86'n It

Since I finally got around to doing Mina's 1 (AND 2) Month post,
I thought it might be high time to tell her birth story.

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I had a 45 hour labor with Franca. And I mean ACTIVE labor. (I had been having mild contractions a whole day before this marathon, but I count 45hours as the time I had OMG this HURTS contractions.) I labored at home for 26 hours. Got to the hospital and was 6cm, but then I stalled at 8cm for 8 long long hours. We went thru 3 doctor shifts. It was insanity. After 40 hours we decided to get the epidural even though I had hoped for a med-free birth. I slept for 3 hours, woke up, pushed for 2 hours and she was FINALLY born! If you want to ready the whole story, you can find it here. Franca's Birth Story.

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Needless to say, I was really banking on an easier delivery with Mina. Little did we know just how much "easier" it would be! It happened so fast, the best way to show it is with a timeline.

10:19pm
Contractions start 11-15 minutes apart while watching Sleepwalk with Me
11:01pm
Contractions spread to 21-25 minutes apart. We decide it is false labor, go to bed.
12:50am
Contractions return to 11 minutes apart. And HARD.  I have trouble getting through them.
1:38am
Contractions at 9 minutes apart. I wake up Marc. Tell him this might be it. He doesn't believe me.
2:06am
Decide to call friends who are going to stay with Franca. I'm starting to panic.
2:46am
Contractions 6 minutes apart and REALLY HARD. Marc starts to believe me.
3:07am
Friends are here. Marc is dawdling getting truck ready. I'm starting to panic.
3:12am
Contractions 4 minutes apart. I'm starting to think I might give birth on the parlor floor.

3:27am
Last contraction timed. We leave for hospital. I ask Marc to run red lights.

3:50am-ish
We get to hospital triage nurse checks me. I'm 9cm dialated with only a lip. She panics. Starts throwing our stuff on bed with me and says: "I've always joked I've never delivered a baby here in triage. Let's not make you the first. Let's go dad!" Then she and Marc push the bed run/walking down the hallway to Labor & Delivery. I'm crying out of happiness. It look me 38 hours to get to 9cm with Franca. It has been less than 6 hours.

4:15am
In Labor & Delivery. I can only labor while lying on my left side otherwise it is crazy painful. My nurse is awesome. Contractions are pretty hard. I'm just squeezing the hell out of Marc's hand and moaning with each one. I say to nurse: "Um, what are we waiting for?" She answers: "For you to feel like you need to push." I say: "Um, I think I can push." "Wait, don't your doctor isn't here yet!"

4:30am
Doctor arrives. Checks me. I'm ready to push! Start pushing. It is the weirdest feeling. Doesn't really hurt and I'm now feeling no pain in between contractions. Water breaks during a contraction/push. Marc asks doctor if when he can see her, to tell him if she has a lot of hair like Franca did. A couple of pushes later, Mina is starting to emerge. She's crowning. HOLY HELL THEY ARE NOT JOKING ABOUT THE RING OF FIRE. Her head pops out. Doctor pauses and says: "Hey Marc, look she has hair!" I lose my composure for the first time and growl like the girl on The Exorcist: "GET HER OUT!!!!" I'm in the worst pain of my life and they are looking at hair color. Geez.

5:08am
She's out. And she is beautiful and perfect and wonderful. My heart grows three sizes. They put her directly on my chest. Best feeling in the world.

I have daughters. Plural.

When the cord stops pulsing Marc reluctantly cuts it. Within 10 minutes Mina has rooted and latched on all on her own. That's my girl.