Team Green turns Team Pink! (TEAM SHETTLES!!)

Our María Charlotte was born on October 13. 7 lbs, 8 oz, 20.47 in, 39 weeks exactly.

Almost two weeks old and I'm finally getting this together

All day Friday the 12th I had contractions, starting in the early morning. But, they were not too regular -- every 20 minutes, every 10 minutes, every 40 minutes... so I just went about my business. Even took my toddler to Gymboree and danced my huge self around!

In the evening hours, I was still having contractions about every 10 minutes. I called my doctor and let her know, since it was Friday I thought maybe she'd like a heads up. She told me if things stayed the same, I could come by the hospital Saturday morning since she'd be there discharging someone, and they could hook me up to the monitors and check me. I also called my fill-in doula (the one we had originally wanted was out of town) and she told me it was probably false labor and that this was common in second, third, etc. pregnancies. At this point I started contracting about every 10 minutes.

After my husband came home I got in the shower to relax and my contractions practically went straight from every 10 minutes to every 2 minutes. We called the doula when I got out and after listening to me breathe through a contraction she told us to meet her at the hospital. (With my first baby we got there at 9 cm so everyone wanted to make sure I didn't deliver this one by the side of the road!)

The car ride was terrible but quick since by this time it was around 11:30 p.m. We met the doula (literally met her -- we had never met her in person before) in the entrance and she helped me as we made our way to to labor area. I felt like I was going to lay an egg in the hallway and then throw up in the elevator, but we made it! The doctor barely had time to check me and tell me I was at 8, almost 9. (I knew I had some serious dilation going when I barely felt the cervical check.) A few minutes later, I was feeling the burn and the urge to push. The doula told me to push just enough to feel a little relief so I started pushing. They checked again, I was complete and we moved to the delivery room. Pushing felt so much better than those last few contractions!

My babe was born at 12:11 a.m., less than half an hour after we got to the hospital. So amazing when they told us it was a girl! I tore a little down and up, surely because I couldn't stop pushing that child out!! Once her head was out I felt like the worst was over, but delivering the placenta and getting stitches was not fun. Even though they gave me a local anesthetic for the stitches, the area near the upper tear (near the urethra and other important things) is just too sensitive. I was screaming and probably traumatized my dear baby who the pediatrician was holding on my chest, you know, in case I went crazy and knocked her off somehow.

I am happy I reached my goal of having an unmedicated delivery, which I wanted with my first but chickened out at the last minute. No one offered me the epi and I didn't ask. Having a doula was a big help! So I am proud although I have to say that for me, natural birth wasn't the life-changing experience I've heard many people say it is. Recovery has been amazing, though. Even better than last time and last time was pretty good.

Charlotte is doing great and we're getting used to life as a family of four!

In the photo you can see we followed Mexican tradition and got her ears pierced before even leaving the hospital. I initially was against this but I think she looks great!