I never got around to posting my full birth story b/c the past few days have been spent crying about BFing problems. But after many phone calls to LCs and the nurses, things seem to be slowly getting better, and I'm feeling better and able to function.
Ava Sophia was born Jan 3 at 12:21 p.m. I had a very fast, strong labor and a natural birth.
I woke up at 3 a.m. with some pains in my lower belly. I got up and watched TV (like I did a lot during the end of my pregnancy). The pains kept coming, and I was trying to figure out if they were contractions or not b/c they weren't what I'd expected them to feel like.
Around 5:00 a.m. I started timing them and they were coming 5-7 mins apart. I woke DH up for work at 6:30 and filled him in. I told him even if it's the real deal, it would probably be awhile and he should go to work. I started having diarrhea and lost my mucus plug, so I decided to get a shower and wait until the dr's office opened at 8:30 to call. At that point I told DH that maybe he should not go to work since they set up an appt. for me to come into the office at 10:45.
My contractions started feeling like they were coming closer and closer, so I decided to time them again and they were only 3 mins apart! I had DH call the dr. back and they said to come right to the hospital.
We got to the hospital around 10 a.m. and went to triage where they checked me, and I was already 8 1/2 cm and fully effaced. They moved me to L&D, I started pushing at 11 a.m. Pushing was the hardest, most tiring thing I've ever been through. I would almost doze off in-between pushes. At one point the MW offered to give me an episiotomy to get her out with one more push, but I asked to try a few more times, and it worked. She came out and I had no tearing!
I was so fortunate that I had such a great MW and nurse there, and that we were able to follow my birth plan exactly. It's also good I was planning a natural birth b/c they said there wouldn't have been time to give me anything if I wanted it.
I want to wish everyone else much luck with their deliveries!
Re: my quick, natural birth story
I never imagined it could be so hard. Thank God for the great nurses and lactation consultants. I was so close to giving up and they kept me going. I still have a ways to go, but it gets a little better every day. Hopefully we'll get it down soon.
Thanks! She weighed 6 lbs 10 oz.