Overall I did quite well health wise through the pregnancy other than 3rd tri aches and uncomfortableness came early. She was due right before Miriam graduated from kindergarten and for once I was hoping she would come late so we could wrap up the school year first then just enjoy new baby. It was not to be I started dehydration/early labor contractions about a week before she came, increasing in quantity as time went on. So much so the Fri before Miriam graduated I had hip pains and p0led with Heavenly Father not that day because Miriam had a moms and muffins activity she was super looking forward to doing. I called midwife and they asked me to come down that night for them to see what was happening as I've never had hip prelabor contractions before. She found I was progressing and suggested I take magnesium to slow things down, take a bath so I could get a good nights sleep. Sat morning (May 10) I woke up at 6:30ish with a contraction followed about 4 an hour hour. Then when they started getting more painful/longer I got in the bath for quite awhile. All along I kept updating my mom on what midwife said, how I was feeling, etc trying to decide when she should head down. I hated to be wrong because one after I gave her the report from the midwife the night before she couldn't go to sleep thinking I would be calling any minute and two she had some plans that day I knew she was looking forward to. Finally about 9ish I told her even though the contractions weren't regular she better start the 4 hour trip down. I kept waiting for the contractions to become regular but they stayed 7-10 minutes apart all morning. I finally got out the bathtub and got dressed making sure we had everything packed to go to the birthing center. I laid down because I was tired and just let the contractions sort of roll through me in a stupor half asleep. I finally got the oomph to call the midwife and let her know what was going on and she told me (same one that delivered Rachel! I was really excited because she did an awesome job) I better head up there and she would meet me there. It was particularly evident and she told me later that when I had a really long quite intense contraction my time was close. I grabbed my traditional mothers milk tea and waddled out to Eric's truck. There are pluses and minuses to laboring in a moving vehicle as I was definitely in transition/last phase of labor. Bad for movement of the vehicle adding to the labor pains things like turns and stops aren't very much fun. Good because I was more focused on getting there before the baby came than the pain. Eric's truck bucket seat wasn't too bad being cushy leather with the armrests to push against the contraction (told Eric I will never feel the same way about the truck again!). Things really got intense as we got off the freeway and I started slipping into hyperventilation so poor Eric was trying to hurry and drive and calm me down reminding me to stay in lower pitches and control breathing. We got to the birthing center and I could hardly hobble in amidst the pain. Midwife directed me to one room to take off clothes so she could check me out and I couldn't even bend or sit and was just clinging to Eric. She helped me out of my bottoms and asked they start the tub so I started in that direction. I told I didn't think I was going to make it as I had been having pushing feelings and perhaps I should try the birthing stool instead. So then I switched directions to another room they hurried and prepared sat down on the stool and about 4 or 5 pushes later Melody popped out. They put her up on my shirt which I was trying to get off and when I was steady enough lead me over to the bed. A minute later my mom comes through the door. I told her look who's here, Melody in my arms and she thought I was referring to her. I couldn't believe she had just missed it, I hadn't even delivered the placenta yet.
