40 weeks + 6 days.

I lost my mucus plug at 4:00pm. My water broke at 11:00pm (I contribute this to the last three days vaginally inserting 1000mg of evening primrose oil and taking 2000mg orally during the day)

Didn’t start having contractions until 12:10am and they were mild and about 10 min apart lasting 30 seconds. By 1:30am they were still 10min apart but much much stronger. I was still able to talk in between. At 3:07 they were 5 min apart and so strong. I had my husband call the midwife to meet us at the birthing center. It was going to take her 20 min to get there and only 3 min for us. We woke up our first born and on the way there I had a huge contraction and thought I wouldn’t make it.

We got to the birthing center and the MW had just arrived and began filling the tub. She got me inside and checked me. I was already 8cm dilated. Immediately following her check I had the worst contraction and knew the baby was coming. I told her I didn’t want to be on my back, that I wanted to be in the pool but it hadn’t filled yet so before the next contraction we painfully turned me to my hands and knees on the bed. The next contraction was it. I had to push and kept screaming I wanted to be in the water. I pushed twice and my daughter was born at 3:47 (we arrived at the center at 3:35) I got my skin to skin while the cord still pumped. No tearing. Took a bit more to deliver the placenta. The cord was cut and I nursed. About an hr later they did all her stats and we were home by 5:00am.

Brooklyn Ann

8lbs 14oz

20”