We are home! Birth story (very long) and PIP!

Hey ladies! Add me to the list of May mom turned April mom! I was totally bracing myself for 41 weeks of pregnancy but I guess LO had other plans. 

Here is my birth story: Sorry if it seems choppy!

I had been having irregular contractions (varying in intensity) since Sunday. On Tuesday at my OB appointment I was 4cm and 90% effaced. OB said she would be surprised if I made it to the weekend.

On Wednesday morning I told my DH he should go to work and I would call him if I needed him to get home. I was having contractions but when I timed them they were all over the place.  I went into cleaning mode, showered, and tried to nap (did not happen). I even blow dried my hair (something I don?t normally do!).

Around 1:00pm I started trying to time the contractions again. They were averaging about 6-7 minutes apart and lasting for 30-60 seconds. It was during that hour that I really started having to focus through the contractions. They weren?t unbearable, but they were definitely uncomfortable.

By the time my DH got home at 5:30 I knew that the contractions I was feeling were the for real ones. They were getting much closer together and I had to stop and breathe through them. My plan was to stay at home as long as possible before heading to the hospital. At 7:00pm I had the urge to go to the bathroom. Nothing but gas! Also a gush of what I thought was urine. I realized it might not have been urine when I was standing in the living room next to DH and ?peed? on the floor.

At about 7:30 I decided it was time to head to the hospital. I wanted to be sure that it was my water that broke and the contractions were getting more and more uncomfortable and closer together.  

We got to the hospital at 8:00pm. I told the nurses about my appointment the day before and that I thought my water might have broken. I was breathing through contractions while answering a bunch of their admission questions. I jokingly asked if that was as bad as the contractions were going to get.

The nurse midwife did an internal and checked to see if my water did break. I was just waiting for her to say that I was 5cm and had a long way to go. I was in complete shock when she said I was 8cm and my water had definitely broken! I got into the Jacuzzi to help ease the intensity of the contractions. It was wonderful! About 25 minutes later I had to get out of the Jacuzzi. I was feeling the need to push.

The midwife suggested I get on my hands and knees because I still had a little bit of cervix left. That was a good position to use. I was able to rock side to side and sit back into my heals. I even pushed through a few contractions in that position.

My OB came in and I had to get on my back to finish the job. I pushed when I felt the urge and at 9:55pm, less than two hours after we got to the hospital I had my baby girl. I could not have asked for a better labor and delivery. It was everything I wanted and more!

My DH, OB, all of the nurses, and the midwife were amazingly encouraging (I am crying now). I will never in my life forget the experience. The best feeling in the world was looking up at my husband after I delivered our baby girl and seeing him crying.

I was able to breastfeed for a little while but they ended up having to take her because she couldn?t keep her temperature up. I went from super hot (naked during entire delivery) to freezing cold (shivering under 3 heated blankets) after the delivery so skin to skin wasn?t enough to keep her warm.

We are finally home and starting to get the hang of this breastfeeding thing.       

Here she is: Elsie Ann, Born on April 27th at 9:55pm, 6lbs3oz, 19.25in., (38w5d)