WELCOME CHLOE!!!

Chloe Mae Davidson was born 4/21/10 at 7pm. She weighed exactly the same as her big sister: 7lbs 13oz. 19 3/4" long with super long toes.

Monday the 19th (her due date) I woke up with contractions, starting around 6am. I also had the tell tale "show" that I had with Lily. We got excited and I told Corey to go ahead to work and I would call him when things picked up. Lily and I spent the day at Walmart, getting any last minute things we may need for labor, including a roast for Daddy to cook during the week.

Around 3pm Lily and I took a nap and at 4pm I started getting more contractions. By the time Corey came home, they were coming every 15 minutes or so and lasting about 1 minute. At 8pm we went ahead and called the midwife to let her know what was going on and she told me she would be prepared and would wait for me to call when they were really strong, regardless of how far apart they are. Corey, Lily and I walked around the block at night to see if things would stop or go. We called Susie to come get Lily because we thought for sure we would be having Chloe that night. By the time Susie made the 30 minute drive, everything stopped.

Around 2:30 am Tuesday I woke up to more contractions and thought that labor finally started for real. I walked around the living room and watched some documentary on Global Warming and Eco problems that were noted way back in the 60's. Around 4:30 am I woke up Corey so he would be ready if things picked up more. This lasted until 9am-and everything stopped. Corey stayed home just in case things really did start up again. We had a small "labor moon" and went to Kirby Lane for a sandwich and to the Pumpkin Patch to exchange some sheets for Chloe's cradle. I had a few contractions while we were out and about, but nothing consistent at all. So we watched a movie and ate some popcorn and went to bed early in case labor commenced that night. During these two days, I had been very crampy and having more show, but it was nothing even close to labor with Lily and all my Google research told me I was in "false labor" or "prodromal Labor". It is much better to call it "practice labor" because that is what it really was.

We called our Journey Group to let them know we were going to redirect everyone to different locations for this Wednesday because Labor should be coming any day now.

Wednesday morning- 4/21/2010 7am, I woke to a really strong contraction, but was not going to bank on anything just yet. I knew that eventually labor was going to start, but I really did not know what to expect. Corey and I piddled around all morning and we decided to go for a walk around 10 that morning because all the walking before had stopped everything. By the time we walked twice around the block, they were coming on fairly strong, but not enough to make me stop in the street. I layed down for a bit while Corey cleaned and organized (nested). At 12:30 we decided to go to Central Market to get some rehydrations drinks that were on sale...mmm Cliff Bar makes drinks now! We walked around and sampled some cheeses, breads, sweets and even rice pilaf with fern. I had a minimal contraction in the fruit section but kept walking. I really did not want people looking at this 10 month pregnant lady (40 wks 2days) stopping and rubbing her back because I know they would be waiting for a burst of water or something, so I was trying to be strong.

We walked around the frozen foods, over by the regular cheese and I had a contraction that made me lean on Corey and breathe hard. I had 4 more like that before we left. Once in bread and once while checking out too.

I decided to call the midwife when we got home, around 2pm and I told her that I had 4 in a row that I had to concentrate through and she said she would finish up with her client and be right over. She made it to our house a little after 3 and checked me. I had only had one contraction since she got there so I really was hoping she didn't come for nothing. She examined me and asked "how dilated do you want to be?" I was thinking, more than 3 and she answered "how about 7?!" I was shocked, I didn't even feel like I was in labor at all but I had labored all the way to 7, which is nearing transistion. Corey even asked me "Do you feel like you are in labor?"

The student midwife and the assistant midwife who delivered Lily got there around 4:30 and they were very suprised I was still holding conversations and laughing with Corey. One of the midwives told me that things would probably pick up pretty rapidly when they get going. I layed down on the bed while they were talking and had the strongest contraction so far, it felt like it went on for 3 minutes. Corey was rubbing my back and I told him "It's still going!"

From that point, which was probably around 5pm, things just picked up. Corey and I walked into the kitchen and I had to lean on him and rock. Siobhan, one of the midwives, reminded me that that was the point I had to find a rhythm. (With Lily, I still had 6 hours to go at that point)

The contractions started coming every 2 minutes at that point and I stopped laughing at Corey's jokes and really got serious. They were filling up the pool with warm water and our water heater kept running out of hot water, so the pots were on the stove boiling away!

I rocked with Corey for about 30 minutes (I guess, time sorta just went away at this point) and I talked to him while he talked to the midwives, relaying what I was feeling. I got in the pool, with a tube top on so I could actually be photographed and I leaned over the edge with my head on the rim and Corey would lean over and rub my back with each contraction. Things went so fast at this point it was crazy. Within a few minutes, I was in transition and had the really hard contractions that I wanted to cry through. Monika, the student MW, reminded me to think about the contraction and not tensing up around Chloe. I was not going to birth in the pool, but things were going so fast I really did not want to get out so they went to get all the supplies and I moved to the side so I could be examined and Corey could deliver Chloe. It really only felt like 10 minutes, but I pushed for 18 minutes total. I felt her coming down and my water broke, which had meconium but not a whole lot. She came really fast and the midwife told me to slow down the pushing so she could make sure she was going to fit at her sholders, which felt like she was yanking her out and I thought for sure I was going to tear. Then they told me to bare down as hard as I could and she came right out, all wiggly which I had forgotten felt so funny.

We got out of the pool and went to our bedroom to the bed which was all set up with plastic and everything. As soon as we layed down, Chloe was rooting around so Corey told me "hurry and nurse her!" She latched right on and nursed for an hour and a half. We sat with her for 2 hours before they weighed and checked her. The midwives said that she probably pooped in utero a day or so ago and may have swallowed some meconium, but nothing was in her lungs. Before they left at 10:30 pm, she pooped a huge nasty tarry poop! It was SO gross :)

Lily loves her so much and wants to be close to her all the time. Chloe looks like her own person, she does not look like Corey or me!

It is amazing to be the parents of 2 now. It makes you feel more like a family and we love her so much.