Claire Elise's Birth Story

My contractions began on Thursday, May 14th at 11:30 pm. My contractions started at 20 minutes apart and this went on for several hours. At about 3 am my contractions began to be about 15 minutes apart. By 5 am they were about 12 minutes apart. Bryan woke up and asked if he should call and cancel opening the clinic at 6 am. (Bryan usually opens the clinic M-W-F at 6 am for people to go and work out). I said yes. This way, he would be home longer and wouldn't have to go in until 7 am. Bryan asked me if I wanted him to stay home. I told him no and that he should go to work because this could last hours. (The doctor told us not to go to the hospital until the contractions were 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, and that this was happening for 1 hour.) So, since I wasn't even close to going to the hospital and  I was feeling pretty good. I told him I would call him when I needed him to come home. 

Bryan called me just about every hour to see how I was doing. The contractions kept coming closer and getting stronger. I guessed that he would be able to stay the whole day (Bryan has 1/2 days on Friday's). When he called at noon, I told him that when he got home at 1 o'clock, we would be going to the hospital right away. 

Bryan got home around 1pm. All of our bags were packed and on the bed ready for Bryan to take to the car. I was having contractions, but they seemed to be more irregular. Bryan said that he didn't think I was in labor and that the hospital would probably send us home. 

Upon arrival, they did a quick pelvic exam and took both my vitals and the baby's too. The doctor, Dr. Beglin, said that I was 80-90% effaced and 5 1/2 cm dilated. Bryan asked if I was going to go home and the nurse and doctor said "nope, she is definitely being admitted and will have this baby today." 

On Friday, May 15th at 7:49 pm Claire Elise was welcomed lovingly into the world. She weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long.