Sarah's Birth Story

I thought, in honor of Sarah's birthday tomorrow, you may
enjoy the story of her entrance into the world. This is from
an email I sent someone. I also recorded it in my journel,
but am not going to release that version just yet...don't
want to type it all out...and where is that journel anyway?

I was in labor for 12 hrs. approximately. We went for
a walk during which time I had to slow down during
contractions...wasn't sure if it was actual labor
because I had taken these herbal pills from my midwife
to stimulate my uterus and had had some contractions
the day before that never turned into anything.
Anyway, the labor (real) started 3 pm and in the
evening (8pm ish) they were much stronger and at 11 pm
we thought my water broke and I needed to go the
hospital for antibiotics because I was strep B
positive. We thought my labor would be long since my
mom's with me was. Anyway, at the hospital (and some
at the hotel where we'd been staying) I had these
contractions with which I would involentarily
grunt...like pushing (this was the 'urge to push' they
tell you about.) Jane, my midwife, asks me what I'm
doing, ('what's going on here?' in an inquisitive
tone) and she says that she'll take a look at me.) She
said I could go ahead and push whenever I wanted. My
labor had my legs going into cramps too...crazy. I had
about an hour of hard pushing, drinking tons of water,
trying a new position (babe didn't like - heart slowed),
back to original position (on back on bed)...and then just
after 3 am Sarah slipped out. Her face was facing the
ceiling...I had been in back labor...which wasn't too
awful. I had noticed a constant pressure on my back
though. I felt like a truck had hit me the next
morning. Very sore shoulders too...I think from being
tense from nursing...and the gown they gave me with
all the snaps I never got done up right so was trying
to keep it on while I waddled to the bathroom
post-delivery.
Yah, so it was a very positive experience for us. Andy
held my one leg and a nurse the other and the midwife
delievered Sarah, she was too quick for Andy to get
her. I lost about a litre of blood when the placenta
came out so was kinda tipsy for a few days. Yah, so
amazing.