Blooma Blossom: Laila

Laila Leora
January 15, 2009
11:40 p.m.
7 lbs. 14 oz.
19 3/4 inches

Mama Stephanie says: Our baby girl arrived the day after last Wednesday's yoga class. I was more relaxed after I got home than I'd been in a week (despite the flat tire I discovered after leaving Blooma on that cold, cold night). I woke up at 4a.m. thinking that my water had broken. It hadn't. But after more bloody show than I thought possible, and contractions that were getting closer together, we consulted with our midwife and decided to head for the hospital before our son woke up for the day. After all, I was already 4-5 cm dilated and 75-80% effaced. My contractions stopped completely after being at the hospital for an hour or so, and we went home feeling frustrated. I took a long bath, and the contractions started again at about 3 in the afternoon, consistently 10 minutes apart and uncomfortable but not getting stronger. At 8:50, more bloody show and ruptured membranes, leading immediately to contractions 5 minutes apart and getting stronger. As soon as we got Gabriel into bed at 9:00, I called the hospital to tell them we were coming back in. We arrived around 9:30-9:40. I was 6cm when they first checked me, in active labor, and we called our doula, Emme, to join us. My labor progressed quickly, and when the contractions were 3 minutes apart I was allowed to get into the birth tub. After maybe 3 contractions I was seized out of nowhere by the most powerful urge to push, and in 10 minutes our daughter -- her first name, Laila, means 'night' in Hebrew; her middle name, Leora, means 'light is mine' -- was born! It was such a different labor and delivery than my first. In the past weeks I've been trying so hard to let go of any expectations that I had about how things were going to turn out. I think your yoga classes helped me do that. See you when I'm cleared for BYOB!