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My due date was July 29th, but on the evening of the 26th I began experiencing contractions. They started around 8 pm and were about 10 minutes apart. I had been anticipating a long labor so tried to sleep through them, but by midnight they'd intensified and were 7-5 minutes apart, so we headed to the hospital.
When we arrived, they checked my dilation and I was already 6 cm! I was so happy to hear that since it meant no waiting around for labor to progress. We walked the halls and did our best to manage the pain as the contractions intensified - back massage helped immensely. By 4 am, I was dilated to 8cm and felt the urge to push, but my body was not quite ready. After another hour of more intense contractions, I began pushing.
Pushing felt so rewarding - like progress was being made with each one - but also incredibly challenging as my body worked hard and my face likely wore an intense grimace! My little one's heart rate dipped a few times which worried the midwives, but thankfully after 3 hours of pushing, out he came at 7.45am, crying immediately - 8lbs 6oz of pure bliss.
He's now asleep on my chest as I type this, and I'm feeling incredibly grateful and in awe of the whole experience. It was intense and overwhelming but also incredibly empowering. Birth is amazing! Tired but so in love.
When we arrived, they checked my dilation and I was already 6 cm! I was so happy to hear that since it meant no waiting around for labor to progress. We walked the halls and did our best to manage the pain as the contractions intensified - back massage helped immensely. By 4 am, I was dilated to 8cm and felt the urge to push, but my body was not quite ready. After another hour of more intense contractions, I began pushing.
Pushing felt so rewarding - like progress was being made with each one - but also incredibly challenging as my body worked hard and my face likely wore an intense grimace! My little one's heart rate dipped a few times which worried the midwives, but thankfully after 3 hours of pushing, out he came at 7.45am, crying immediately - 8lbs 6oz of pure bliss.
He's now asleep on my chest as I type this, and I'm feeling incredibly grateful and in awe of the whole experience. It was intense and overwhelming but also incredibly empowering. Birth is amazing! Tired but so in love.