My water broke around 2:30 am on Friday morning. I was so excited I couldn't fall back asleep until 5 am, and it was only for a couple of hours. I called Kellie and let her know. I was not having any contractions though. We waited and waited and waited all day for any sign of contractions. Nothing! Kellie came late that evening and put me on a monitor. About every fifteen minutes, I was having tiny contractions I couldn't even feel. Kelly went home, and to say the least I was disappointed in my progress. About two hours later around 10 pm, I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. It was a really intense feeling, and it kept my on the toilet. My lower stomach was really hurting, but it was constant... not like I imagined a contraction. It was an everlasting cramp in my lower stomach that would just not go away. I began to pace and pace and tried to get comfortable. The constant cramp feeling just kept getting more and more intense. I couldn't sit on a yoga ball, I couldn't lay on the bed, or any other position I read about. The only place I was remotely comfortable was on the toilet. Then the waves of even more intense pain began. Contractions as I had imagined them! They were about a minute and a half every 30 seconds when I finally began feeling the motion of pain, relief, pain, relief, etc. My sister and my husband were kneeling in front of me. I had each by an arm, and they coached me through the contractions and encouraged me during the breaks. Kellie was on her way, and I remember my sister talking on the phone with he r a few times. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was feeling. His head entered the birth canal, and he had turned his head! I let everyone know emphatically that I was going to start pushing soon! I heard Kellie on the phone tell my sister to get me off the toilet. My sister and husband tried to get me to the bed as gently as possible, but I believe I made that rather difficult for them because I really didn't want to move. I made it to the foot of the bed and rolled on my side. Kellie came in shortly after that and just in time to help deliver Ethan! Perfect timing! Why so close? No one expected me as a first time mom to deliver in 4 hours and 23 minutes start to finish. I read later that consistent chiropractic visits during pregnancy is linked to speedier births, and I was going weekly at the end of my pregnancy! Things are really foggy about the first few hours. I know that Ethan nursed for 3 hours!!! I know that my family and Kellie were quietly working around me, but I was just enjoying my brand new baby. It was an amazing experience, and I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way. After he finished nursing, Kellie checked him (8 lbs 4 oz!) and me (2nd degree tear most likely because I was in such a hurry... 23 minutes of pushing) then a wonderful, calming bath together. Kellie left around 8 am, and I took a nap! It was an wonderful birth experience that I will treasure always.