When I had my first baby, I was 17. I graduated from high school the day before my due date. Because you weren't supposed to be married while attending high school (this was 15 years ago!), I got married on my due date, June 14th. The next day, my midwife said I could go at any time (2 centimeters dilated).

I was really ready; I couldn't wait to stop being awkward and big as a house (I get huge in my 9th month; I carry way forward). I had bunches of pains; I called in at least five times, was told to time them and call back if they were regular and closer than 15 minutes. They weren't -- for 13 days. My midwife said in another couple of days they'd strip the membranes and see if that started me, and if it didn't, maybe she'd have me go in to be induced (my husband's mom was a midwife; her partner was the one who tended me. It was planned as a homebirth).

On June 27, around noon, the pains started again, and this time they got regular -- 13 to 14 minutes apart, lasting maybe 45 seconds, stronger than the false pains and different -- more all over my belly, and not just low. After a couple of hours of these, the midwife came and said it really was labor, and we all got ready -- mom, mom-in-law, husband, his sister, my sister, and midwife.

They slowly got closer and longer and harder, 'til after about 12 more hours they were 5 minutes apart, lasting maybe one and a half minutes each -- and I was not ready for how much they hurt. I tried walking for 10 minutes or so every hour, and that was OK for a while; but it got to be too much after about 6 hours. Jamie and I had taken some classes and practiced breathing, but it hurt so much I couldn't concentrate. I was crying during some of the contractions, and that sure didn't help, and when they checked me every couple of hours, I screamed. I was 7 centimeters at the end of 14 hours of labor.

They kept checking the baby's heart, and she was doing just fine, so it just went on. Everyone kept telling me to relax and breathe, and I told them I couldn't, it hurt too much! At 17 hours, I was up to 9 centimeters, with pains 3 minutes apart and almost 2 minutes long. I suddenly started to throw up and shake, while still crying -- not pretty.

Around 18 hours, I had to push; I started before I could be checked, and mom-in-law and partner yelled at me to stop, so they could be sure I was all the way dilated. I couldn't stop 'til the contraction was over -- I was dilated all the way and baby was ready to come down!

I pushed -- and that hurt too, but at least I was doing something! -- and I pushed, and pushed... for over an hour. Then I guess she just suddenly came loose; one push hurt so much I screamed and screamed -- then she slid down and was crowning in another couple of pushes!

They tried to ease her out, but she had other ideas, and her head popped out on the next push, then the rest of her. She weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 24 inches long, with fluffy brown hair. Then they got the placenta -- but that was just more of the same, so I won't talk about it.

Long story -- but that was my first labour! Not my easiest, but not the hardest either.