I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for an entire week on Friday afternoon, so when they were getting closer together, I was really hesitant to say “this is it.” I had slept in until 10 that morning, and J got home from work around noon. I just couldn’t get comfortable or put my mind at ease. Around 4:30 we went for a walk around the neighborhood. The contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasted 30-45 seconds. They stayed like that, so at 5:30 we let our midwife know that we were probably in early first stage labor.

At 6, I let my family know I was finally in labor and the contractions got closer to 3 minutes apart, but stayed at 30-45 seconds long. I paced throughout the house in between them and did squats during them. I stayed as active as I could for a while, but I started to get tired and laid down on the couch to really labor around 7:30 or so. J made himself some spaghetti sometime after that. The smell did not agree with me, and I puked up all of the water I had been diligently drinking to keep myself hydrated.

At 8 or so, I had finally found my pattern that worked for me. I relaxed my entire body and mind and labored like this for quite a while, abdominal breathing and moaning during the contraction and drifting in and out of a strange sleepy consciousness between them. Things are kinda fuzzy during this time, and I may have even slept a bit. Contractions stayed very consistent, 3 minutes apart and 30-45 seconds long.

It was about 10:30 when I started to suddenly feel overwhelmed and doubtful. How much longer could this last? I started to think I couldn’t do it anymore. Classic transition, but I still thought I was in active first stage! The contractions weren’t getting any longer or closer together, nothing was changing. I didn’t express my doubt out loud, because I didn’t want to complain so early. J called the midwife. She listened to a contraction and talked to me, I was able to talk back with her and the contraction was still just me moaning. She and J both think it’s early to go in. I get frustrated, but there’s not much I can do, so I continue laboring like I had. It wasn’t much longer after that that I put my foot down and told J we needed to go. Despite my contractions still being 3 minutes apart and 30 -45 seconds long, he and the midwife agree to make me happy… we would go in and get checked. If I wasn’t far along, we would go to J’s parent’s townhouse, which was only 15 minutes from the birth center. Our house is 45 minutes from there. This made me feel better and I shuffled off to the toilet to pee before we left.

That’s where it ALL changed. It’s around 11. J is doing all of the things on the last minute list, and my contractions completely change. I am on the toilet and I suddenly start screaming through them. I always said I would never be a screamer but it turns out I am, haha! I feel incredible pressure in my pelvis. I feel something odd and I shout out to J, “We are going to have the baby RIGHT HERE!” I am overwhelmed and can’t explain what is going on. I want to push already. I think, I can’t push yet, it’s too early! I’ll tear! The contractions are STILL 3 minutes apart and have even shortened to 30 seconds long or less.

I run out to the car by myself, as J is trying to scramble to get everything together. I didn't even get my shoes, I just walked right out on that rocky driveway and plopped myself down in the car seat on a bunch of towels. We pull out of the driveway at 11:20. A couple minutes later I have a big contraction. I pull down my pajama pants and reach in between my legs and feel my sack of waters bulging out. I feel a trickle, I think it popped, maybe I accidentally popped it myself! I tell J, who calls the midwife.

Everything that happens next happens so fast, that it’s a blur. J’s trying to explain everything to the midwife (I remember him saying "I think I see a head" and she replied, "you THINK you see a head?!?!" but I’m not paying attention to anything because all of a sudden I contract and little Chloe came out right there in the car. I say not so calmly, “I JUST HAD THE BABY! I JUST HAD THE BABY! WHY ISN’T SHE CRYING??” J, incredulous and still on the phone with the midwife, immediately pulls over. Sure enough, poor Chloe had come out and was on the car floor. I couldn’t move. He picks her up and she starts crying. We place her skin to skin on my chest and cover her with my pajama pants. Then we just pause for a second, marveling at what just actually happened. The clock said 11:25.

We make the 40 minute drive to the birth center with her on my chest. I make a comment about how she is not in a car seat, and J said, "there’s really not much we can do about that right now, she’s still attached to you!!" We were greeted in the parking lot of the birth center by our midwife who delivered the placenta right there. We then got everything else checked out. I had one little tear, but it wasn’t bad. Chloe is completely happy and healthy, but tiny tiny. 4lbs and 13 oz. We were able to go home around 3am with our beautiful little girl.

That was one year ago Saturday. She is a very happy, healthy little girl! She started walking at 9 months, running at 10. Now she climbs everything she possibly can!