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Natural Birth
Mrs.HAW
member
I did it!: Natural hospital birth
Mrs.HAW
member
Hi ladies: I posted a few times while pregnant, and just wanted to update you and encourage everyone that if I can do it I KNOW you can, too!
I was four days overdue, and my contractions started on a Sunday afternoon. I tried to ignore them because I had been having contractions on and off for weeks. My husband and I got together with some friends, and it became harder to keep talking through contractions and act like everything was normal. I warned him that I thought this might be "it". We went home and got our toddler ready for bed and began timing. By 9pm we were thinking it was time to get ready to head for the hospital, which is 30 minutes away. My parents came over and were super-annoying during contractions. My dad was telling lame jokes and probably nervous-talking 
I wanted to get the heck out of my house where my dad was staying with DS (I know this sounds crazy, but we planned to go to the hospital at this point and get settled in.)
When we got to the hospital I was convinced we were in for a long night. Between contractions I was still joking & talking and totally fine. This was from about 10:30 to maybe midnight. My nurses and OB were very helpful and complimentary about my birth plan. I was impressed that they actually read it! They pretty much left me alone to labor with the exception of the monitor. That was annoying and we went round and round about trying to get a "good reactive strip" on the baby. When the contractions got harder to manage the nurse agreed to let me off the monitor for a set amount of time (I can't remember how long, but just to give me a break).
During contractions I did NOT want to be touched. At one point I looked at my mom and husband and said, "Why are you two here!? You're not doing anything!" I was half-joking of course, but we all got a good laugh out of that. So, by 1:00am things were intense. I felt nauseated, and was struggling to manage each contraction. My husband told me I was in transition, which was very encouraging to me. I labored on the birth ball, on the toilet, on hands and knees, and leaning over the bed. We tried a lot of different positions, and I made some low noises. I kept feeling like my water had broken, but was wearing absorbent underwear and couldn't tell for sure.
Finally, I started grunting with each contraction, and felt a shift in what my body was doing. For a couple of contractions I got on the bed and gripped the headrail. Then I wanted to lay on my side. As I was complaining that I couldn't get comfortable I felt really strong contractions and began to let everyone know that she was coming, NOW! I felt my body pushing her out on its own and there was some commotion getting the nurses in the room and then she was out! My husband was smiling like a loon in my face and telling me "You did it!" Best feeling ever!
Louisa Elizabeth was born August 13 at 2:39 am. 8 pounds, 20 inches long!
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Re: I did it!: Natural hospital birth
Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration! And ... Louisa is the name we have picked out if it's a girl! Love it! (I had to comment on that, I haven't heard anyone else here or elsewhere say they were interested in this name).
Congratulations! Enjoy your baby girl!
We love the name, too! I think it is classic but unique
mom to Clara Violet born Nov 2012 / expecting baby #2 in March 2016