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The Short(er) Version of My Birth Story
I'll try to keep this short. The entire story was very detailed and about 4 pages long.
I had been having contractions off and on for weeks, but on Friday (2/18) around 3:30pm I noticed they were stronger and just felt different. I was still pretty sure that they would stop again, and I tried to ignore them. They started at 11 minutes apart, and after about 3 hours and a long walk around the neighborhood they were 4.5-6.5 minutes apart. I kept trying different things at home to get comfortable, and finally at 11:20pm my H convinced me to call the doula. She was going to come to the house, but suggested I touch base with the midwife to see if she wanted us to come to the birth center. She did, and we agreed to all meet there in an hour.
The midwife checked me and I was 4-5cm. The doula got there, and her, my H and the midwife were all amazing. They were helping with breathing, massage, etc. Things got really intense fast and the contractions were every 2-3 minutes. I finally got in the tub after trying the birth ball, laying in bed, walking around - pretty much everything I could think of. I changed positions a few times but found that being on my knees kind of squatting and leaning over the side of the tub was the best. After a few contractions I started to feel a lot of pressure. I still hadn't been checked again but the midwife told me just to follow my body and do what felt right. I pushed through 3 contractions and told her something felt weird. She told me to reach down and feel. I told her "there's a bubble." She said it was the amniotic sac since my water hadn't broken. So I pushed again during the next contraction and told her that something happened and "help me!" She and the doula helped me lean back, only to find out that Kennedy had arrived! She was born completely in the sac, and the midwife had to break it to get her out. Once the midwife realized she was out she told my husband to catch his daughter. She was born at 4:04am.
The birth was completely amazing. My Midwife and the Doula were absolutely wonderful, and I could not have asked for better support. After Kennedy had to be taken to the hospital, the doula went with my husband and the baby. Once the midwife did my stitches and I was cleared to go, she came with my mom and I to the hospital. There wasn't a day that went by when we were in the NICU that either the doula, or one of the midwives didn't visit us.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I feel like the birth was so amazing, I can't wait to do it again. 
Kennedy Aleise 2/19/11
Life As We Know It
Re: The Short(er) Version of My Birth Story
DX: 6/9/2011: Azoo ICSI/IVF only option for biological child
IVF #1: ER - 9/26 * ET - 10/1 * beta#1 10/13 - 140 * beta#2 10/17 - 477 * beta#3 10/20 - 1101
1st u/s at 6w6d - one hb * 2nd u/s at 8w3d - no hb detected 11/10/11 * natural m/c 11/13/11
FET #1 Jan/Feb 2012 - 3 delays - cancelled 2/13
FET #1.2 - May/June 2012 - ET 6/6/* beta#1 6/15 - 95 * beta #2 6/19 - 322 * beta #3 6/22 - 940
7/6 1st u/s @ 7 weeks - one beautiful hb - released from RE
EDD 2/22/2013
PAIF/SAIF/PGAL welcome
Wow, that does sound great! Congrats!!
Thanks for sharing! I'm so glad you got the birth you wanted and had such an amazing experience. I just recently read about how occasionally the baby can be born inside the sac- I'd never realized that was possible.
est. 10/10/10
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