I called my midwife and she told me I could stay home for 6 hours or come in whenever I wanted. So the contractions started picking up a bit and were actually every two mintues for a while. I then laid down to try to sleep and the contractions were still pretty painful but slowed down. My midwife still wanted me to come in to check if my water did break so at 10 we went in and they checked me. To my dismay I was supposedly only 1 cm and 60% effaced. I knew I had to be more than that though. And it turned out that my water hadn't broken I had just peed on myself from the pressure of the contraction on a full bladder lol. Anyway
They had me walk around for half an hour and checked me again and stripped my membranes and I went to a 3 plus just with that. So I walked around for another hour and was at a 4 and they decided to admit me.
I then walked some more with the contractions getting stronger. I then got in the labor tub and my contractions slowed down a bit but I also brought the baby down a lot and went to 90% effaced and 5 cms. My midwife decided to break my water as this had all taken quite a while.
Me in the tub during labor
She broke my water and nothing happened for about half an hour so I got a few drops of pitocin to get the contractions going again. Then I really started going.
I started begging for the epidural. I was sooooooo exhausted and did not want to continue. I laid down in the bed and wanted to cry and just felt after each contraction there was no way I could do anymore. But I had a great support team that would not let me give up. I had to pee really bad so I finally got up and did that and it felt really good haha. Then Tyler wouldn't let me get back in the bed (good for him!) and so I got on the birthing ball and started rocking.
I started doing this deep moaning with each contraction. It was all I could do to get through them. Tyler and my mom and the midwife and nurse were all supporting me. Tyler put ice on my neck and rubbed my back and took turns with my mom. I found any touching was a big help. So they were all constantly rubbing my back or face or neck or arms. Including the midwife.
I had to pee again but really didn't want to as I was in so much pain and started begging for the epidural again. The midwife said well if you want it you have to pee first anyway. She said let's do one contraction on the toilet and see how you do.
So I sat down and peed and then had a contraction. She pressed back on my knees to open up my back a bit and told me to grunt a little with the contraction and I did and it actually felt a bit better. At this point I started shaking a bit and feeling a little nauseous so they knew I was starting to transition. I didn't want to be checked because it hurt to much haha. So I didn't know what I was at.
I laid down in the bed again on my side for a minute so she could push on my knees while I had the contractions. I then started feeling like pushing a bit with each contraction really helped the pain. I was still doing the deep moaning and now I was grunting a bit too.
I laid on my side and my midwife had me hold my legs apart during the contractions and the urg to push a little got a little stronger.
She then said something to the nurse about "seeing some separation and bulging of my vulva" meaning the baby was coming down. She checked me and I just had a rim of cervix left about 8 she said just on one side. She made me turn to my other side lol I didn't want to move at all and then with my next contraction she pushed the cervix and the urge to push got super super strong. And then from there it got so intense and my instincts took over so hard I don't remember a lot of details. I remember at some point the midwife saying she had dark hair and I was really surprised and pleased but wasn't sure I believed it haha. I then remember my moaning got a lot louder and Tyler was on one side of my and my mom on the other and I was gripping my mom's hand so hard because it was all I could do and then I was pushing. The urge is indescribable!
It was like it took over my whole body. As I pushed I grunted/moaned really loud and hard because it just seemed to be what I needed to do. The baby was out in two pushes! It was crazy. I knew when her head was out because they told me to ease up for just a sec on the pushes and then it was this enormous relief as she came out.
I immediately pulled my gown down and then put her skin to skin on my chest. NICU was supposed to be in the room but I pushed her out a bit too fast before they got there. They got there just as they were giving Autumn that first shot and Autumn screamed her head off. The NICU people heard that and said, "You don't need us here!" and walked back out haha.
I pushed out the placenta and Tyler cut the cord.
I then nursed Autumn. She latched on instantly and with no problems at all. She sucked hard for 15 minutes. It was incredible. While she was nursing Tyler and I decided on her name. Then I asked them to wrap her up and give her to Tyler for a minute. She hadn't left me since she had been born
They gave her to Tyler and I got up and went to the bathroom and then they massaged my uterus (NOT FUN! Lol) and then they weighed and measured Autumn.
She was 5 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long. And didn't cry once during them checking her out.
I looked pretty gruesome haha
Then I changed into a t shirt and got the mesh panties on and diaper like pad on lol and got in the wheelchair and they took us to our room. And then we really got a good look at Autumn. I knew from the minute I saw her that she had her Daddy's mouth and nose and that was the first thing I said when I saw her. And I said, "SHE DOES HAVE DARK HAIR!" I thought it was such a perfect combination!
My mother in law didn't make it to the birth because she had to stay with Afton as it was really bad timing and my father in law was out of town and then by the time he got back Afton did NOT want my mother in law to leave. So my mother in law was waiting in the room for us. Then we all got to talk about the birth and Autumn.
Autumn was SOOO wide awake and alert it was amazing! She had her eyes wide open and was looking all around and making the cutest little grunts and coos you've ever heard!
And that's it really! I could keep going about it all forever! It was so amazing! I was so proud that my team didn't give up on me and that I did it!!!!
