As baby number seven’s due date fast approaches, I figured I ought to do a Birth Story Week of all six births so far. See here for Birth story number one!
If you are a male person who reads my blog (hi Dad!) you might want to consider skipping this week. There may be rushing fluids and wooziness.
Here’s birth story number two:
My second labor started quite pleasantly. Again it began on my due date, but this time I had had a full night’s sleep, eaten breakfast, and had just finished loading the dishwasher when I had my first contraction. That’s Betty for you. She’s quite considerate.
It was about 8 am when it started. I didn’t want my husband to miss work if this wasn’t the real thing, and I tried to tell him he should just go in and I’d call him, but fortunately he didn’t listen to me. Again my water didn’t break, again with all the blood.
Again my contractions were shorter and farther apart than the book said they would be, and they seemed easier than they had in my labor with Jack. So, I tried to settle in for a full day of labor.
Then I had one big massive contraction that I am convinced took me from a 2 to an 8 in one go. In the middle of said massive contraction I got out of bed, demanding that we needed to go to the hospital right then. My husband thought people should probably wait until they are not actually having a contraction to go to the car, but what does he know, right?
Eventually we did get out to the car, around 11:30 am, and arrived at the hospital about 10 minutes later. Again, the nurses station was not impressed with our arrival and everyone had something to finish saying or typing before she could look up.
Then, they took me into the exam room and I had the baby right there on the metal exam table with the on-call OB because my doctor couldn’t get scrubbed up in time. Hah. That showed ’em.
Baby number two, four hours of labor (faster than the marathon I ran while unknowingly 2 months pregnant with her!), also 7 lb 8 oz.
After watching Dumbo, nineteen-month-old Jack had really been hoping that the new baby would be an elephant. But it turned out that a little sister was an acceptable alternative. Seeing the joy in his little face greeting the new baby is an image that will stay with me forever and ever.
And I went home that evening again, because I still don’t like hospitals.
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And hey, it’s been a few weeks since I linked up with the lovely ladies from Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday.
Sweater: Target
Earrings: Walmart for last year’s Halloween Gypsy costume
Necklace: c/o Personal Creations with all seven birth stones (which means this baby had better not wait until December to come!)
Bump: 38 weeks
Happy Sunday Everyone!
I dunno. If I had labors that fast and "easy", I'd sure be grateful! My labor with my first was 54 hours, straight, in active labor. Finishing up with three hours of pushing. I pray for labors like your first two, but so far it hasn't happened. I have to confess, I'm a little jealous. Mine all seem to start at bedtime, too, and so I usually go all night, then get into active labor in the morning when I'm exhausted from no sleep. What's with that? (I have number five on the way, and every time I think about labor I have to fight a rising sense of panic.)
Wow, that's a long labor! I can't quite top that one, but come back on Thursday for Frankie's labor story if these fast ones are making you mad. It would be Frankie right?!
My first was 60 hours but I'm LOVING these nice short happy birth stories! Although now I'm pretty excited to read about Frankie's 🙂
And "That's Betty for you. She's quite considerate." made me laugh out loud. Fantastic 🙂
I am 23 weeks with my first. I love reading these and I'm really hoping my labors are more like yours. I can't wait to meet our little boy but thinking about labor stresses me out. I try to just think about when he's already here 🙂
My first labor was a 30 hour back labor, but thankfully my second labor was a lot more like yours! I didn't even realize I was in labor until I was almost in transition, and my husband almost didn't make it to the hospital in time!
BTW, those shoes are just darling!
Too sweet.. I have fast labors too and the nurses never seem to believe me that the birth is imminent even though I'm screaming and pleading for an epidural. And how lucky are you to get out of the hospital so fast?! I have always had to stay 48 hours minimum.
We have to make pretty big nuisances of ourselves to get out of there so fast. Pretty much as soon as the baby is back from the bath we start in on, "when can we get the hearing test?" "When will the pediatrician be around?"
Some people really love staying in the hospital for a few days and find it relaxing, but I'm a pretty light sleeper and pretty much can't sleep at all in hospitals, so I get out of there ASAP.
You have such nice labor stories! I will definitely tune in for Frankie's since I was starting to think that all your labors must be dream labors. My first ended in an emergency cesarean after 41 hours of labor and lots of fun things like infection and dishonest nurses. But my next three babies were all wonderful VBACs with wonderful nurses. I discovered that VBACs get lots of preferential treatment and fuss from nurses and doctors, so I don't have to work hard to be noticed or to have things done my way. I think I still would have gladly skipped that initial c-section, though. I am always fearful that I will have another one. Recovery was not pretty, and I am so thankful for the joy of a normal birth and the ease of VBAC recoveries.
And I'm thankful for my wonderful firstborn, who was worth all the trouble :).
So glad someone else hates hospitals as much as I do! I begged and pleaded and teared up just to get out of the hospital at the 24 hour mark with my firstborn. My second I skipped the hospital and drove 3 hours away to a birth center. My third I was even lazier and just had her at home 🙂 I have fast labors too, I'm waiting on pins and needles to hear your next birth stories! I'm terrified to have a fourth because my midwives aren't close enough to get here if my labors get any faster. They have been 12 hours, 5 hours and 30 minutes, 2 hours and 45 minutes so far! Given the trend baby #4 would come in…approximately 1 and a half hours at best….eeek! And my fast labors are NOT easy, they suck, I'd happily take the 12 hour labor, it was far easier. So you are a baby breeding machine to have easy and fast labors, you go Mama!
The first photo of you post-Betty made me do a double take…boy, she sure looks like you (from the pictures you've posted of her anyway!)
The dress is lovely! Nursing-friendly?
Thank you! Why yes it is . . .
I love these.
I am so enjoying these labor stories. Keep 'em coming! You look beautiful my friend and those shoes are AWESOME!!
Wow does little Jack look like Frankie or yes? 🙂
Totally. We pretty much have only one model. They all look a lot alike!
Hi. I love your blog! I had to comment on the people at the hospital not thinking you were that far along in your labor, this just happened to me when I had my daughter in September. It sounds like we have similar labors. Many prayers for this one!
"After watching Dumbo, nineteen-month-old Jack had really been hoping that the new baby would be an elephant." That's really cute!
Your second labor sounds similar to my second. Had to have the on call doctor and everything. I'm currently 25 weeks pregnant with number #3. Planning a home birth this time around, so we will see how that all goes. You look lovely in your red dress at 38 weeks. Hope the last few weeks are not too rough on you.