Birth Stories

As mentioned, I am really trying to use this blog as a "mother's journal" of sorts, as well as an outlet for thoughts and daily activities. For recording purposes, I wanted to share my "birth stories" for both kids, while the details of the experiences are still in my mind. Sorry if some details are TMI, but I thought (especially Lucy) would want to know all the dirty details someday.
Lucy's Birth Story:
Friday, June 4th, 2004: Doctor visit in the morning - membranes stripped. Minor contractions from 4 - 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 5th, 2004: Contractions off and on all day...do a lot of walking. Start to get a little stronger at 10 p.m. but able to fall alseep.
Sunday, June 6th, 2004: Wake up abruptly at 3:30 a.m. and have to bend over bed to get through contractions. Coming 3-5 minutes apart, call doctor and head to hospital. At hospital at 5 a.m. Checked and am already dialated to 6 centimeters! Takes a LOOOOONNNGGG time for the epidural to get there (maybe 1.5 hours after I requested it?). Work through the contractions by leaning over bed and breathing HARD through them. Nautious...not sure I will survive the next one. Matt is counting down as they go away. Always were about 3-5 minutes apart and I always felt like I had a decent break between them. FINALLY - the epidural arrives. Dialated to 8 centimeters and doctor breaks water. 1.5 hours later - ready to push!! Push for 50 minutes. Was quite nautious during pushing - kept throwing up during and it REALLY helped with pushing!!! Lucy arrived at 9:26 a.m. Happy Birthday little girl!!! I was due June 1st - Lucy was 5 days late.

Tommy's Birth Story:
Week of March 8th: Contractions begin off and on every day for about a week. Never seem to have a rhythm to them. Doctor visit says I am 2.5 centimeters dialated and 85% effaced. Doctor says labor could begin any minute! Wait and wait for something to begin. Almost head to the hospital 2 times that week!!
Friday, March 17th, 2006: Contractions begin at 12 Noon and seem to feel a little "different," with just a little more oomph to them and a little more regularity. Contractions continue until 3 p.m., and start to feel a little stronger so we head to hospital at 5 p.m. At check in, already dialated to 5 centimeters! The nurse reassures us that we are, indeed, having a baby today (thank god)! Once again, we wait wwwaaaayyy to long for that epidural to arrive (maybe 2 hours after I requested it?!!). Still not beyond 5 centimeters so they give me some pitocin and break my water to get things going faster. The contractions were never as strong as they were when I was waiting for my epidural with Lucy. I was always able to breath through them and only got out of bed to bend over for just the last one before the drugs arrived. Also, they were never more than 5 minutes apart, all the way to the pushing phase - odd and not exactly "textbook." About 2 hours later, I have that nautious feeling and tell Matt "I think something is different - maybe I am going through transition?" They check again, and sure enough I am 8 centimeters! 30 minutes later Dr. Luce arrives, and we are pushing. Only 5 contractions and 10 minutes later - little Tommy arrives at 11:15 p.m. - just in the nick of time for St. Patrick's Day and 45 minutes before his "due date" of March 18th!