Birth Story - Part I: Laboring at Home

Monday June 21, 2010

11:00 pm

While Kerry was doing my perineum massage, he exclaimed; OMG, what is this on my thumb??? I looked at it and said; OMG, I think you unplugged me, I think that's my mucous plug! It was a big glob of thick white and opaque gel-like substance, but had no pink/red to it like I had expected. We weren't totally sure it was my plug, but decided to stop the massage just in case.

11:30 pm

Felt a warm trickle. Ran to the bathroom but didn't see anything except a clear wet spot on my undies.

Tuesday June 22, 2010

1:00 am, 4:00 am

Clear warm trickle.

5:00 am

Clear warm trickle with faint pink on toilet paper and small amount of faint pink mucous in the toilet.

5:30 am

Sporadic abdominal cramps started.

6:00 am

Went to the bathroom and noticed a red blob in the bottom of the toilet, I assume this is what they call bloody show.

6:28 am

While laying in bed, I felt an enormous pop in my uterus. I knew right away that my water had broke. I ran to the bathroom. Kerry was standing in the doorway and I had to yell, move move move! I sat down on the toilet and there was a huge gush of clear/pinkish fluid with pieces of vernix in it. Contractions followed at every minute lasting 30 seconds each. They felt like intense menstrual cramps.

I went into warp speed mode, jumping in the shower, yelling from the shower what all I needed packed into the hospital bag. I called the doula, she asked for my stats and determined that I was in the very beginning putzy stages of labor and to eat a good breakfast and walk around and that she would head over after showering.

We decided to take our 40 week belly shots as the end of this pregnancy was inevitable. I will miss this belly and getting to feel Tyler move around. I have loved being pregnant.

Ok, so I won't miss the swelling at all! My poor legs and feet! Even my face was starting to swell.

I found swaying on the birth ball helped me get through the contractions a little easier.

My doula:

Timing contractions:

Video Diary - Intro:

Video Diary - Contraction:

Contractions increased in intensity, I could no longer smile through them. They were about 3-5 mins apart and lasted 45 seconds to 1 min. I continued to walk laps around the house, stopping to get through each contraction by leaning over and swaying.

Video Diary - Another contraction:

Video Diary - About to head to hospital:

12:50 pm

Headed to the hospital.

Video Diary - Heading to hospital:

To be continued...