Raegan Ruth is here!

So let's get the stats out of the way, since I know you are curious. 

Name: Raegan Ruth Reilly

Birthday: Sunday 12/23/2012

Weight: 7 lbs even

Length: 19 1/4 inches 

Birthplace: home :)

Now onto the birth story:

I woke up today around 7:30 thanks to Miss Lucy wanting to come in to snuggle and nurse.  Both normal events, only this morning I noticed a bit of discomfort in my abdomen...cramping..hrm.. I thought, could these be contractions?? 

Well, I gave them some time (about an hour) and determined for myself that yeup, while mild, short, and relatively inconsistent (15-30 second every 7-10 minutes or so) they certainly weren't braxton hicks.  This is almost identical to how I remember Lucy's birth starting.  However, my labors are always different, so I wasn't sure if these were going to keep going or if they'd putter out.  So no one except my husband, midwife, doula and in-laws (coming for Keller & Lucy) were put on notice.  It's two days before Christmas and no need to halt events if it wasn't even "real".  

Anyways, they literally stayed at that ratio/intensity/timing for almost the entire day.  It wasn't until around 3 o'clock-ish when I decided I'd better take a nap (even though I wasn't particularly tired) so that if this did last all night, I'd have at least gotten a rest in there.  So, I went to lay down.  As I laid there I noticed they seemed to be longer and maybe closer...so I tried to time them, but kept forgetting to look at the "end" times since I'd just drift off to relaxation/sleepyness by that point.  

When I got up, I texted midwife & doula (in-laws had just gotten here so they didn't need updates anymore) to let them know it seemed as if they "intensified"...a little... so I'd do some timing.  And as it turned out..they had, but only slightly...to 45 second long and anywhere from 2 1/2 min to 5 min apart.  Still technically early labor...I could talk, walk and deal with them fine and they were super short.  So again, thinking now that it's getting to evening - why notify.  I had some friends I was planning on have come over, but I didn't want to get them all re-arranging schedules if it wasn't going to pick up OR it was going to putter in the evening like so many births do.  This timing was happening around the 4:20-4:45 time (according to the times I have written down on my mirror).

At 4:45 I spoke with my doula - me, on the phone, through contractions - totally a sign of early labor!! Anyways, we talked and I told her to just wait a little while and then head over...I thought in an hour or two I'd be ready for a tub but not right now.  So that was the plan.  The same message was relayed to my midwife.  Mind you, I still had not updated ANYONE else...including my parents, because I honestly thought we'd be going all night and I'd have hours in a tub to get in touch with everyone. 

So then, 15 minutes later when back-to-back one-minute long, leg-crippeling contractions happened, I knew we'd taken that "turn".  So I texted...nevermind, leave now.  In one hilarious strew of texts to my midwife over the course of about 10 minutes I went from don't come, to come close, to come now but don't rush, to RUSH!.  Super funny reviewing them now a few hours post partum.  

By 5:10 I could no longer stand, they contractions came one after another and were rocking me.  I called to Broghan to help, threw my phone at him and said I needed to find a "place" to go.  He helped me get downstairs where he was in the process of blowing up the birth tub (I had requested this about 20 minutes earlier).  It wasn't done and I ended up on the floor, on all fours next to it dealing with a rockin' contraction.  I knew something was happening...fast..  

After that first one on the floor I think Broghan knew it was going to be happening fast as well because his next comment was "We need to get your pants off".  Hilarious right!? But I said, no I need my shirt off. Lol, sounds like porn.  Anyways, he helped me get down to what I needed to be in to birth a baby (my sports bra) and I got into the downstairs bathroom just in time for another contraction.  I could tell baby was on its way, so I dropped to all fours in there and dealt with the contractions...I think it was on the second one in there my water broke.  To which I thought - "oh shit, it goes really fast after this happens".  

Broghan was my knight in shining armor though, he was great and kept reassuring me that we knew what we were doing and me and baby were doing great.  He also affirmed for me that yes, there was a head (not a butt!) and a baby coming out.  

Once my water broke (I didn't know it at the time obviously) it would only be three contractions later until Raegan was here.  The first caused some unintentional and involuntary pushing...which seriously was an impulse I couldn't stop!  The second got me to crowning and the third got here here.  

From the time my water broke (5:19pm) it was a whopping SIX MINUTES until she was out.  I know this because when the water broke, I purposely checked my watch and when she was out I purposely checked my watch...I knew I needed and wanted to know those times. Lol.  Such a weird mom thing / birth nut thing to do!

But that was it.  Broghan caught her and was on speaker phone with the midwife to do assessments over the phone and eventually I was able to shift into a seated position and hold her.  We stayed in there, like that for almost an hour and half.  It was great, I felt and feel great and she is perfect and wonderful and smells beautiful.  Keller and Lucy weren't in there when it happened but came down shortly after and knew that this was their new baby and her name was Raegan.  They were both excited to touch her and see her and gave me lots of hugs and kisses and "good job mommy"s.  

I was up, able to move after about 2 hours (which is normal) and had no injuries to report.  I was blessed with a delicious chocolate shake from culvers and some other yummy foods and water of course and made my way upstairs around 8:45.  Now at 10:45 pm, Keller & Lucy are snuggled in their beds, my in-laws have headed to bed as well and I am sitting comfortably on my couch, enjoying a cup of tea with my husband and new little love in front of a cozy fire...some nice relaxing classical tunes (Thank you Auntie Anna!) playing the background...its wonderful! I couldn't think of a better Christmas gift!

Merry Christmas everyone!!