Arrival

Arlo Kenneth Grieshop arrived at 11:56 p.m. on December 5th, weighing 10 lbs. 10 oz. and measuring 22.5 inches after only 3 hours of labor.

In the end, I did need to take the castor oil to push myself into labor. Almost exactly 2 hours after drinking it, I started having very strong, very intense, contractions, 2 minutes apart. The labor progressed very quickly and only an hour after the midwife arrived, Arlo was born in our living room!

It was a fantastic labor and birth. For birth photos, please visit our family webpage, www.grieshop.5u.com , and click on the "photos" page link. Enjoy. A birth story will be soon to follow.

Not as Planned

Well, it is happening, just not as planned! It appears that my water broke around 3:30 a.m. and I didn't really figure it out until this morning...so at noon I called the midwife and she wanted us to "get labor started"!! So we went to Target and walked, I had contractions 3 minutes apart, then they stopped on the drive home, we walked some more around our neighborhood and it seems that may have done it! I have been having conractions 4-5 minutes apart for an hour or so. The plan is to go with this until baby comes OR until the contractions subside. If they subside we'll move on to castor oil induction.

It looks like we'll be having this baby within the next day (or two on the long end). Please send good thoughts...non-castor oil thoughts...my way!

December Baby

I know, the title is misleading...still no baby, but he'll be a December baby now! Last night we thought it was time...I had contractions 8 minutes apart for 3 hours. We called the midwife and the doula and I was mentally preparing myself for an all night labor...when around midnight the contractions faded.

I thought at least I'd get a "good" night's sleep (as good as you can get when you're this pregnant)...but I have a nasty head cold and so I didn't sleep much at all.

Sam is going to play at a friends house this afternoon for 3 hours and I am going to rest and meditate and talk to this little boy. Perhaps, after suggestion from a good friend, a deep meditative talk is all he needs to know it is okay to make his arrival. I am willing to try just about anything. Tonight is a full moon...I have the universe on my side now.

Though only 2 days overdue, I know what it is like to wait for an overdue baby and the thought of waiting another week is disheartening.