Dear Jessica,
I've finally found some time to write to you again and share my birth story. I would have sent it a lot sooner but unfortunately the first draft was accidentally deleted and well I haven't been able to put in the time to write it all over again. Anyhow here is my second attempt at it.

Little Emma was born on Tuesday, January 24th, two weeks before my due date of February 7th. I started to have period like cramping the week before accompanied by some lightish brown discharge. When I talked to my doctor's office they said this is normal in the ninth month and it's my cervix getting ready. The cramping got a bit stronger every day and became more like contractions but when I timed them they were very irregular.

By 3AM Saturday morning they were strong enough for me to call my doctor, especially since I was having more of the brownish show. My doctor suggested that I walk around for about an hour and if the contractions subside then not to worry about it but if they got stronger to call him back. After walking around an hour the contractions did get less intense and further apart so my husband and I went back to bed and tried to get some rest.

I was able to get very little sleep as the contractions continued to keep me up and by morning were back where they were the night before. So I called my doctor again and this time he asked that I meet him at the hospital so he can examine me. We went to the hospital not knowing whether I would be staying there or not, we took my packed hospital bag just in case. At the hospital I was hooked up to a monitor to monitor the contractions for a couple of hours and my doctor examined me.

He said that my cervix is getting effaced and it could still take days or even a week or so more before my real labor starts. He prescribed some sleeping pills so that I can get some sleep at night as he said he does not want me to be exhausted from lack of rest by the time my real labor begins. So we went back home and even though I had my hesitations about the sleeping pill my husband and I both agreed that at that point it's better that I get some sleep since I had not been able to sleep for a few days.

I got a good night sleep that night and the next day (Sunday) felt much better. My cramping also subsided significantly and things seemed to have come to a halt so Sunday night I decided not to take a sleeping pill and sleep on my own however my cramping started again that night and again I didn't sleep much.

By Monday the contractions seemed to have gotten stronger but all day I tried to walk around and go on doing my normal things to keep my mind off of them. After all it could be days more of this right? Well, by Monday night the contractions were really hurting and I decided I need to get some rest so I did take another sleeping pill to help me sleep. But this time unfortunately it was a mistake as my contractions were much stronger and I still felt them and couldn't sleep at all.

I walked around the house timing them and had to breath through them by now, but since they were still irregular anywhere from 20 minutes to 15 to 10 to 5 minutes apart I just figured they're false. I didn't even bother waking my husband since I thought it's better if he got all the rest he can get for now. As I was trying to get some rest myself in bed at around 4AM, I felt a very heavy discharge that was enough to make a small wet circle on the bed and since it was clear I was convinced that my amniotic sac must be leaking.

I woke up my husband and we called my doctor and he told us to go to the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital and I was checked into my room and the nurse examined me it was 6AM and my contractions were beginning to be more painful. The nurse said I was only 2cm dilated and it was not my amniotic fluid which was leaking only a discharge so we thought we probably still have a long way to go. By 7:30AM a the new shift nurse examined me again and said I was 6cm dilated and 100% effaced.

I was shocked! At this point she asked me if I was planning on getting an epidural and so I told her that my plan was to hold off as long as possible and she suggested if I wanted to get one now is the time. Since the contractions were really getting painful by now I decided to get the epidural and she called the Anesthesiologist right away.

He came in a matter of minutes and right when he arrived I heard a couple of popping sounds in my tummy and then a huge gush of warm water that came out. The Anesthesiologist and the nurse said this is the perfect time to get the epidural and also my contractions immediately started to get more intense.

Once the epidural was administered, about ten minutes later I felt the best relief and it was wonderful. I was totally relaxed, no longer felt the contractions but still could feel my legs which was great. I started to have a lot of shaking though and the nurse said it's normal and it's due to both the epidural and also the fact that I was now in the transition part of the labor. When she examined me again by 8:30 or so she said I was 10cm and ready to push.

They called the doctor and started to get the room ready for the arrival of the little one. I could not believe how quickly everything was happening. By the time the doctor arrived, the baby's heart rate started to drop significantly with every contraction.

They first put me on my side and put an oxygen mask on me to see if it makes a difference. The doctor then decided to order forceps as he said it looks like the umbilical cord may be around the baby's neck and or the baby is holding on to it causing distress and therefore he will need to use the forceps to bring her out quicker.

So we started the pushing process and in less than half an hour little Emma was born by 9:37AM, and sure enough my husband later told me that the umbilical cord was around her neck. This could have happened as she turned in the birth canal trying to make it out.

The only draw back with the forceps is that they have to cut you even more so and you end up getting more stitches and although they have been a real pain and hard to heal I'm just happy that Emma is healthy and it all went well.

I really don't know why my labor went so quickly, my husband is convinced that Yoga was the cause :-), I'd like to think so as well.

I want to thank you Jessica for your great classes and support and also let all the ladies know not to be afraid and try and be relaxed is the main key during labor. I also think keeping mobile rather than bed bound helps your body a lot to open up easier and faster. Good luck ladies and I hope to see you all soon again.

Tara