42 Weeks, 3 Day Labor, 10 Pound Baby AND an AMAZING HOSPITAL BIRTH!

I just had to share this picture and brief birth story.  It is an amazing testament to how beautifully a woman CAN birth in the hospital when she is supported and respected.  This fills me with hope for the future!

Enjoy!

Well here's my story. My boy is approaching his 1st birthday, so I've been kinda weepy lately and looking back through my birth pictures with nostalgia!!

Here's a shot my doula took during my labor at a wonderful hospital here in Boston where I delivered.  Went into labor around 41.5 weeks, had baby boy 3 days later weighing 10 lbs, 1.2 oz.

My care providers followed my birth plan and I had excellent support all around. We took a hypnobirthing class through the hospital, and I had a midwife and not one but two doulas.  (one was in training)

I went into labor the day Hurricane Irene hit Massachusetts -- which is what everyone told me would happen!  I labored at home for a day and 1 night, and we were the only street to lose electricity!  It was very surreal, the strange winds coming through the windows, candle light, no electronics.

My incredible midwife is on the left, and there I am in the tub resting between contractions. I think I had just - or was about - to eat a huge sub sandwich my doula went out and got for me.  When not in the water I wore a TENS unit to manage my contractions - particularly helpful for early labor but I just kept that thing on the whole time! Also, we used herbs to get labor going and I also took some when it stalled halfway through.