Yoshimi's Birth Diary

Here is baby Yoshimi's Birth Diary!

My husband and I were enjoying an evening dinner at home with our siblings over and watching Sunday night football. After dinner, around 8 PM, I started having contractions that were somewhat uncomfortable. For the most part, I was mostly able to breathe through them without our guests noticing much.

A couple hours later, I was having bloody show and my husband shooed the guests away for the night. From then on, the contractions were uncomfortable enough that I couldn't really sleep.

Using positions and breathing techniques learned from the Natural Childbirth class, I got through them until 5 AM. At that time, I woke my husband who helped me with massage, drawing me a bath, and physically supporting me in various labor positions.

At 12 PM, we went to the clinic to get checked after I couldn't even walk through the contractions. I was 4 to 5 cm dilated and they sent me to labor and delivery at the hospital. I was attended by a midwife who my husband claims was super helpful through the rest of the labor and delivery. But all I remember was my husband helping me by breathing deeply along with me and massaging me and making sure I kept hydrated and ate occasionally.

He even came in the shower with me. By about 5:30 PM, they checked me and said I was 8 cm and we decided to do an artificial rupture of membranes. After that my contractions became very intense and I was quickly fully dilated and ready to push.

The pushing took no time at all, and I pushed so hard that I burst a lot of blood vessels in my face. At 6:05 PM, our baby girl Yoshimi was born. She was crying immediately and I've never been so happy as I was when she was set on my belly and I got to see her for the first time. She nursed immediately.

For anyone seeking natural childbirth - or for every woman and her partner who plan on becoming pregnant - I strongly recommend reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.

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