Marie

My daugher decided to join us one week after Valentine's Day, on 21st of February. She was born at 21.18 at St. Elisabeth Hospital, in Brussels.

You can see photos from her first days in her personal gallery:
http://picasaweb.google.com/crista.filip/Marie

And the photos showing the evolution from Crista & Catalin to Mom and Dad here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/crista.filip/9Months

Ok, now let's do this right and start from the beginning ;-)

On 21st of February there was a lunar eclipse. My water broke at about that time (1.30 in the morning). The water looks exactly like water and it just flows from you - I've been told that, despite what they show in the commercial movies, this happens to a small percentace of women in real life - well, I was part of this small percentage, and my water broke before actually going into labor.

So I've spent the night sleeping (well, not exactly sleeping, more reading on the Internet about what was happening to me) on a plastic sheet and doing lots of trips to the toilet. I was not in any pain (yet) so I've send an sms to my mid-wife only later towards the morning, when I was sure that Marie was going to come that day.

Contractions started - well, more likely became noticeable around 8 a.m. - irregular and not (yet) painful, more like a discomfort from a faible menstrual cramp. At 10 a.m contractions got stronger and I went into the bathtub, where I've spent the next hour. When I went out of the warm bathtub, contractions became really painful so I had to go in for another bath. I've send another sms to my midwife, informing her of my progress - contractions at 2 to 10 minutes. She arrived around 1 p.m., I was still in the bathtub, where I've stayed until we went to the hospital, two hours later.

I have to say that I've got a great midwife, and I am lucky I've found her - in the beginning of my pre-natal consultation I've got 2 midwifes, but one was really awful, very negative in her appproach - it reminded me of my mom!

So, around 3 p.m. the three of us arrived at the hospital and went straight into the birth room - which is a normal room, with two bathtubs, a special sofa/bed, and other accesories useful for giving birth.

Two midwifes from the hospital stoped by, to say hello and get my hospital card to introduce me into the sistem. One of them was a stagiaire and she remained with me almost all the time throught the labor.