Sorry!

There isn't much more... so this has got to be the last segment of the birth story... cause I am dying to post pictures of CK!

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Rich drives very safely to the hospital because I told him I was in no rush to get there. I was breathing well through my contractions and Rich would occasionally remind me to relax and he would count my breathing for me. During this entire thing I never had anyone time my contractions nor did I care how close or far apart they were. I didn't think about how much the next one would hurt, I just relaxed in between.

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When we got to the hospital my midwife and doula were there. My labor and delivery nurse who was coming in to help with the birth was stuck in traffic, but no worries. I never felt nauseated, but when I was walking into the hospital I let out some huge burps (like girls camp burps from high school-wow!). I like to think I was more calm than my midwife, who was ordering people around to get a room ready for me.

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Before I got to my room where they could listen to CK's heartbeat I stopped in the bathroom twice. I kept feeling like I needed to have a bowel movement (uh- you think I would have put two and two together) but it wasn't until I actually started to push sitting on the toilet when I realized I better get into the bed and let someone know what was going on.

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At 8:05 my midwife checked my cervix and let me know I was 9 1/2 cm dilated. She also broke my water. After that next contraction I smiled and said, "I am so happy". I obviously had many reasons to be happy, but mostly that it was about to be over and I would be able to hold little CK in my arms.

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I decided to try and push with the next contraction but that hurt even more. I finally realized that I better just listen to my body. I only pushed once or twice with the next two contractions and then finally I felt like I needed to push the entire contractions. Both my parents and Rich were there by my side and my dad was video taping- this is when I started to get a little vocal- my dad thought it was funny that I was so quiet during labor and then pushing is when I got loud and that is the only part he got on video! LAME.

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I was vocal because while I absolutely love my midwife she was bugging the crap out of me! She kept saying things like, "you are feeling a lot of rectal pressure" and "She is crowning now- you will feel a lot of burning." And I in turn would reply, "I KNOW!!! I CAN FEEL IT!"

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8:21 pm, on April 29, 2009 CK was born. 7lbs 8oz. 18 inches long. Slightly bigger and a little shorter than Nugs. They look almost exactly the same and CK has beautiful blond hair. She has some newborn rash and is a little peely- but she is absolutely amazing.

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I was able to breastfeed immediately after she was born and I breastfed for the first hour. I never had an IV, never needed pitocin, and I felt amazing after she was born. It was a perfect labor and delivery and I couldn't have asked for anything better.