Casen's Birth Story

Casen Joseph Geiger
Born June 30th 2010 at 3:59 pm
Weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces
21 inches long

I went to my regular doctor's appointment June 29th, my due date, still 2 cm dilated and completely effaced. My puppps rash had been getting worse, so Laurie(my midwife) stripped my membranes and suggested I try some castor oil to get things moving along. I picked some up and had some early that afternoon...disgusting! Around dinner time I started having some more painful contractions and by bedtime they were regular and I had started keeping track of how far apart they were. I recorded until about two in the morning when they were five minutes apart. I woke up my mom and we headed to the hospital. They checked me when I got there and I was still only two centimeters...I was bummed, but the nurse said I was pumping out the good contractions and she expected a baby sometime that afternoon. I fell asleep and my contractions seemed to stop. I thought for sure we'd be going home. Laurie came in that morning and checked me again, I was still two, but he had dropped positions. She said she'd like to admit me and she'd check back at lunch time. I called my mother in law to let her know and she came in and was with my mom and I the remainder of the time. Laurie came back at lunch and I had only progressed to three...I thought he was never going to come. She suggested breaking my water and said it could get things moving along. She broke my water and in no time my contractions had moved to a minute apart. She said I was relaxed enough to keep dilated so she had me move to the jacuzzi. I was in the tub less than twenty minutes before I felt like I needed to push. I had jumped from four to eight centimeters in forty-five minutes. Fifteen minutes later I was fully dilated and ready to deliver. After thirty-seven minutes of pushing our beautiful baby boy arrived...along with second degree tears.
Unfortunately after delivery my puppps has gotten much much worse and spread over my entire body...so i'm really hoping for some relief soon.
At least he's worth it : )