Here is a brief outline of how labor went, for those who are dying to know. Though I suspect if you are the kind of person who is dying to know a birth story, you would rather read the epic version. I will post that soon, when I've worked out the feelings inside of me that caused me to start crying when my poor unsuspecting neighbor asked how it went. Also, I haven't looked at Jeremy's labor notes yet, so some details or the timeline might get shifted around when I write down the real thing.
Thursday, 26 September (due date).
Afternoon - acupuncture appointment in hopes of jump-starting labor.
9p - literally as soon as my head hit the pillow to go to bed, I start having contractions every 10-20 minutes, strong enough to wake me up. These contractions continue until...
Friday, 27 September
4a - ...contractions peter out. I'm left with disappointed hopes and a really poor night's sleep.
Morning - I play hooky from church for the second week in a row. But I tune into my ward's sacrament meeting online and cook up four (4) freezer meals as I watch in hopes that someday, I really will have this baby. I have a few more contractions but nothing much.
Afternoon - I climb into the loft bed in the guest room for a nap.
2.45p - my water breaks.
3.30p - we arrive at the hospital (I was GBS+ for this pregnancy so I had to go in as soon as my water broke).
Shortly before the above - the first non-mild contraction hits, right as we are driving over some rumble-strip bumps heading into a traffic circle.
Labor.
More labor.
Still more labor.
11.30p (ish? maybe?) - I start to push, after/while arguing about what position in which to do it. This was the biggest one of a few cultural/medical clashes I had with the nurses and doctor (nothing too traumatic, don't worry).
Saturday, 28 September
12.20a - born!
He was born on my brother Blair's birthday, just barely. I am 3/3 on labor "starting" (except for Miriam when it didn't and I had to be induced) with my water breaking, 3/3 with that water breaking while I am in bed. All three of my labors have involved the Sabbath; Miriam and Magdalena were born on Sunday afternoons and Sterling was in progress all Friday afternoon. What can I say? I have righteous babies. The boys in our family are all born on the 28th (June for Jeremy and September for Sterling - ooh, that's kind of neat!). The girls proceed in orderly fashion from 3 Aug (Magdalena) to 4 Sep (Miriam) to 5 Oct (me). That's just how we roll.
More details another day. I have a piranha to feed.