I had contractions for a couple of weeks leading up to her birth. They were sporadic and didn't ever get progressively closer or longer. I was pretty tired after a couple of near sleepless nights. We went to the pumpkin patch and when we got there I thought how funny it would be if we rode in the tractor that pulled you to the patch and I went into labor. That is exactly what happened. All the bumps triggered something in her and she decided it was time to come out.
They were so mild that I didn't pay too close attention to them. When I called Jordan on the way home to tell him he dismissed it. It had happened too many times before. I ended up on the phone while the boys napped that afternoon and so I didn't get a chance to nap.
Jordan had piano that night and after we hung out and I think we may have watched something but now I don't remember. I was hoping that if it was really labor that I would be able to sleep until about one and then wake up and have her about 6. Not too much to hope for.
I did wake up at 1 and noticed they were still there but was able to go back to sleep until about 2:30. I laid in bed for a little bit then I decided that I could either get up and see if movement would stop them or speed them up. If they stopped, I could go back to sleep. If they sped up I could have her soon!
I walked around our room for awhile and then decided to walk up and down our stairs a few times (I wasn't counting--it seemed like a lot of times). Then I walked around the living room and sang hymns while keeping and eye on the clock to time them. They were coming about every 5 minutes. I assumed this was the real thing and at about 4 I woke Jordan up. He was really excited. We decided that the boys should probably leave because I wasn't sure how much longer I would be in labor. Dad and Donna came over quickly and got the boys. Freddie and Dad fell back asleep until 8. Cedrik laid awake and eventually Donna decided it would be easier to just get up with him. They ended up having a really fun day together and it was nice to focus on the new baby for a few hours.
The contractions stayed between 3 and 5 minutes and I asked Jordan to stop telling me when they were coming because I didn't want to focus on that anymore. Best thing I could have done! Usually contractions continuously speed up and get longer. These never did. Once I reached the 3-5 minute mark, they stayed like that for the rest of the labor. Really weird. I'm glad I didn't watch the clock and I'm glad Jordan never told me--I would have felt so discouraged.
I labored in the bath for a little bit and that was nice but not the best place for me. I laid against Jordan for some pretty tough contractions and I think feeling his calmness helped me feel calmer. It was also nice to sleep while resting against him. Eventually I ended up standing beside the bed leaning over onto a pile of pillows while swaying my hips. This was where I was for most of the rest of the labor. Jordan continuously put hot cloths on my back and that felt amazing. He does so well with me during labor. He does everything that I ask him to do and his presence is so calming.
During transition I cried. I did that with Freddie's birth. I just cried to cry. I couldn't tell where the tears were coming from but I kept hearing that it was transition and I was almost done. I also had a very distinct thought that all the pain I was experiencing was completely worth it to birth her.
I moved to the end of the bed. We had a shower curtain laid on the ground and I felt like I needed to lift my leg up and rest it on the bed during a couple of contractions. I did that and then my water broke. I felt like my body was starting to push and I had wanted to let it do it on its own until her head was out. After a few small pushes during contractions I sat on the ground with my arms behind me and gave a push. Jordan said he could see her head and I asked if it would be out on the next one. He answered no but that he could see it and that was a good sign! I had the thought "her head will be out on the next one." We waited and then during the next contraction I pushed her head out. Right before the last contraction I felt her body rotate and I pushed her out. At 10:02am she slid fast into Jordan's hands and he handed her to me. There was a very strong spirit in the room and we were both so happy she was safely here. Jordan gave her a blessing and that moment bonded us. She started nursing immediately and about 40 minutes later my placenta delivered.
Eloise:
6lb 12oz 19 1/2 inches
Total Labor: 24 hours
Pushing time: 3 Pushes
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