After writing my last post my back ached all day and continued to have bloody show. When I got home B begged me to sit down and relax, but there was no way I could do that knowing that being on my feet might help things get started. I did some laundry and cooked dinner. Around 7 I started having contractions about 15 minutes apart. Nothing overly painful, so I waited a bit and kept timing them. After a while they hadn't gotten stronger or closer together and my water hadn't broken so I decided I should get some sleep if I could. It took quite a while to fall asleep with my hopes so high and labor possibly starting, but I managed.
Around 1am my first contraction woke me up. Then I was woken up every 12 minutes until I just stayed away at 2am. At 3am I finally decided to get out of bed and walk around and get things going. Well it blew up in my face! My contractions spread out, got random and eventually were more than a half hour apart. I went back to bed around 5. I think I may have even cried at this point. The next morning I got up with Lillian and B, but I was depressed. After a while I went back to my bed and cried some. I really wanted to take a nap, but Lillian wanted my attention so we watched some TV, read some books and just cuddled. Then her grandma called an offered to take her for the night. I agreed because the plan was that if I went into labor she was going there anyway. Of course the second I agreed I wished I hadn't, I knew it was only going to be a few days before baby was here and I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. But after thinking it over, it was more fair for Lillian to go have fun than be home worried about me and my crying. So around 11 I think it was Lillian left happily with her grandparents and I promptly drew myself a nice warm bath and got in. I stayed in the tub for quite some time. B came in and talked me a few times and I was having some random but really strong contractions, like the ones that you can't move through.
After talking to him and my mother I decided that while he was playing cards with my mom at the bar I would hang out at her house just so I was closer to them in case it was time. We left for my mom's early, around 2 even though cards wasn't until 5:30, we figured we'd hang out a bit and I'd have so new areas to walk around. While talking with my mom she suggested I just go to cards with them. B had already suggested and my aunt who also plays cards had suggested it to my mom too. I agreed rather than sitting at her house alone. I walked around her house and around 4 I started timing my contractions yet again. I was afraid to because every time I did they would spread out again. This time though, they didn't. By 4:30 the only time they went more than 5 minutes was if I went from standing to sitting or sitting to standing. And when I made that change I would have a VERY painful contraction. Around 5 we headed to the bar where they play cards. Contractions spread to about 10 minutes, but as soon as we got there they went back to 5 minutes. People were joking that I was going to have the baby right there. About 5:30 and the time cards started I was having trouble walking through the contractions. Over the next half hour I tried changing positions a few times, but it did really effect the contractions much besides make me have one! At 6 I called the midwife, of course I got the answering service. Within a few minutes she called me back though. After just a minute she could tell the contractions were strong and told me to head to L&D.
I have to say I have no idea how women in labor can stand more than a 10 minute drive to the hospital when in labor. I was so glad I wasn't at my house! They got me checked in and up to L&D pretty quickly. I had to pee so bad and was thankful they didn't make me wait, not sure I could have. As I went into the bathroom I had a really strong contraction and when I came out after putting my gown on and all I thought I still felt wet. The nurse asked if I thought I was leaking any fluid and I happily announced "I think my water just broke!" Sure enough it had when they tested. It was about 6:30 now and the nurse came in and checked me. Apparently my cervix was still pretty high because she was having a hard time determining if I was still at a 3 or if what she thought was the other side of my cervix was the sac and I was actually more like a 7. A second nurse (with bigger hands) came in and checked me, she said I was still a three and my heart sank. The nurses tried twice to draw my blood and get my IV in. Finally they decided to do them separately and got both on the 3rd try. I was asked several times over the time they were trying how far apart my contractions were when I arrived because they quickly went from 5 to 2. My midwife then came in and decided to check me herself, I was glad because she said I was more like a 5 or 6. Don't know if I made that progress or the nurses were wrong, but I like that number much better. And I was even happier when she announced "You aren't leaving without a baby!" Some time around 7:30 or 8 I was finally able to get in the tub. I was really hoping for some sweet relief, my hips and thighs were killing me! The tub felt great but killed my back when contractions hit. And of course during this time the Duke vs NC game was on and B was watching that. I will say he did very well paying attention to me though. I have no idea how long I was in the tub, I just know I definitely went through transition there because I kept having to tell B and my mom to not stop rubbing whatever it was they were rubbing. I must have been in for about 45 minutes cause just as I decided I needed to get out the nurse was coming in to check baby's heart rate. I thought I had to pee when I got out so I sat on the toilet, had 3 contractions but couldn't go. Stood up, had a contraction, got my gown on, had a contraction, walked the 5 steps to my room, had a contraction, midwife said I want to check you, I got on the bed, had a contraction and informed her I needed to push, before the next contraction hit the bed was converted for delivery and she said I could make a small push while she got her gloves on.
In the mean time mom's phone had rang and she was in the bathroom on the phone, the midwife kept telling her it was time and she basically made it just in time to hold my leg. I pushed for a total of 3 contractions and she was out in 5 minutes! After her head was out my midwife told me to put my hands between my legs and I was able to grab on to her and pull her up onto my chest, where she stayed for over an hour before they did any testing, cleaning or anything.
I have to say, other than the starting and stopping of contractions, my labor was perfect. No meds, no long hours of walking the halls this time, and being able to put her on my check myself was amazing!
Delaney Rose was born at 9:35pm, 8lb 4oz (same as Lillian) 22inces long!
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