I woke up on May 31st with a crampy feeling in my back and stomach (like I had started my period). I had a few contractions (normal for me) but nothing serious. When my husband got home from the gym that morning around 730 I told him today was the day. I just felt it. I then got up to go to the bathroom and when I got to the toliet I gushed pink tinged watery mucus. I yelled "omg my bloody show". Sure enough I kept loosing bigger and bigger pieces with darker blood throughout the day. My contractions started to pick up around 11am and they were 5-7 minutes lasting 45 seconds. Pretty intense in my opinion!!! they got REALLY bad around 2-3pm. I was on all fours trying to cope through each one. My husband finally got off work around 515pm and my contractions were lasting over a minute and they were 3-4 minutes a part. I told him we needed the midwife. We blew up the tub and waited her arrival. when she arrived at 630pm I was seriously working hard for the contractions. She checked me at 7pm (6cm, 0 station, 95% effaced). I had to wait until the tub was filled to get in... it was the longest wait of my life. Around 8pm I got in. I needed my husband in with me around 9pm because contractions had picked up. I could hardly cope even with the water. Once he got in things went smoothly. I just leaned on him the whole time. At 930pm my water broke in the tub. it was a big pop and a TON of pressure. I thought I had to take a big poop with all the pressure it caused. after a few horrible contractions my body started to tell me to push. I pushed for 45 minutes and my baby was born at 1030pm that night. The pain of pushing was unreal I've always heard that pushing is a relief from the contractions ....no. I felt both and it felt like taking the biggest poop ever. it was seriously painful. my baby kept crowning over and over then finally she shot out. I caught her on all fours and it was amazing. After she came out I was rushed over to the bed. I had serious blood loss and was hemorrhaging. I denied pitocin and instead took an herb. my bleeding stopped. I had a first degree tear that was superficial and didn't need stitching. they instead put a powered herb as a "glue". Baby weighed 7.8 pounds 19.75 inches long! She was perfect and healthy :) even with my slight complication I wouldn't do anything different. my midwifes were capable and got the job done. if I had actually needed pitocin they would have given it to me. I just asked for an alternative first before just getting a shot. my midwifes went in and pulled out all my clots which was painful but helped the situation. I loved this experience!!