Mina is Here! (PIP and belated birth-story)

Mallyboomer · February 2011

So, I have to give serious kudos to those of you who managed to get your birth stories on here the day after, I haven't felt nearly mentally awake enough to write one out until now! (5days PP)

   February 14th, Valentines Day, I was sick in bed with chills and a nasty head-cold, wryly joking to myself that this baby would probably, in a case of impeccable timing, decide to come when I could barely lift my head, let alone fathom the prospect of childbirth---and, at 10:45 AM, my contractions started.
By 12PM, they were coming 3 or 4 minutes apart, lasting a little less than a minute each. We'd been told to make sure this was the case for an hour before heading to the birth center, but the contractions were so strong we figured it was worth a try.
   MW checked me when we got there and I was only 2-3cm, but since our house is a good half-hour drive from the birth center, she advised us to stay and walk around the area for an hour and we'd see what happened. Two laps around the building and I hit 4cm and was admitted. The next couple hours things just progressed steadily; I got to spend some time in the birthing tub (absolute heaven) but the midwife was concerned that I wouldn't progress fast enough there, so it was out again to taking the contractions standing (the only way I could handle, I would freak out when I had to sit or lay down).
   7:30 PM, I hit 9.5cm and was given the go ahead to start pushing... and I would like to say, as a freakish aside, that I LOVED pushing: The one thing that scared about me labor was the helplessness I felt during contractions. I was able to visualize the baby actually coming out, but the progress the contractions were making in my body never quite hit home with me--it felt like it was never going to end and I couldn't do anything about it. But pushing? Pushing was great.

8:18PM: I met my baby, Wilhelmina Claire. 6lbs 15oz, 20inches, bright pink and LOUD. Apparently I took one look at her and told everyone in the room that I could do it again. I barely remember.

She's tiny, but has such a personality already. DH and I have spent the past five days in a state of total puppy love with her. It's crazy to see a guy whose "not into babies" suddenly turn into a pile of mush around his daughter. Love, love, love it.