Hi everyone. My name is Anitra and my blog is It’s me, aniC, but I have been all but neglecting it while I blog at the Milan Maternity blog. I have loved reading everyone’s birth stories (reading birth stories is one of my obsessions) and I’m happy to share mine with you.
I feel like before I go into my daughters birth story I have to give a little info on the birth of my son. My son was born ON his due date! I went into labor the night before at about 10:15 p.m. Nothing major…just a little bleeding, and light contractions. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. for one of my nightly bathroom visits and the contractions were a bit stronger. Knowing that it was really happening, I couldn’t fall back asleep that night. We checked into the hospital about 11:30 that day. It was a long process. Baby still high, water wasn’t breaking, epidural was horrible. From the time the contractions first started to the time he was born, it was 25 hours.
I expected my daughters story to be EXACTLY the same. The same midwife was on call and she was born in the same room…everything else was COMPLETELY different!
My daughters due date was Dec. 16. However, at the beginning of my pregnancy(when ultrasound dating is most accurate), I got an ultrasound and they said it was 4 or 5 days later. But they don’t change the due date unless it’s more than a weeks difference. Dec. 16 came and went, and even though I always said she’d be late, it was SOOOO hard to see the due date pass with out a baby to show for it. But according to those calculations in the beginning, she came just on time…
On Dec. 21 I had an appointment with the midwives in the morning. The midwife talked of stripping membranes, but basically said if the baby is ready, it would speed things up and if the baby wasn’t ready it would make no difference. So I opted to not go that route. They did an ultrasound to make sure there was enough fluid, they set up an appointment for the 23rd for a nonstress test, and set up an appointment for me to be induced on the 27th. I really thought all of those appointments would occur.
After I got home from the midwives, my husband had to go back to work and my son was so upset. I ended up taking him for a drive to calm him down. I thought I would take the opportunity to go by a friends house and drop something off for her and hang out a bit. The whole time I was there she joked about my water breaking on her carpet, and it better not because it was new carpet. I assured her we were safe and there was no way my water was going to break.
At about 11:30am my son and I were about to leave. He asked me to hold him, so I was standing there in her kitchen holding him in front of me when all of a sudden I felt something. I thought that with the way I was holding him and the position of the baby I must have had a little accident….oops! That had never happened before! But I didn’t want to ask to use her bathroom because I knew my son would freak out. So with out saying anything, we left her house and I got home as quickly as possible. My water breaking before labor started had never crossed my mind because I always assumed it would happen exactly the way it did with my son. After I got home I realized that there was a good chance that my water did break.
I called the nurse at the midwives office and told her what happened. She told me what to do to “test” it out and see if my water broke. When I called her back to tell her the results of the “test”, she said “REALLY!?” Apparently she didn’t expect it to have actually happened either. But, my water broke for sure!
I immediately called my husband. No answer. I called the babysitter who was supposed to come. No answer. I called my husband again. No answer. I called the other babysitter. No answer. I called my husband AGAIN. No answer.
Seriously…NOW?!?! Now is the time no one picks up?? I called the cell phone of the other babysitter. She finally answered and said she’d come as soon as she could. Called my husbands work phone. No answer. Called his cell phone again. No answer. FINALLY got him and told him my water broke.
I quickly finished getting things together that I needed to. My husband got home and a few minutes later the babysitter came. We headed to the midwives office because they said they had to do a test to be 100% sure my water broke and it was easier to do it at their office. Of course as soon as the midwife checked, she said we could go ahead to the hospital. When she told me that Margie was the midwife on call, I was excited because that was who delivered my son and I liked her and it was familiar.
We got to the hospital around 1pm and they led me to the same exact room my son was born in. I fully expected to be there for a looong time before our daughter was born. I was about 3 cm dilated and she was still high. I told my husband that we should make ourselves comfy. They hooked me up to the antibiotics I needed and did a round. After it was done and I could get up, I did. Up to that point my contractions weren’t very painful and weren’t regular. After I got up they started getting really painful. The whole pregnancy I had planned to have a natural birth, but the whole time I was never convinced I could do it. As the contractions got more painful, I really started to doubt myself. I asked if I could sit in the tub, so the nurse and midwife got it ready for me. Before I got in, she checked to see how far along I was, but said she wouldn’t tell me. It is most definitely a good thing she didn’t. I found out later I was only 5 cm, and I’m pretty sure if she had told me that I would have asked for an epidural.
I was in the tub for about 20 minutes when things really started getting painful and uncomfortable. And I started feeling a lot of pressure and like I needed to push. My husband went and got the midwife. Back in the room she checked me again. As she was checking I went from 8 to 9 cm. Soon after I was at 10 cm and it was time.
I’m not going to lie people. I was in PAIN. I was screaming. (I always said I wouldn’t be one of those people screaming, but…) My body took over and I honestly felt like I had no control over what was happening. I pushed through 3 contractions and at5:24pm ….way earlier than I expected, my daughter arrived (only 6 hours from the time my water broke! Much faster than with my son!!)
She was 7 lbs and 20 1/4 inches, and she, of course, was our perfect little Christmas baby. And now she is the sweetest, sassiest, and funniest little 15 month old!
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What a sweet baby girl! Thanks for sharing Anitra!
Hey y'all!I'm Kelley. I'm a recipe making, picture taking, coffee drinking momma to 4 crazy kiddos. Join me as I share our family favorite dinners and my copycat coffee drinks too!
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Rachel says
Wow, you are so lucky! Great midwife and fast delivery. Awesome job. Your daughter is so pretty. Congratulations!
Angela says
What a beautiful baby! I loved having a midwife also…your story kinda makes me want to have another one! 🙂
aniC says
Yes, Rachel. I felt very lucky! Especially after how long the first labor was. And thank you!
Rachel, now that I've had midwives, I don't think there is anyway I could go back to having an OB. And I say if it makes you want another, go for it! You'll never regret it! 🙂
Debra Kapellakis says
CONGRATULATIONS!
folkhaven says
LOVE the picture of your daughter in the Christmas stocking! I am glad your second delivery was much quicker than your first. 🙂
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