or rather kind of woke up.

Well I woke up this morning about 3:30- or rather kind of woke up. I remember kind of being in that stage of wakeful sleep knowing I was uncomfy and feeling something. Finally about 10 after 4 I was wide awake and hurting. I got out of bed, tried to read some email but sitting in the computer chair hurt SO bad. I woke Aaron up telling him I was in labor and he needed to think about waking up. I was able to work through the contractions by halfway leaning and holding onto the back of the highchair and rocking back and forth. They were easy to stay on top of as long as I concentrated and breathed through them, but they were strong and coming pretty close together so I had Aaron go ahead and call the midwives this was about 4:45. C woke up about 5 and Aaron tried to deal with him, but it got to the point where I needed him more and more to help me and he couldn't be in both places, so he had his mom come and get C. S stayed here and slept. I was in and out of the shower and tub at this point. The water felt SO good, but I was trying to conserve hot water, since we were still planning on using the pool, Aaron was having a hard time getting the connecters to work for the sink though. He came in and said he was going to run to wal mart while his mom was still here and get something, but the midwives showed up and checked me and I was already a 6 we knew we had no time for that. This was about 6:30.

Labor continued to intensify, I spent some time at the side of my bed in a squat/kneel position and rocked through the contractions. The worst thing about them was that they had double peaks. I'd barely have time to breath after the first peak let down, then the next would swell. That made it kind of hard for me to relax since after that first peak instead of taking a deep breath to help, I tensed up waiting for that second peak to come.

At about 7 I got back in the shower and Aaron got in with me, I leaned over him and would rock and cry through contractions. This is where I got the "I can't do this" blues. I remember telling him I can't do it, and he'd say baby you are doing great, you can do it. And he'd repeat the verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and I'd repeat it with him. At one point though, after he said "yes you can" I remember crying and asking him why he didn't believe me.

I got out of the shower about 7:30 or so, and leaned over the sink in the bathroom and POP water broke and contractions right on top of one another. This period was the hardest for me. I asked to be checked and I was an 8 with an anterior lip I believe. During the check I started having a contraction and I yelled at K to get out, and I jumped up out of the bed. It hurt SO bad to lie down. I got back into my kneel/squat position at the foot of the bed, and within minutes had to push, I pushed for a whole whopping two minutes and she was here. Perfect apgars both times.

Absolutely beautiful. They had me pick one leg up and passed her to me under my legs, and I sat and held her. They helped me up in the bed so I could latch her on, at some point after that the cord stopped pulsing so they let Aaron cut it. I delivered the placenta about 20 minutes later I guess. I am not sure on the time, I remember them telling me they weren't worried about it, I was trying to push, but it wasn't completely separated yet so they told me to rest, they weren't worried it had only been ten minutes. I don?t? even remember delivering the placenta with my first two births. I never saw it and never felt it. To be able to do both this time really was amazing. I thought I would be grossed out but really I was amazed.

This was my first completely natural birth. The empowerment that I felt was absolutely amazing. Everything went so fast, but I never once felt out of control or frightened.

I cannot wait to do it again. Maybe next time I?ll get my water birth. :0)





"Gracie"

May 12, 2004

8lbs 4oz

21 1/2 inches

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