Welcome Holly!

What a crazy scene! How did I get four kids?!?! Anyway, Holly was born April 30 after a marathon 14 hour labor. My water broke a little after midnight on the 30th, and we noticed that the fluid was sort of murky and green, so we called the midwife. She had us come in to monitor the baby, even though my contractions hadn't really started in any pattern yet. We had lined up our neighbor to come sack out on the couch so the kids wouldn't wake up alone, but they happened to be gone. So, we woke up Jake, told him Dad was taking me to the birth center, and that he would be right back. We resigned ourselves to the possibility that Ted would miss the birth of his last child. I think I was more upset about that than I thought, because while my contractions started coming every 7 minutes as we were getting ready to go, they stalled out as soon as Ted left the birth center, and started coming more like every 15 minutes. I think subconciously, I didn't want to do it without him, and my mind controlled my body.

Anyway, I labored through the night alone, except for the wonderful midwife who came in and monitered the baby every half hour. There were times when the contractions got really intense for an hour or so, and I was feeling them in my back, so I hopped into the lovely HUGE tub. It helped me relax and relieved some of the pressure in my hips and back. Finally, as morning broke, I slept for about two hours with little to no contractions.

Ted got the kids off to school, and brought Ben with him to the Birth Center at about 10 am. He stayed for about an hour, but we discovered that Ben was too much of a distraction, so we called around and got a sitter for him. Ted left again. And I slept. When he got back around noon, I got up out of bed and started pacing the room. We talked and laughed between contractions, and they settled into an every 5 minute pattern. Soon, they were getting so intense in my back that I couldn't stand anymore. So I laid down, and went into my deep relaxation exercises. Ted thought I was asleep and not having any contractions, so when my midwife came in to check on us, he asked her about the possibility of having to transfer since my labor seemed to stalling out. At that moment, my flipped open and I gasped. The pain in my back was so bad, and all of a sudden, I was feeling TONS of pressure at the end of my contraction. The midwife checked me, and I was only 4 cms...I started to cry.

Ted suggested I get in the tub again to help my back pain, and as I slid down into the tub, I knew I was in transition. The pain was unbelievable and I was shaking. It was hard to stay in control. So, I sat in the tub for literally four contractions, about 10 minutes, when BAM! I just HAD to push. I couldn't even control it. So I did. And I felt her move down. The midwife must have heard me grunt, because she burst into the room, and said "DON'T PUSH! Get out of the tub!" I am anemic and they didn't want me to deliver in the water, it dilates the blood vessels and makes bleeding out more likely.

I could barely walk in that condition and as I stood up, I had another huge contraction, luckily they got me situated before I could bear down all the way, because she crowned right as soon as I got on the birthing chair! I would have pushed her right out onto the floor!! Anyway, the next contraction, they had me blow instead of push, and that was REALLY hard, but I did it, and she slid right out! It was unbelievable! She had swallowed alot of fluid with meconium in it, so they had to suction her before she breathed. That was a bit scary, and she was puking it all up the rest of the night. But as soon as she was suctioned, and they put some oxygen up to her, she pinked right up and began to cry.

I came out of it without a scratch, and totally credit soaking in warm water for that. It has been so nice to not have to recover from an episiotomy or a tear with this birth. I could sit right away with no pain!

Anyway, so even though it was a long labor, the actual painful part was very very short, so I am grateful for that. Holly is an awesome sleeper, so recovery for both of us has been very easy. My main frustration is caring for a potty training three year old at the same time as a newborn! Wow! I was not expecting that complication! But we'll get through it, we always do! She's such a blessing, so sweet, and so precious. I truly feel complete!