Yet Another Post About Giving Birth

This is the last one I promise.

Those of you following along might realize this photo was taken on Monday night. The night we spent 6 hours at the hospital to find that after being there through the night & walking & walking waay to early in the morning that it just wasn't happening. At least not right then. We went home after I had only progressed to 4 cm. We got home at 7am & crashed until early afternoon. I took an hour long nap in the late afternoon & then made supper & got the kids ready for school the next day & bed as usual. Craig & I were in bed by 9:30 thinking that nothing was happening at all. By this point my contractions had all but stopped. Imagine my surprise when I rolled over at 12:30am & felt a small gush of water. I jumped out of bed & told Craig I thought my water just broke. I repeated myself 3 times as he kept asking me what over & over. Finally he got the picture & jumped out of bed too when I said, "I. THINK. MY. WATER. JUST. BROKE!!" I called my midwife & told her that it had indeed broken, but I wasn't having any contractions & that we were tired of making fruitless trips to the hospital. She strongly suggested we come in anyway, so we thought we'd slowly get ready & head in. When I was talking to my mother-in-law I had my first contraction. When I was talking to my doula I had my second & third. At this point we decided we better call the neighbors again & head out to the hospital. I continued to contract the whole way there with water gushing out at each contraction. Craig wheeled me up to maternity, not because of great pain, but because I didn't want a water trail left behind me!

Here I am 2 hours after my water broke. It looks real this time, doesn't it? I have to admit that an epidural crossed my mind. This was going to be my last birth. I deserved to at least try an epidural once, right? Marjan said, "Well you can get one, but you won't get to have a water birth then." Oh yeah. Speaking of water birth it didn't exactly happen. By the time the tub was filled & I got the go ahead the contractions were fast & furious. I was in the tub for 10 minutes when I was told I needed to get out, because the water was too hot & they needed to get the temperature down. I swear all I did was get on my knees to get out & I had to push right then. So, imagine how fun it was climbing out of the tub at that point! I spent two pushing contractions on my hands & knees on the bed & two on my back & Kaia was born. Two hours after arriving at the hospital! Good thing we got there when we did!

Kaia makes her debut.

Marjan gives her the first bath.

Meeting Micah and Ayla.