Claire Rose Flaherty was born February 10, 2009 at 12:14pm. She weighed 8# 14oz. and was 20.5" long. She came into the world naturally, and mama pulled through completely un-medicated. It was not as hard as I would expect an natural labor to be.
Monday night Patrick and I went to bed about 1am. I couldn't get comfortable so I decided to move to the couch so that Patrick could sleep. We had a dr. apt scheduled for Tuesday, and I was sure he had to go to work after the apt. so I wanted to make sure he got adequate sleep. I tossed on the couch for two hours trying to find a comfortable way to lay. Finally after two hours I had enough and decided to get up. I updated the blog, putzed on the computer, and enjoyed burning the midnight oil. At 5 I decided I should try to get some sleep so I went back to the couch. This time I only lasted an hour before I decided to try to rest in the bath tub. Well I wasn't in the bath very long before I decided I needed to stand up and have the shower hit me. As I stood up the contractions started really hitting. I let the shower be my relief for a while, and then realized I should probably wake Patrick up. I woke up Patrick, and he called his mom. I called the dr.s office to let them know where I was at. I said I had thought my water broke in the shower, and the dr. let me know that she could bump my apt. up from 9:30 to 8:15. I told her the contractions were hitting about every two minutes and she was like "Oh... well let me get you off the phone so you can head to the hospital..." I was like you think... Anyways Patrick's mom arrives to come pick up Emma who had her bag of toys all packed and ready to go. Patrick and I head to the hospital. We check in and they put us in a triage room. The nurse checks me and I was 4.5 cm, and thin. She sends us to walk around for a half an hour while they get the room ready. When we get to the room Patrick settles in, he asks what he can do and I tell him nothing. I had my Ipod on and I was tuned in. Thankfully Emma had requested her songs be put on the Ipod too because they were the only things that got me through the labor. Her songs happened to be "Hey Mama" from the Black Eyed Peas, "Wind it up" from No Doubt, and "Drive Away" from Limeny Snickett. Much different than the play list of somewhere over the rainbow and inspirational music I had planned, but you go with what works. So Patrick read War and Peace while I jammed to some music. The nurse came in after an hour or so and asked how I was doing, and I said I wasn't getting much relief in between. She asked if I wanted to be checked and I said sure. She got the midwife and the midwife checked me. I was at 8.5 cm and she went ahead and broke my water. They then started the birth tub water for me and I got in. It was absolutely euphoric the pain was instantly relieved (for a moment). I labored so more in the tub. Then it came time to push. I tried to push in the tub couldn't find a position I liked, and that worked for me. The midwife thought my body was too relaxed in the tub, and suggested I get out for a bit try to use the bathroom. I got out and decided that the bed would be more comfortable for me to push and after about 4 good pushes Claire was free. Pushing was the most intense, and hardest thing I have done. It was scary and I didn't think I could do it, but of course I managed to do so.
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