BG5 (Sara Beth)

BG5 has arrived! After a day of activity that came and went, I got to the mall and had a great pedicure. It was too effective! I nearly had a mall birth! I walked out of the pedicure place and had one serious contration and Orange Julius. Then walked up to American Greetings where another contraction occurred. There an OB/GYN nurse approached and I said I was in labor. She offered to take me to the hospital and I declined letting her know I was birthing at home. It was 6:22pm and I called my midwife to meet me at the house. I walked up a bit more and had another serious contraction that made me moan and tear up. The nurse had followed me and asked if she could help again. I asked her to drive me home. I had 3 more very serious contractions in front of the jewelers then Boscov's and then in Boscov's as we headed out to the car. I rode in the front in hands and knees having at least 6+ contractions very close together and strong!!!! She followed the GPS I set for her t o my house. 

Once there I had about 3 strong contractions in the kitchen and decided to make my way upstairs. I had to crawl up the stairs contracting hard along the way. I also crawled to my bedroom onto the mattress on our floor at the foot of our bed. There I had really intense contractions that felt like my bones were moving to open up and let baby out! I decided to strip down completely because I felt like something was coming...and it was! I got the nurse and Austin to get the Ambu bag nearby and a chux under me. Next contraction my water broke as I was still in hands and knees. So much for our white carpet being protected by the chux pads! It was a ton of water with meconium staining. 

My midwife walked in and was the only person we planned to have at our birth that made it. She checked heart tones and baby was good. I asked her to check my cervix because I was bearing down already. She said she felt what she thought was cervix and baby was low but I was maybe a 6-7. I knew the pain was too intense so I darted for the tub Austin had filled up. As I climbed in another contraction came. I was all out pushing!!!! And I felt the head come down. I felt her head and yup she was there. I was still in hands and knees facing the wall with the midwife in position to catch and Austin snapping photos. It was just the 3 of us with the kids still downstairs watching TV. Next contraction the head was fully out. Then the next contraction I pushed the body out in the water. My midwife handed baby to me. We looked and it was a GIRL!!! 

Austin went to get the kids and they loved her instantly! Mary Katherine and John Paul climbed into the tub with me and our new baby. A little later our doulas both arrived and then GG (Austin's mom) then later our photographer from another birth. We got settled by 11:30pm and called family. Now we are all resting in bed. 

Her birth time was 7:20pm an hour and 5 mins from starting real contractions. It was intense, fast and not at all as planned! But we will take quick!!! 

Her name is Sara Elisabeth Amelia Groves and we will call her "Sara Beth". 

We are doing well and so happy!! 

She was 7lbs 4oz and 21 and 1/4 in long.

Watch her birth video photo montage!