Then There Were Four Part 1

I'll make this part brief. I'm a horrible blogger, it's been like 7 months since my last post, I apologize, blah, blah, blah! You know the drill.
In the time between this post and my last, we found out we were having a daughter. I went two weeks past my due date (with my second child I might add. um hello body, that's not how it's supposed to go) and I gave birth completely unmedicated at home. Here's part 1 to the story of how I brought my beautiful baby girl into this world.

I was due January 27th and at 34/35 weeks I had already begun dilating. At the advice of my midwife I decided to take it easy so that we could keep baby girl in long enough to ensure that we could still have the birth I was wanting (it's Texas state law that you cannot deliver a baby at home before 37 weeks). At 38 weeks I was dilated 3 cm. After weeks of very strong Braxton Hicks (practice) contractions we thought for sure this little girl was coming early.
40 weeks came. Then 41. Every morning I woke up slightly depressed as I looked down at my still pregnant belly. I cried pretty much every morning when Rob prepared to leave for work. My energy was wiped clean but I still had to be mom to my 2 year old son. It was during this time that I was am so thankful to have had the support of my wonderful husband, midwife, doula, and village of moms. It is quite discouraging to go 2 weeks past your due date, have not one, not two, but three letdown nights of non-progressing contractions.

Between 41 wks, 2 days and 41 wks, 6 days, my midwife striped my membranes 3.5 times, I took rounds of Start Up herbal supplement, blue cohosh, cotton root, and red raspberry leaf tea, got adjusted with a chiro, had two pedicures, and one acupuncture session.

It's hard to be almost 2 weeks late and have 5 (yes 5!!) babies come before your baby who were due after your baby. I decided that if the acupuncture didn't work, I was done trying. I might as well just lay on the couch, watch Friends and eat Joe Joe's.

Monday (41 weeks, 6 days) at 11 am, I had my first acupuncture session. 18 hours later, I woke up to the first consistent contraction.