Thank you! It just keeps being exciting for me. :D

Sweet! Will do! (Although you may have to remind me when it's closer to 2009 lol)

Ah, thank you! Though I may have been more 'experienced' with Ivy, every birth is different and you always learn something new (like...we learned to get to the hospital early with the next one so we don't have it in the car! lol) I think the main difference was that with Ivy, I was more educated and confident in fighting for my rights. That's an important thing. I mean, I had that outlook with Eden, but women are so susceptible to damn near everything while they're in labor. I could have - and should have - fought harder against the IV with Eden. There's something to be said for having that inner strength regardless, and I think that's part of what gives me the most pride from Ivy's birth.

I will say though - there is definitely grunting and sweating and booty, but it's absolutely beautiful. (Or I guess I should say, it can be). I'm glad you think I did it with grace! :D What pains me the most is seeing those baby story shows and seeing mom's screaming and carrying on, then getting an epidural and sitting back with smiles as they put on their make-up. It's like they're missing the whole power of the birth experience! There's definitely such a beauty and energy when you watch a laboring momma sway, dance, squat, whatever as she moans deeply with a primordial power surging through her bodies (the trick to remember is to vocalize with a LOW voice, not high - it helps get more oxygen to the baby and push the baby downwards). If women had adequate and educated support people, more experiences would be graceful and gratifying.

You didn't have pain relief, did you?

I did. I made excellent use of water as pain relief (which is SO good during labor, and has much less risks than epidurals or narcotics). We also made use of the double-hip-squeeze due to lots of back labor, position changes, massage, and of course, reiki. ;) Women forget that there are hundreds of methods for pain relief that should be tried long before resorting to medication.

As for medication, though, no. I didn't want or ask for any, except at my transitional freak-out with Eden (although as soon as I realized I was in transition, I knew it was almost done and had the power to move through it. I expected such a freak-out at transition). With Ivy, though, I did ask for A LOT of ibuprofen after the birth. No one told me, but the cramping caused by the uterus shrinking back after birth is MUCH worse with subsequent pregnancies. I had more pain in the two days of cramping afterwards than I did with the actual birth.

Birth isn't really as painful as most people thing, usually. The position of the baby can cause more pain (as my back labor with Eden), and laying on your back in a bed while laboring CERTAINLY causes more pain. That's why it's important to be up and moving with your body. But it's not nearly as bad as people think. The birth part itself actually felt good, as does flowing with the rhythm once you find it during labor.