I went into labour around 4:00 a.m. on a Friday morning. It just felt like gas pains. My dh had to get up to go into work about 4:30 and I told him I thought I was in labour. I called my sister, who was my labour coach and she came over to my place about 9:00 a.m. after she got her own kids off to school and the youngest to a sitter. My dh hadn't bothered to call to see if I was indeed in labour or not, but proceeded to go to my sister's house (my labour coach) at noon after he was done work, only to find out she wasn't there, so he came home. My sister started timing my contractions and writing them down when she got to my place and they were steadily 7 minutes apart. Still feeling like gas pains though. So, my dh took us to my sister's friends to pick up her youngest. When we went to leave there, our van wouldn't start. My dh had to borrow his brother's truck. We hung out at my sister's the rest of the day and around 6:00 p.m. my pains were getting a stronger and 5 minutes apart. Called the doctor and he said to go up to the hospital. So my dh, sister and I headed there. I can't remember if we had our van back by then or were still in my BIL's truck. Anyway, the families were called and I spent a lot of time walking the halls of the hospital. My dad was down the street from the hospital at his brother's having dinner so he got dropped off at the hospital to wait. My nephew and his friend came after bingo to sit with us too. About 11:00 p.m. the pains were starting to get worse and I still hadn't dilated more than 7 cm. I took some pain medication and slept on and off between contractions. By midnight my dh took my dad home cause still nothing was happening. I sure wish I'd had my ds before midnight cause after midnight meant he'd be born on my dh's sisters b-day and I had so wanted him to have his own b-day. Anyway, my nephew and his friend left soon after that as well. By 4:00 a.m. on Saturday I finally asked for the epidural. The anesthesist arrived at the same time my doctor came and while I was being given my epidural, the doctor was breaking my water and I was taken right away to the delivery room, where after about 3 pushes or so, my ds was born. I was given an episiotomy(sp) but I was torn even more...the doctor said he'd take responsibility for the little incision, but not the hockey stick tear from ds. Ds also peed on the doctor twice, LOL. Rae was born at 4:47 a.m. on Saturday, November 24, 1990 and weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces.