The weekend before she was born, I started having false labor that was pretty painful at times, and that following Monday I went into the midwives office to be monitored. Cindy told me I was just having bh contractions and she checked me and said I was at a -1 station, 90% effaced and 2 cm, so she stripped my membranes. Well, during the week, not much happened, I would get some strong bhs here and there but nothing constant- on weds. I lost my mucus plug and hoped that meant that labor was starting, but nope! Friday night David and I went to Stewart’s Hamburger Stand and I remember thinking this is our last meal, just the two of us. Well, indeed it was because I woke up David at 2:45 Saturday morning saying "I hurt." David called the midwife's office and I told Lisa that the contractions were 4 minutes apart last for about 50 seconds. She said it still was early on and that I should try to get some sleep and have a snack. As soon as I hung up with her the contractions started coming back to back -- really fast. I crawled out to the living room floor and was calling for David to rub my back- I was having back labor. I also asked him to call Lisa back and call our doula, Stacy Lyons. The back pain I was having was very intense and it helped so much to have David rub my back. When I called Lisa back I told her that the contractions were coming so fast I wasn’t able to eat or go back to sleep. She told me if I was so determined to have the baby then I should come to the hospital J At this point the contractions were coming very quickly and so strong that it was very difficult to get to the car. Even though we live in Denville, right next to St. Clare’s, we decided to have our baby at Hackettstown Hospital on a recommendation of a friend who told us how wonderful the Midwives in Doctor Smith’s office were. Well, we were very glad with our choice and wouldn’t have had it any other way but the ride to the hospital seemed to take forever! There was construction on Route 80 and Route 46 on the way to the hospital I threw up all over the car. When we got to the hospital Lisa checked me and said I was 98% effaced and 5 or 6 cm. Lisa also determined that there was meconium in my amniotic fluid. Once we arrived at the hospital it was difficult to remain calm through the contractions. Luckily we had hired a doula, and she did an amazing job of getting me to relax. Her voice was very familiar and soothing. She was reassuring and that really helped me focus. Lisa and my labor and delivery nurses filled up the bathtub and I got in-- The tub felt wonderful! I stayed in the tub with Stacy rubbing my back for most of the time. I had back labor and it was very difficult to have a contraction without someone rubbing my back. Stacy was so good at rubbing my back that when she tried to take a break and have David take over I kept calling for her to come back! After laboring in the tub for a while Lisa then asked if I wanted to be checked. I moved to the bed and she checked me and said I was almost complete- just a small lip of cervix left. I started to push shortly after that, probably about 20 minutes later. After a few pushes the baby's heart rate started dropping very low-- to 48 at one point. Lisa hooked up an internal monitor and I was put on oxygen to keep the baby’s heart rate from falling lower. Once Katarina was born my nurses had to take her right away and suction her lungs because she had inhaled some of the meconium and was having difficulty breathing. After a few moments Katarina began to cry with such a sweet little wah, wah, it was hard not to cry myself! So that is how our Miss Katarina was born. My labor was 6 hours and I had 45 minutes of pushing and all natural! No drugs! So that's our story! Katarina was born at 9:03 am on her due date! She was 6 lbs 14 oz, 18.5 inches.