Well, as most of you know (the saga) water broke almost 48 hours before birth. I was sure I'd go into labor Monday (when water broke) but nothing, but nothing happened. Tried to sleep that night gushing water and had a really bad nights sleep. The days after my water broke, my midwife took blood to check for elevated white count (infection) since I'm GBS+ and to check for other infection (since I wasn't going into labor). Her protocol is to suggest antibiotics (oral) but I refused - I figured if I hadn't delivered by 48 hours I'd take a shot. The day after my water broke the blood work showed I was quite anemic (I ALWAYS have iron trouble) and she was getting concerned that if I were to develop an infection it would be sooner than later due to the fact that my hemoglobin count was so low. I agreed that I'd have blood work the next day and get the shot (it worked out to 42 hours post ROM - close to my original decision of 48 hours, so that was ok with me).

Got blood work in the am and my Mom came over the next day (Wednesday) and I took Jesse to his first day of Kindergarten and cried the whole time. LIterally. From the moment we got out of the car til the moment he went into the classroom. Jamie helped and I went around to the (all window) back of the classroom and waved at him a couple times. 

Got home and Pike wanted to nurse (he stayted at home with Grandma) so he did - I always got good cntx for an hour after he nursed, so I wasn't surprised when I got good ones with this nursing. I decided to take some herbs about an hour after he nursed (and the cntx kinda slowed - even after a walk) because I really didn't want to risk an infection and if the baby really didn't want to come, herbs wouldn't do any good. Oh, I had taken blue and black cohosh 1 hour apart the night before - no cntx - nothing. Cntx started very slowly to pick up and by the time I was to pick Jesse up from school, I decided I'd stay home. Midwife apprentice was coming over (for some administrative reason) and I decided to wait for her while Jamie picked Jesse up. I was moaning through cntx now, but didn't think this was it as I'd moaned through double peaking cntx weeks before with no baby coming.

Apprentice decided to stay for a while - within the hour she called my midwife and she decided to have a look-see and bring over the antibiotic shot. She got there around 12:30 (Pike had nursed at 9:30). I was really working through the cntx now and hoping they wouldn't stop because they were getting harder and I decided I really wanted the baby to come that day. I kept looking at the water (I was bending over during cntx holding onto the sides of the birth tub) and thinking how much I wanted to get in. I told my mw this and she said she'd really like me to be at 4cm seeing as how I'd been ROM for so long. I told her I knew I wasn't at 4cm but would hold out until I vomited. I figured I'd vomit around 5cm. I vomited the very next cntx. She checked me and I was at 3cm but got in anyway. The water was amazing. I couldn't believe that we as a society were so barbaric as to expect women to labor on dry land.

I lay on my stomach - completely supported by water and let my body float. I held onto the side of the tub and during cntx would raise up just a bit and relax back into the water after the cntx.

I kept waiting for the typical signs of transition - I figured I had hours and hours of labor to go - I felt like I was getting double-peaking cntx but then I'd get a single one. I had no idea where I was in the labor process, but the cntx were getting almost out of control. I know I would have completely resisted and fought the cntx on land - it was all I could do to keep myself sane in the water. The boys came in around 2pm or so and I was in full out active labor. Our neighbors knew I was in labor. I was having incredible trouble holding on during the cntx - they were so intense and so painful. After a while I felt like pushing through the cntx. I didn't feel like pushing the baby out - I just felt like pushing. My mw told me to check myself if I wanted to - I could feel the head about 3/4 a finger length up my vagina, so I knew that birth was coming. Once I felt like pushing I knew that I didn't have hours and hours to go. It was a great relief. MW did a quick check and found I still had cervix to go - I was 7-8cm - but she said if I wanted to push to go ahead - I'd probably just push the cervix open. She was in the tub with me at this time. Right about this time, I completely lost my mind. I became incredibly emotional with each cntx - I cried I screamed - I was losing control. My midwife did a great job of centering me and I started to concentrate on the cntx and lost it only a couple more times. I couldn't believe the immense pain.

After a while of pushing through cntx I felt those incredible, primal pushing cntx. I felt the baby moving down with the cntx - my mw would tell me the baby was moving down and I'd retort, "I KNOW - I can FEEL it". I pushed slowly and for a while - I think the birth record shows I pushed for 10-15 min - not at all like Pike who was out in 2 pushes. Her head felt much larger than Pike's - I felt each and every ounce difference between her and Pike - Jesse in comparison must have slipped out. I worked hard getting her head down but it felt good doing work instead of just coping with cntx. I felt her head come out - WHAT A RELIEF - and mw found wrapped very short cord. She'd told me earlier that if the cord was wrapped (underwater) she wanted me to stand. I did and she caught the rest of the baby and I sat back down in the water and cradled my newborn girl. I could have stood on my head by that point - I was SO HAPPY to have her out.

Jesse watched the entire last hour - I remember his little head and Jamies so close together - at one point he told me "good job, mom" and I knew he'd been coached by Jamie, but it was still so sweet. Pike was in and out (with Grandma) but I remember 3 distinct times him asking me "is it hard work pushing a baby out, mom?". He also saw the baby come out.

I don't think I'd trade a thing - except the length. It was 2.5 hours from 3cm to baby out and it was just too fast for me. Too fast physically - this was the most painful birth I've had - and too fast emotionally - I was in shock that I was holding a baby.

We are all starting to jive together a bit - from time to time I look at Jamie and say in amazement, "we have a baby GIRL".