casino

On Saturday May 1st, I lost my mucus plug at noon. I got really excited and started going to town getting the place ready. My procrastinating self finally put together the baby crib and set up some decorations on the walls. Later at midnight I started to feel what felt like BH contractions but started to get concerned. Around 2 am they started to have a definite crampy feel and a definite peak of pain so I started timing them. At 4:30 am Daniel and I scrambled and packed what was left for our hospital bags because the contractions were coming every five minutes.

We arrived at the hospital a little before 5 am and I was dilated to 3 cm and having pretty steady contractions so they admitted me. I kept using deep cleansing breaths to get through each contraction and paced around the room with Daniel holding my hand, being my wall to lean on, rubbing my back, and generally being wonderful. Daniel's mother and my three sisters showed up to watch the excitement. The contractions were getting harder so I rocked on the birthing ball and asked the staff to set up the pool in the room.

After a few hours of laboring in the deliciously warm water I was curious how much I'd dilated. I was shocked to hear I was 6 cm. Soon I started to turn more inward closing my eyes and just taking cat naps between contractions. Then when each one would come I would think to myself "Okay Annabel we have work to do, let's work together to make our delivery gentle and easy" and I'd slowly rise my body out of the water breathing in and then lower my body back into the warm water breathing out.

Soon I started to feel a little pushy so they checked me again and I was 8 cm. The midwife practice I was seeing wouldn't deliver my baby in the pool so I had to get out. At this point all the family left the room and it was just Daniel and I. I got on my knees and hunched over the birthing ball gently pushing at only the peak of each contraction. After about an hour and a half of this I started to feel like pushing throughout the duration of my contractions and moved to the bed. I got up on my knees, facing the head of the bed and leaned over the back of it where Daniel stood holding my hand. He kept reminding me to breath slowly when I would start to breathe too quickly, helping me to stay focused.

The nurse and midwife left the room and said they'd come back to check on me in a little bit. While they were out of the room I noticed something soft and leathery bulging out. I was in shock and didn't believe it could be my baby's head because I thought crowning would be a lot more painful. Daniel went and grabbed the staff and they confirmed I was crowning. I pushed with their encouragement and soon, at 4:49 pm, out plopped my little piglet with no tearing! They handed her to me from behind, between my legs, and I brought her to my chest. She immediately stopped crying once she was close to me and she began to look around the room so bright eyed and alert. I never felt so in love in my life. Soon she started rooting so I got her to latch on to my breast where she stayed suckling for a good hour and a half.

All the staff was floored by how calm and collected I was throughout the entire thing. My midwife said she'd delivered 1500 babies and that I was exceptional. Daniel bragged to all the family saying that I reminded him of a Shaolin monk throughout my labor. I owe it to my wonderful hubby for being there every step of the way and to my little Annabel for working with me so well.

Annabel Christi
May 2, 2010 4:49 pm
7 lbs, 7 oz
19.5" long

An hour old or so:


Home from the hospital: