Ok, I'm home now, and we are semi-settled. As you know, on Wednesday May 22nd, my OB stripped my membranes at my afternoon appointment. I was pretty uncomfortable for the rest of the afternoon and was having contraction-like pains that old come and go with no consistency. Given that they were more concentrated down below than they were with my first labor, I blew them off as extreme discomfort from my pelvic check. I took a shower around 8:15 that night and felt much better afterwards, which to me was a sign that labor was likely not imminent.

I went to bed as usual on my silly towels (in case my water broke in bed), and around 11:30 I felt a more intense pain that woke me up. I tried to ignore it but figured I'd wait until another one came and loosely time them based on the clock. The next one came about eight minutes later, then four until the next, so I decided to get up, go downstairs to try to walk them off, and time them. Walking made them more intense and closer together, whereas sitting still did the opposite - a sign that these are true contractions. So I call the OB on call, and based on my timing them for about an hour, she says that it's up to me if I want to go in or if I want to time them for another hour. I told her that knowing how quickly I progressed to unbearable contractions last time, I'd like to go in, which she said was fine. I called my sister, who came over and slept on my couch and handled my son in the morning. Basically they were a minute long and only 1.5-2 minutes apart.

I arrived at the hospital at about 1:30AM, and they said I was 4cm dilated. Since they changed the hospital policy to have at least one OB in the hospital at all times, and since my practice's OB had authorized my epidural, they got the IV going right away for that and for my first dose of antibiotics. It seemed to take forever to get it in (probably because I kept having contractions in the process), but it kicked in immediately on my right side and kinda sorta on my left. After about 1/2 hour I was all set on my left, too, and all of a sudden I felt this crazy warm rush of liquid that definitely came from my lady parts. It was also way too much to be just pee, so I buzzed the nurse who said it was all over the place! It had really burst, as opposed to just leaked or broke. She checked me, and I was 9cm. She said I was lucky I came in when I did because otherwise I'd have been too late for the epidural once my water broke!

They called my OB and set up the bed, since they expected me to deliver quickly (I'd told the nurse it took three pushes last time, and she joked that I needed to break my record). The OB came in and checked me, said I was at 10 and ready to push. Two pushes, and that was it! She held him up so we could see we had another boy He arrived at 4:09AM. They didn't have time for the 2nd round of antibiotics, so we were forced to stay 48 hours for Joseph to be observed.

I had a 2nd-degree tear over my last 1st-degree tear, and I had another small tear upwards. The thing was that during the second push she told me to push a bit more, and I guess I'm a good pusher because I pushed a bit too hard. I'm a little sore, but it's ok. Otherwise as far as recovery, I am bleeding way less than last time and don't have any clots.

Some weird coincidences: the lady in the next room had my same birthday (same year) and was having her second baby (a girl). They literally had bets as to who would deliver first. (I won by 17 minutes.) Also, randomly, that same day, they were opening a new maternity ward with bigger rooms, and I was the first patient to go up there

Also, hospital policy has been massively revamped since I was last there. They only room in, and formula is rarely given. Skin to skin contact is encouraged right off the bat, so basically my son has been exclusively breastfed since he was born. I think my milk came in today (I have yet to test the theory, but my boobs are HUGE). When we were discharged today, I asked for one of those formula gift bags, and they said they don't have them anymore. The nurse smuggled me a bunch of formula (I'll donate it if I don't use it), but it's just sitting there. I have no idea if this will continue, but nursing has gone perfectly so far! I forgot how sleep-deprived I would be, but it's so worth it. I am soooo crazy about this little guy, and I feel like there is just so much love in the house. My older son is intrigued by him, and the dogs are also very curious and protective of him. So it seems that everything is working out very well so far!

I can't wait to read some more of your stories as they happen!!!

ETA that he was 20.5" long (same as my other son) and 8lbs 4oz (about a pound more than my older son but he also had an extra week in there).

Ladies! Congrats to all with new babies! Laser, Rebecca, Prplrose, Ehg -- so great to read your birth stories!!

