I woke up Wednesday morning, puffy, swollen, and feeling very calm. I laid there in bed, just feeling my body and seeing what was up. Baby was kicking a lot, but I still felt kind of funny. When I stood up, I got so dizzy I almost passed out. I sat down and had this feeling that although everything was fine right now, I knew my body was starting to break down. I hadn't gained any weight in a week, and a sip of water made me want to throw up. I just "knew" I needed to have the baby before things got bad. I didn't feel any of the frustration or upset that I had been having for the last two weeks, I was just very calm. I sent my dh out to the store that afternoon to pick up castor oil and OJ. He came back with a movie, flowers, OJ, and Cod Liver oil! *sigh* I am allergic to all things having to do with fish, so this was not good! I had to go with him back to the store and get castor oil. I ended up only being able to take one dose of the stuff. I almost threw up in the sink taking just that, and was nauseous the rest of the evening from it. I just kind of puttered around the house all evening, straightening up. I had the occasional contraction, very mild, and no other reactions from the oil. I was sitting down reading before bed, thinking that the oil didn't work, (this was around 11:30) when I felt a really hard contraction. I perked up and thought, "OK, be calm, lets see if these turn into anything." Three minutes later, another one. "Hmmm, don't get your hopes up yet girl!" Three minutes later another, and so on, and so on. About 11:45 I told my dh we had to start getting things ready. He kept going away to watch a movie! I was at the kitchen sink, bent over with a contraction, trying to get things in for sterilization, and he was watching a MOVIE! Argh! I screamed for him, he came running, I screamed at him to make me Cal Mag and tea, and draw a bath, and if he DARED go back to that movie, I'd smash the TV! I could not believe how hard the contractions were and they were getting closer! He got me into the bath, and sat with me. He asked me if it was time to call my mom. I said no not yet. The next contraction ended, and I just looked at him and said, call her. She was there about 15 minutes later. My mom is cool. I really love her. She has those wonderfully strong, soft hands, the healing kind of hands. I had already had a huge glass of Cal Mag with tea, and the warm water was doing wonders, but, all of a sudden I was DONE with water. I wanted out. My dh and mom helped me out of the bath and I made it to the hall outside the bathroom. I was on my hands and knees, with my head in my hubby's lap. My mom was rubbing my lower back, and I was screaming to high heaven. Contractions were one on top of the other, and yelling felt sooo good. I never felt like I could yell in the hospital. My youngest, B., who is 4, woke up from the noise and came downstairs. He was a little upset that I was hurting, but as soon as he found out his sister was coming, he gave me a hug and a kiss, and told me he loved me. My dh sent him back up to bed, but I think he stayed on the stairs the whole time. He was just too excited! Suddenly I practically jumped up and hobbled into the bathroom to get on the toilet. The next thing I know a big "thing" is coming out, and at first I thought it was the baby's head. It was the sac though, and it looked really funny. This huge bubble of snot looking stuff as big as a baby's head! I started laughing, and dh asked if I wanted a picture. I said no thanks, I'll remember this well enough! My mom this whole time is just there, you know? Holding my hand, getting my hair out of my face, rubbing my back. It was wonderful. She totally supported me, without intruding, you know? Man, I love that lady. She amazes me. She just loved me, and held me, and helped me. I guess this is when I hit transition, because there were these long periods of total lucidity. None of us were really talking, I had told them I wanted as much quiet as possible. Towels and pillows got spread out on the floor. After about five minutes, I said I needed to get off the toilet, the baby was coming. My dh sat on the edge of the tub, and I leaned back into him. He held under my arms, and I reclined on his legs. My mom got into position to play catch. As I would push, I lifted my bum and back too. And I yelled! Gads, yelling felt damn good! At one point I was worried that a neighbour would hear me and call the police, but we are lucky. We live in a very old house built with horsehair plaster. Wonderful sound insulation! I felt the baby's head start to come out after the first push. I really just trusted my instincts to tell me when to push this time, so there was a bit of a lag in between the pushes. The second one, I thought "Well there's enough baby out now for my mom to take it the rest of the way." Nope, my mom just looked at me and it was one of the "Uh huh, keep going honey" looks. Darn! So I pushed again, and screamed. My dh said that got the head all the way out. Not enough yet? My mom shakes her head no. Scream, PUSH, "pop!" baby! There was an audible popping sound when she came the rest of the way out. My poor mom almost dropped her it was so fast! I leaned back into my hubby and looked up at him as my mom put her on my tummy. He was laughing. My mom was grinning ear to ear, and I started chuckling too. I suddenly hear this voice "Is that my baby sister?" B. was standing right outside the bathroom door watching the whole thing! He was so happy, he was just beaming! Oh yeah, right as the baby came out, a HUGE gush of water followed. All the water was on top of her, so I never really had my water "break" like I had before. Strange sensation. I am told it makes for more intense contractions when you have to push both baby and water out. I'd have to agree. We sat there for a few minutes before my mom looked at her watch, so the time is a guesstimate. We are calling it 1:50am on April 22nd. After about 20 minutes, my dh clamped and cut the cord. Dh took baby wrapped up in a towel into the other room, and my mom helped me get over a bowl to push out the afterbirth. It all came out wrapped in the caul. A nice neat package. Made me happy! I climbed into the shower to rinse off, and got wrapped up in a huge shirt, and waddled back into the bedroom. Dh had woken up the other two kids and introduced them to their new sister, and my mom was making up my bed for me. I climbed onto the scale and had lost 15 lbs.! Wow! What a crash diet! Baby Skye made it go up about 8-8.5 lbs., so we're calling it 8. This makes her my biggest baby by almost 2 lbs. I had not a single tear, and couldn't really detect any skid marks either. Dh made us coffee and breakfast, and I chowed down. I was starving! Skye was nursing by this time. Around 4am my mom went home. The kids were all conked out too. My hubby curled up into bed with me and the baby, and we just enjoyed each other for awhile. All night Skye wouldn't sleep longer than a ½ hr at a time. In the morning, my dh took the kids to school and saw our chiropractor there. He told her Skye had arrived, and she came over about 9am. She gave Skye her first adjustment, and since then Skye sleeps a good 3-4 hrs at a time. So that was it. My 2½ hour labor and birth experience. There just wasn't enough time for much to happen! I still grin at how easy it all was. The people who have seen her picture on the web page can't believe how calm she looks at 2 hours old. She is calm, and beautiful, and so wonderful to have as part of our family. Whenever someone comments on her appearance, I just smile, and tell them, that's what happens when you have an unassisted home birth! -Courtenay