Luke Alexander ~
Born 5/28/12 @ 38wks 3days ~ Weighing 8lbs @ 20in long!
I was due June 8th, and my little soy bean actually arrived on May 28th, 11 days early -
So around 11:30pm on the 27th, I was scrolling through a thread on my BB where women were sharing baby names (since we still hadn't picked one), and I felt what I thought was a contraction... But since we had logged over 5 miles walking to/from & all over the zoo in 97 degree heat earlier that day, I thought maybe I was just dehydrated? About a half hour later, I went to the bathroom and noticed a tiny trickle before I actually started to pee - At first I wondered if my water broke, but just chalked it up to being paranoid... Throughout the night, I kept feeling little cramps here and there, and kept wondering if I should get up to actually time them, but DH thought I should just get some rest and was sure that when it was the real deal, I'd know it...
At 5:50am, I woke up to a strong contraction - It was followed by another one at 6:05... Isaac woke up a few minutes later, and I quickly realized I couldn't function through the contractions. I jumped in the shower and was out by 7:00 - Contractions were on top of one another and completely unbearable, and I genuinely wondered if I would be capable of getting dressed and actually leaving for the birthing center - All I could do was lie on my side, naked in my towel, and breathe - How the hell did it get that bad that fast?!
We got in the car at 7:19, and I puked. The whole trip, I don't recall more than a 5-10 second reprieve from contractions (no joke). We arrived just after 8:00 - As soon as DH told the receptionist I was in labor, I said I felt like I needed to push - We were rushed upstairs, where the nurse checked me - She said I was 9+ cm, almost complete, and that we needed to get to delivery right now - I was in a total state of shock ...
The whole way to the birth room, I felt like he could be here any second - When we got there, the nurse was frantically trying to set everything up, couldn't find anything she needed, kept calling for help - Eventually she just walked out, leaving me & DH alone. I asked if I could get in the tub, but since I hadn't even been admitted or registered, and given that the nurse didn't seem to have anything she needed or any people to help her, she asked me just to lie on the bed & told me she'd be back... I just stayed on my knees in the floor, and I honestly thought I was going to have the baby all alone - Within seconds, an OB came in, checked me and told me he'd be here with just a few more contractions, to push whenever I felt the need... Then she asked how long ago my water had broken - What?! I told her I didn't even know it was broken... I guess it was that tiny trickle from the night before? Almost on her heels, my midwife came in and guided me through the next several contractions - Luke Alexander (a name we finally chose 2 days later) was born at 8:33, 8 lbs & 20" long : )
Let me say that NUCB was a lot more painful and involved a lot more breathing (even breathing I've never witnessed myself doing before) and a lot more vocalization than I imagined... With Isaac & Evelyn, I was so much more quiet and felt somehow detached from my body, like something was happening to it... But with Luke, I was very much engaged and knew that I was doing this, that there were times I had to use control (and not push as hard as I wanted to, ex)... I guess it's kind of hard to explain, but I am very glad I was able to experience it - At the same time, I really wish it hadn't snuck up on me like that - I was totally caught off guard, had virtually no time to prepare (emotionally or physically, though thankfully I didn't tear)... I mean, I had my first real contraction at 5:50, arrived at the birthing center just after 8:00, and he was born at 8:33... That's insane. If my Mom hadn't been here to watch my 3YO & 2YO, I honestly think DH wouldn't delivered this baby with 911 on the phone, either at home or on the side of the road...
