It was December 14th and on my last check-up I had been 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. Being a first time mom, I was very anxious to meet my son so I did something that I would never do again....I took castor oil, yuck! I took it around 9pm on December 14th. I read the bottle and it said that it takes effect after 6 hours. So my husband and I went to bed around 11pm and didn't really expect anything to happen. I woke up at 3am because I had to go the bathroom. I went to the toilet and a bunch of liquid came out. I called my best friend (who just had her second baby one week earlier)to ask what it is like when your water breaks. She said I had better call my doctor and so I did. They said for me to come in so they could check me. I called my parents, who were going to be at the birth, and told them that we were going to the hospital but that I would call them from there because I was not sure if I was really in labor. I got up off the toilet to get some things together but kept having to go back because I felt like I had to have a bowel movement. After going back to the toilet three of four times my husband said that these "urges to go the bathroom" were coming every 3 minutes. We finally made it in the car and go to the hospital at 4:15am. I was checked immediately and was told that I was 4cm dilated. This was it! I called my parents to tell them I was having this baby. The nurses asked me if I was planning on having medication and when I said no they rushed me out of the nurses station and told me that I had to walk around till I couldn't walk through the contractions anymore. We started to walk around and my parents arrived along with my brother. I walked with them for about 30-45 minutes and the contractions got really bad all of a sudden and so we walked back to the nurses station. They gave me this look like you were just here and we told you to walk around. They checked me anyway, and good thing they did, I was 8cm dilated! I remember them being a little flustered saying that they had to get me to a room, lol. Things get a little hazy from here. (I should have written this two years ago!) They go me to a room and then my best friend showed up and I was so thrilled because I didn't think she would make it just having had a baby herself. She helped me moan through the contractions while my husband stood by my side. My mom was next to my husband I think. I felt the urge to push right after I got into the bed and was told I had to wait, yeah right!! I then pushed for two hours, it seemed like forever. I went completely into myself between pushing contractions. I remember people talking but it felt like I was in water and they were outside the water, that is what it sounded like. I had never meditated before but that is exactly what I was doing. I snapped back out of it when the doctor said that he was going to have to cut me a little ( an episiotomy, something that I did not want but was to out of it to protest) and they brought a mirror around so I could watch the birth. I looked and saw a bush of dark hair between my legs and thought it was my hair and then realized that it was my baby's head! I pushed a couple more times and he was out. They laid him on my chest and I got to touch my son for the first time. This beautiful baby with his wrinkley skin and cone shaped head was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. He weighed 6lb 10oz and I think he was 191/2inches long. We had a rough start to nursing, he and I didn't get it going smoothly for a while but we both caught on and had a wonderful nursing relationship!

Now I can't wait to do it again, as I am now 6months pregnant with my second who is due 7-26-98 and will be born in water at a birthing center(unless medical complications should occur). We don't know what we are having this time around but I will be sure to post the story shortly after the birth!