My contractions started at 7:30am, Thursday, February 3rd. I discovered that singing my ABC's lasted just long enough to get me through a contraction. So, I sang my ABC's. A lot. Sometimes it was a little creepy sounding, I'm told. Probably because I was in pain, ha. Paul says it sounded like the soundtrack to an "evil child" horror movie.
The contractions seemed closer together than I expected, and when I timed them around 12:30, they were about a minute long and three minutes apart. Hm... that's not what the book says early labor is supposed to be like... Even though the contractions were a lot closer than five minutes apart, I didn't feel like I was going to pop the babe out anytime soon so Carrie and I just sat tight at the house. She made brownies. These turned out to be very useful later, when Carrie and Paul needed nourishment that evening at the hospital.
A couple hours later, things were creeping into the "under two minutes apart" range, and I started to get a little worried, ha. So we called the doc's office and they said I'd better head to the hospital. I said, "You really think so? I still feel pretty okay." Yes, they really thought so.
We got there around 4:30, and they told me I was at a 5/6, and that we were there for the night. Big relief! I didn't want to be one of those first time moms that they have to send home. I progressed steadily. The time flew by as I (thanks to Ina May Gaskin's guidance and Carrie's constant support) continued to sing my ABC's, and chanted "looooose", "loooow", and "oooooopen", blew raspberry horse lips and even moo-ed a couple times just for laughs. The nurses probably thought I was nuts, ha, but it got the job done without medication! By 9pm I was at a ten, and Henry was born at 10:30. I feel fortunate that I was able to give birth naturally.
Henry Price Ferguson
9lbs 5.2oz, 20in
Look at that New Dad smile!
Red hair just like his momma, she's quite proud.
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