Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 7

Introducing Miranda Kathryn -

born at 12:05 p.m.

9 lbs 5.6 oz

21" long

Labor got pretty difficult for awhile, probably around 10:30 or so. Grant was my awesome support and helped me focus on relaxing through some pretty brutal contractions.  I ended up pushing for about 15 minutes.  Wow, was that intense. No tears or anything, praise God!  

I'll probably write a more detailed birth story sometime soon, but for now, all is well, Miranda is beautiful and perfect, and I'm feeling very good, thankful for some Motrin for those afterbirth pains.  

Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 6

9:50 a.m.

Breaking of the waters definitely picked things up - contractions coming every 2-3 minutes and are pretty intense, but I'm handling them just fine.  Baby was perfect on the monitors. 

Hopefully it won't be too much longer!!

Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 5

We've had a change of shift, so I have two new nurses, Connie and Jessica, and a new midwife also, Blair - who was actually the one I was hoping for all along, hurray! At around 9am Blair checked me and I was dialated to 5cm, but she thought that I was not really in active labor since my contractions have been irregular. So she suggested breaking my water to get things going. As she broke my water I stretched to 6cm, 100% effaced and the baby's head at zero station. Things should start moving along faster now. I'm also now required to stay on the monitors for 15 minutes to make sure the baby is reacting well to having the waters broken.

Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 4

7:00 a.m.

Arrived at the hospital/birthing center around 6:00 a.m.

Had a 20 minute monitoring session, the baby sounds great.  My contractions slowed down while resting in the bed, but are picking back up now that I can move around.

Dilated 3 cm. 

Things are quiet here at the center - very nice.  My nurse is named Karen. She seems really nice.  Nurses can make a big difference in how things go, so that's a relief!

Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 3

5:15 a.m.

Contractions are still 4-6 minutes apart, but now a little over a minute long.  Definitely stronger.  

We're gonna head to the hospital now.

So thankful that it's early on a Sunday morning and we don't have to worry about tunnel traffic at all. 

Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 2

4:00 a.m. 

I called the answering service - the midwife on call is Beth.  There are four midwives in the practice, and Beth is the newest one and I've only seen her twice.  That being said, another one of the midwives, Jennifer, I haven't seen at all - every time I've been scheduled to see her, something came up like a labor or she was sick, so I'm glad she isn't the one there today!

Beth thought I should wait at home a little while, that since my contractions are not yet a minute long (45 sec), I was still a bit early in labor.  

I woke Grant, we both got showered and dressed, and now we're just taking care of last minute things before we go. 

Haven't woken my parents yet, although Grant's coffee grinder might have done the trick. 

Is it Baby Time? Labor Day Post 1

My 5th pregnancy has presented a challenge that I had not yet experienced.  While I have had Braxton Hicks contractions with all of my other pregnancies, it has never been to the extent that I've had them this time.  There have been at least four occasions that I had regular contractions for several hours and was convinced it was the "Big Day", only to have the contractions fade away and nothing end up happening. 

  

Very frustrating.  

Especially when my friends who have been pregnant with me have all delivered their babies already, my parents have been here for several days and my dad will be headed back home on Thursday, and for heaven's sake, I want him to get to see his new granddaughter!  

Today is my actual due date.  

I have not had a baby born on the due date yet.  My first was 12 days late, my second was 6 days early, the third was 9 days late and induced, and the fourth was 1 day early.  

It is 2:32 a.m. and I was awakened about an hour ago with contractions that are much more intense than what I have had up to this point.  Probably about 6-8 minutes apart at this point, nothing super regular, but definitely meaning business. I am confident that today is the day.  

I hope I don't have to come back and eat those words!

Can't WAIT to meet my new baby girl!

Labor Day Post 6

4:30 She's here!! Arrived at ~3:47
Ok, so I posted at 3:35 last... Rebekah was in the tub and sooooo under control that I thought for sure we had some time to go... In fact, when she got checked just before getting in the tub, I made sure to set Rebekah's expectations low by telling her to not be disappointed if there had not been much progress since we got admitted.

Needless to say after trying a couple of positions and a couple of hard contractions Rebekah told me she felt the urge to push. I had just enough time to get to the door, call for help, and get back to Rebekah. Four contractions happened back to back as we got her out of the tub and over to the bed. Rebekah told me to get behind her (for support while she pushed). Two minutes later... BABY! There was meconium in the bag of waters, so the pediatrician was called in with much haste, but thankfully all was good and Baby came out testing her lungs with a good vocal call!

Of course there are a lot more details (like her name) but those will come later ;)

Labor Day Post #5 - In the Tub Now

3:35 Grant here... Rebekah is doing great, she's dilated at 7cm and has settled into the hot tub. She's trying out different positions and handling things like a CHAMP!

Labor Day - Post 4

2:45 - We've been at the Birthing Center for awhile now.....when I got here, they hooked me up to a monitor for 20 minutes or so to make sure the baby was handling contractions just fine. She is. I was dilated 5 cm. when the midwife, Tara, checked me.....and she said my water could break at any second. Contractions are coming around 2-3 minutes apart, We're listening to an awesome Plumb CD that is so peaceful. I can't get in the tub yet, the water was too hot and they're cooling it with ice cubes.

Labor Day - Post 3

12:35 - Headed to the hospital.....I just had a issue with an aura, which is a vision disturbance that precludes a migraine....I laid down and rested for about 20 minutes and the aura is gone, thankfully I only have a smidge of a headache. Weird....haven't had something like that in a long time. Contractions eased a bit while I was resting...but now that I'm up, they're kicking in pretty good. Hopefully things will go fast at the birthing center!

Labor Day - Post 2

10:00 - Contractions are steady at about 4-5 minutes apart....definitely intensifying. I've finally given the answering service a call....should hear back from the midwife soon.

Labor Day - Post 1

I woke up this morning around 4:30 with mild contractions.....as they continued, about 8-10 minutes apart, I tried to rest until around 5:30, when I finally got up and showered and started the rest of my packing for the hospital. I am confident that our baby will be born today! I just can't wait to meet her! Right now, at 7:30, my contractions are about 4-5 minutes apart, strong enough that I can't walk through them, but I can still talk. Haven't called the midwife yet.