Hi! Haven't posted in a while, but thought I'd share my story! My due date was April 17th. I had been dilated to 4 cm. and nearly 100% effaced for 2 weeks by the time my due date arrived, so I was really surprised that I went 10 days past that date! The doctor, and the book I was using as a labor/delivery guide both said that since I was so close, that labor would likely be short, but intense.

BTW, I used the Susan McCutcheon book "Natural Child birth The Bradley Way" as my labor/delivery guide. I had hoped to labor at home as long as possible, and spend little time at the hospital so that I could try to have a med free birth. I also wanted to feel the "urge to push" which I never had w/my first.

Monday April 27th a.m. - 4:01 a.m. I woke up to a contraction that felt "different". It was a bit more painful that the BH I'd had in the past, but not anything to breathe through or unbearable. 7 minutes later I had another just like that. I waited for 2 or 3 more - all approx. 7 minutes apart before I flicked DH on the forhead to whisper to him that I was having "different" feeling contractions. Soon the contractions were getting stronger and I was pretty sure "this was it".

I waited until after 5:00 a.m. though to call people. I called my sister first who would be going w/us to the hospital. Then I called Grandma and Grandpa to come pick Isabelle, our 2 year old, so they could take her to their home I took a shower. The shower made the contractions less noticeable and I was afraid I had created a false alarm. But they started to pick up again a while later. My sister Linda arrived around this time. I was starting to have to work through the contrax. My sister stayed w/me and DH made breakfast for them! The contrax were now 2 to 6 minutes apart and lasting from 45 seconds to one and a half minutes from beginning to peak. I was really having to work through them by then. At 7:00 I started suggesting that we leave for the hospital soon as they were getting closer and were very strong. But Linda and DH said "no" because it was in my plan to stay home as long as possible. But the contrax were getting stronger and 2 to 4 minutes apart and very painful.

I convinced them to leave for the hospital by about 7:15 and we were in the car ready to go by 7:30.

We got to the hospital around 8:00 or so. On the way in DH was trying to say something positive to me about our little family and what a good mom I am. Well, I lost it. All I could think about was what a hard job it is and the things I do wrong. I started crying. Crying helped w/the contractions, but there I was sobbing between contractions. A young girl who was waiting in the emergency room will probably never have children after witnessing me there. We waited there about 15 minutes before they came to take me up to the check in room. While waiting I had several contractions and I was crying between them.

When I got to the intake room, contrax were still about 2-4 minutes apart.

It's about 8:15 before I get to the check in room in labor and delivery. They get ready to check me. Contrax are pretty difficult and I have been hanging on DH facing him and slumping to get through them. This is also nice as I wrap my arms around him and can punch him in the back during contractions. I did make one nice bruise! (c: Ever since we had left home I had been screaming through most of the contractions and I continued to do so. Some I could just breathe through, but most I would end up screaming. Something like "Oh, God, Oh my God!"....

So, I'm already screaming when they check me the first time. I ask the nurse to tell me I'm at 8cm even if I'm at 3 or 4! Unfortunately she doesn't think this is funny and tells me I'm at 5cm. So, I'm envisioning that I have lots more time at this pain level and that I can't make it. I decide to stand up and slump against DH again if I'm going to have to be working at it for a while. But with the next contraction I feel a slight urge to push. I wonder if it really is though because you can't push at 5cm. From all the stories I've read, the urge to push sometimes comes around 7cm, but rarely 5cm. I though it must just be because I'm standing and the baby's head is pushing down on me. I have 2 or 3 more contractions 2 minutes apart and scream through them. And the urge to push is getting quite strong and noticeable. I figure how can I be at 5 and ready to push, so I get scared and scream for the nurse - Janet. They check me again about 8:30, and I'm at 7! This is only a few minutes after being told I was at 5cm. Yeah, it is moving fast, but I'm in BIG PAIN! Janet tells me I can push if I feel like it because it will help the baby move, so I get to do mini pushes which help a bit. Janet leaves to set up the delivery room and call my doctor. It seems like it takes forever and it feels like the baby is coming. I scream for Janet. I mean scream, like everyone in the whole dept. could hear me. I'm also doing my mantra of OH GOD! SOMEBODY HELP ME! JANET! NOBODY'S HELPING ME! HELP ME! I'm sure if anyone checked in after me, they ordered an epidural lickety split. At this point I did ask for an epidural or any kind of pain relief, but also realized that at 7cm, moving quickly, and wanting to push, it was pretty much too late for pain relief. Also, my sister, and DH knew that it was in my plan not to have meds - all I can say is its very easy to change your mind during transition! My only comfort was that it was moving quickly wouldn't last for hours more like I had previously thought. I finally get down to the delivery room by about 8:45, I didn't get a fancy LDR, but I didn't spend much time there, so it didn't matter. When I get to the Delivery Room they check me again, I'm at 8cm! My doctor is still not there, they are paging her. The doctor arrives. Then the anesthesiologist arrives. I'm surprised, even though I was begging for him, but before he can ask all his questions I'm at 10 and they tell me to push. He quietly disappears.

Pushing did feel pretty good. With each contraction I did 3 pushes. He started moving down pretty quickly, and I could feel progress with each push. Luckily the contrax were still close together, like 2 minutes. My doctor did do some perenial massage during each contraction too. At around pushing contraction #3, the belt slipped and they couldn't find Phillip's heart beat again. Janet and DH got real concerned, by my doctor is so great, she was sooooo calm. I love this about her. Her calmness helps me stay calm. But I had motivation to really push too. On contraction #4 his head came out!!!

I really wanted contraction #5 to come quickly, and when it did, the rest of him came out on the first push! Phillip arrived at 9:16 a.m. about 5 hours after I felt the first contraction, and only one hour and fifteen minutes after I arrived at the hospital.

Poeple were saying I had an easy birth, but I have to correct them that "quick" does not equal "easy". (c:

He was fine and started peeing right away. I did have a 2nd degree tear, but I'm doing pretty well. Much better than when I had my first baby.

His apgars were 9 and 9 and I still don't know exactly what that means, but that the scores are good. He weighed 7lbs, 12oz., 20inches long.

Thanks for making it this far! I haven't posted much lately due to old computer problems (we now have a new one) and the board's updating (bad timing for us April moms).

Take care, Susan H. Mom to Isabelle (7/30/95) and Phillip (4/27/98)