Early Mother's Day present.

On Wednesday afternoon I spoke with my midwife, Sherry. She told me that she thought that my body was ready enough for labor and that I could try castor oil the following morning. I was too chicken to try that last time. This time I was so ready to be done I was willing to sit on the toilet for 2+ hours. Sherry said that it takes 12-24 hours before labor will kick in, IF your ready.
Hoping that the castor oil would work, I spent the remaining part of Wednesday shopping to get ready for being at home for awhile. Oh, and I'd already done all the laundry earlier too.

Early the morning of May 6 I took the dread castor oil. Such gross stuff! You mix it with orange juice and baking soda, blenderize it and voila' chug it down. YUCKY! 2 1/2 hours later, I was done and ready to sleep. So ready in fact, I fell asleep on the couch- a rarity for me.

I was ready to fill time while I waited so I invited Tiffany Michaels and her boys to come on over. They did come bearing taco bell, which I skipped. My stomach was still feeling pretty gross. After lunch we took the kids for a 2 mile walk.
Bidding them farewell, I called Heather Perrin to come over and watch the Business of Being Born, with me. Then I called Sherry to join us.
As the dvd progressed me braxton-hicks started hurting. So Sherry said she'd check me when the dvd was over. I urgently requested she check me a while later- while the dvd was still running. At 4:00 baby had engaged, I was 3 1/2 cm and about 50% effaced. She wanted to wait until 5:00 to call Rick to come home. I felt that was a poor idea.
Alyssa ( my sister) called Reggie ( who'd just finished clinicals) to come and pick up her and the kids. I couldn't handle the noise at that point.
By 5:00 I was 6 cm and 80% effaced. It was intense enough I had Sherry call Rick and Susan ( a local midwife friend) to come. By this point I was naked and in my bath tub. For me the pain levels of contractions are so much lower when I'm in hot water. Shortly there after I moved to the birthing tub.
Susan arrived at 6:00. I was complete. Where was Rick? He arrived at 6:30 to a groaning wife who's water bag had just broken- sliding Abigayle all the way down the birth canal.
Finally the urge to push. (I'd tried a few times earlier and it just plain HURT - sending shooting pains across the creases in the front of my legs.) After the first push, Sherry insisted I turn over, because she couldn't provide the right support from the angle I was in. Turn over? Are you kidding?? I couldn't turn over. So I was turned over. Two more pushes and at 6:45 out emerged our new daughter, Abigayle Christine 7 lbs 2 oz and 20 1/2 inches long, 14 inch head.
She did so well! Her initial and 5 min. apgar were 10!
On of the most precious aspects of a homebirth is having baby totally to yourself for the first bit. No rush to cut the cord or weigh and measure. Abigayle latched on shortly after birth and nursed really well. What a switch from her older sister.
Reggie called to find out how I was doing. I had the pleasure of telling him that Abigayle had arrived 45 min earlier. We'd just been basking in the glow of our precious new addition.

Sherry likes for her babies to unwind in the water before getting them out and doing all the vitals of weighing and measuring. Look how much she loved that.

Both my other children were so excited and proud of their new baby sister.

So proud and content.