I have a minute and want to share mine. I woke up at 7:30am on May 23rd to my water breaking. It was the weirdest electric pop inside of me (and for you Rebecca, I wasn't sleeping on a towel but do have a waterproof mattress cover. Since he was engaged it was only a small amount in bed, so we stripped the sheets and the mattress was a-ok - whew!). I wasn't having contractions, and hadn't lost my mucous plug, so I took a shower and cleaned.

At 9:30am everything started going. I lost my mucous plug and contractions started and were running 30 seconds every 3 1/2 minutes. At 10am contractions were 1 minute long every 2 1/2 minutes. Since it was my first child and I wanted to have non-medicated labor, staying at home as long as possible, we had planned on making cookies as a 'labor project' while breathing through the contractions. We made enough for two batches and I was able to walk through the contractions until 11:00. At that point we had just 10 minutes on the oven timer and decided to go to the hospital when then cookies were done. Contractions were over a minute long and 2 minutes apart. I started rocking over my birthing ball propped up on the couch and decided I was in love with the birthing ball that minute. We packed up (ball & ziplock of cookies included) and were checked in at the birthing center at 11:30. I was checked and was 4cm.

I hopped into the jacuzzi tub and think that really got things going - I labored in there drapped over the side of the tub and propped on my ball. I knew as soon as I hit transition around 1:00pm and got out of the tub to labor on the ball propped on the bed. The nurse checked and I was 9cm at this point, so they called my OB. A few minutes later I started feeling an intense urge to push and knew I couldn't control it. I figured that even if I was only 9cm that I didn't care, I would push like hell even if I tore myself to pieces - it was just the only option. I pushed on my next contraction and out came blood onto the floor and I felt the baby move into my birth canal (I even reached down to be sure we wasn't falling out of me). My husband freaked a bit with the blood and my chanting of 'push, push' and signaled the call button. Unfortunately he accidentally pressed the code button for the whole floor and we suddenly we had about 20 people in our room. I was in my own head, but could hear all the voices. Poor husband. Our nurse heard me chanting 'push' and told me she would check to see if I was 10cm, and not to push yet. I wanted to tell her that I'd just pushed, but couldn't utter anything coherent. They checked me again and exclaimed 'oh! I can feel the baby' he was just minutes away and I was so excited to get him out. Only problem was that my OB wasn't there yet. They brought in a midwife as a back-up, and everyone was telling me to hold back... Ha! Like that was going to happen. I could care less if the baby was deliverd by another patient, I was pushing, period.

Luckily, my doctor flew into the room during my next push, and out came the head. One more push and he was here! Logan James was born at 1:29pm, just 4 hours from my first contraction. 7lb2oz and 20.5" long.

I was lucky to not need any stitches, but did have a tiny tear as the little guy put his hand up by his head as he was coming out. We stayed for just 24 hours and left the next afternoon. Logan has been feeding really well (man, nursing is a full time job! Hats off to all moms who EBF!) and was back up to birth weight plus an extra 3.5oz by his first pediatric appoint on the 28th.

I agree with what several others have said - natural labor is the most intense (and forgettable) pain I could have imagined. Holy heck - ring of fire is no joke. :noway:

We are so in love with this little guy, and I am so incandescently happy that I find myself crying for no reason. I honestly never thought I could feel this full of love - I don't even know how to process it all at times, it's just feels so overwhelmingly right.

Congrats again to all the May moms! I look forward to everyone's updates and hope you guys are well!

How did I totally miss this? Congrats and yay for another 5/23 boy! I thought Joseph had an infected umbilical stump (turned out he just needed a little help drying it out), so I took him in yesterday, and he was one ounce more than his birth weight on nothing but breast milk. I agree, EBFing is HARD!!! I had other issues last time, but even without them it is tempting to just stick a bottle in their mouth.

I am getting so, so excited reading your stories! Congratulations to all of you!

I am due in June. I have a question for all of you. Did the baby's movement slow down, become more muffled in the weeks before you delivered, did it stay the same or was it more frequent?

I know I'm late to this game, but yes, I did experience a lot less movement in the last 2-3 weeks of pregnancy. There's just less room in there. Some days my son was very quiet in there, so I'd make sure I was well-hydrated and would sometimes poke my belly to evoke movement, and I would just relax and focus on feeling something. It was harder to distinguish, though, because it was more rolling and the like rather than jabs and kicks.