Fast, Natural Hospital Birth with Baby Born in the Caul

On Thursday June 9th I gave birth to a baby girl who weighed 8lb 1oz and 21 inches long. The day started at 5am when my contractions were 15minutes apart. At 5:45am they were closer to 5-6 minutes apart and still bearable, but I had some trouble walking. I could still talk through them though.

After an hour I called my doctor and she said to wait a bit more, and come in at 8am to the office to be checked. I waited until 8am but the contractions didn’t give in or let up. They still were 5minutes apart. I knew that some people have contractions that close together for few days on and off but I called the office at 8am. They told me no doctors were in and to go to emergency room.

I took my 5 year old to the neighbor’s house and went to the hospital with hubby and got there at 8:30am through the emergency entrance. When I got in I handed out my birth plan, even if I wasn’t checking in yet. After being checked I was told I am only 2.5cm along, and I thought “They’ll kick me out.” But I hoped they wouldn’t as I was in too much pain to leave. I was told by the doctor to walk around and come back. So I walked, and walked and walked. It must have been about 11am when they checked me again and I was 5.5cm and I was admitted.

Now contractions were stronger but I sang through them with my iPod. Around noon they were 2 minutes apart and bloody mucus was coming. They got me the birth ball and a towel. At 12:30 it got horrible, so the nurse had me lean over the bed and I stood holding on to hubby’s hands squeezing during each contraction as the nurse applied pressure to my back relieving pain, helping me lower baby by teaching me to breath down the “canal”. At 1pm I got into the shower and sat for about 20 minutes with the water running down my back.

Around 1:20pm the doctor checked me and said I was 100% effaced and 9.5 cm dilated. After a few pushes at 1:40 pm my baby was born. My water never broke and she came out in the caul. They handed her to me and waited till cord was done pulsating to cut the cord. I did tear a little so I got some stitches. But it all was medicine free and fast.