My Daughter's Birth Story

Well, it has been 6 months now since my beautiful baby daughter was born and I am finally taking the time to write down her entire birth story so I never forget it!

It all started March 31, 2012 at 6:15 in the morning. (Fun Fact: I had picked this day in our family guessing game because I wanted an April baby and I knew God always has a different plan then I do! I was right!!)

Another weird fact...my son woke up at the exact same time I felt my first contraction - 6:15 AM which is WAY earlier than normal for him to wake up! Anyways, so it was a family event as my son climbed into bed with us and I felt the first contraction.

It didn't feel like a contraction at the time...more just like a stomachache. With my son, the first contractions were very strong and stayed the same strength the whole labor. Plus, it was accompanied by A LOT of bleeding from the start.

With this labor, thankfully, the contractions did start out small and painless and build up in intensity...but rather quickly.

I was in denial that I was in labor for the first couple of hours. My mom had to come from Minnesota (6 hour drive) to watch my son so I had to make a decision pretty quickly...but I just didn't want her to come all the way for a false labor.

So I took a bath to see if the pain would go away. It did lessen the contractions a little so I took a shower. After the shower, they were still there and getting worse. I finally made the call to have her come around 10:00 AM.

I wanted to stay at home as long as possible to labor but I was worried (and trying to be optimistic) that this labor was going to go fast and it was a 40 minute drive to the hospital. So I wanted to find the perfect balance between "I think I am ready to go to the hospital" and "Can I make it to the hospital and can I make it through the drive?"


The labor pains intensified very quickly and by 12:00 (noon) I was ready to go to the hospital. I could barely stand through the labor pains and I knew I had a very uncomfortable drive ahead of me.

We had to drop my son off at my brother's house (who lives right by the hospital) because my mom was no where near hear yet to watch him. I figured I could walk around a little at their house if I wanted to push off going into the hospital.

After a VERY LONG 40 minute drive with multiple contractions, we finally made it to my brother's house. I cried as I watched my son go into the house. I was in so much pain by then I could barely say good bye and I knew that was the last time he would be my only child and "little" boy. He would always be my little boy but he looked so old at that moment going bravely into their house and waiting for his little sister to be born. His last remark before taking his nap at their house was "If I take a good nap, will my baby sister be here when I wake up??" :) Little did he know how true that was going to be! :)

Well, the contractions were bad enough that I was ready to head to the hospital and focus on having this little girl sooner than later. I could barely walk now the contractions were so bad so I figured I was at least dilated to maybe 5 but I hated to get too optimistic and be disappointed.

We got to the hospital E.R. and checked in. We got taken back to OB Triage a couple minutes later and then started the waiting game (on my back!!) I HATE lying on my back while having contractions! It is the worst! But of course that is what they do! Wait, wait, wait and more waiting while on my back! I wanted to get up, move around, get this baby moving down! But I ended up getting monitored for EVER and waiting on the midwife to come check me and actually admit I was in labor.

Everything was good with baby...heart rate was good and my blood pressure was great (especially compared with my son's labor!) so that I was thankful for. Then the midwife came to check me and I held my breath...ONLY THREE!!!!! I was so disappointed I cried. By then, I had been in labor for 7 hours and 6 hours had been my initial goal for the entire labor and delivery!!!!! I was so sad and mad at myself. I felt like such a failure that I was in so much pain but yet only at 3! That is when I realized this labor was going to take A LOT more and I was going to be in a LOT more pain that I had initially hoped!

I finally got out of the triage and got admitted to a room. I immediately asked about the whirlpool because I have wanted to use that since my son was born (it was broken then). The nurse said she would get it ready and left. I also asked for a birthing ball.

Once I got into the whirlpool, the contractions stopped and I started worrying that my labor was going to slow too. Looking back, I wish I would have just relaxed and enjoyed a little painless labor for awhile because the whirlpool did help with the pain if I would have just relaxed! I was just so worried I was just dragging out my labor just because my pain wasn't as bad...and that wasn't true at all!

But anyways, I stayed in the whirlpool for awhile and then the labor pains started coming back in full force about 1 minute apart. We wanted to put on my relaxing CD that I had made but it turns out the CD I made didn't work...that was a bummer! Then I started overheating in the whirlpool and getting really uncomfortable during my contractions so I decided to get out and head back to the room and sit on the birthing ball for awhile. Getting back to the room was not as easy as it sounds because my contractions were like 30 apart while I was walking. It took me like 15 minutes to walk 50 feet! I thought I just had to be close but when I got checked again I was only at like 5 :( That really bummed me out...)

I headed back to the birthing ball. The birthing ball has worked wonders for my two labors. It always feels the most "comfortable" and helps me get through the contractions. So I bounced and rocked on the ball for awhile. I was so annoyed because the nurse kept asking to take the heartbeat and strap on the monitor and I kept having to get up and down, on the table and off, and it really distracted me from relaxing and being in the moment.

But after awhile they checked me again and thankfully I was dilated to 7. The midwife offered the suggestion of trying a different position (on hands and knees on table) to try and get the baby's head down a little more. I thought it was worth a try but I was nervous to switch positions because I knew the birthing ball felt the best. So I climbed up on the table which was bad enough and got on all fours. Then the contraction started and it was almost unbearable. However, I then got the urge to push!! I was scared that I shouldn't or couldn't because I was only at 7 but that baby was coming no matter what!!

 

Suddenly with two more contractions and pushing, I could feel the baby's head come out! I started yelling at the midwife, "The head is out, the head is out. I feel the head!" and I don't think she believed me because I was just at 7 cm. But I said it again and again and finally the nurse checked and she was like, "Sure, enough! The head is visible!". So I still don't know why they did this (and either did my regular midwife!) but they made me flip over on my back to push the baby out the rest of the way. It was very uncomfortable to flip over with a baby sticking out of me, mid-contraction and fully pregnant, let me tell you!

Anyways, it only took about two more pushes and my beautiful baby daughter was out! I loved how they immediately laid her on my chest, let the umbilical cord keep pulsing, and I got to be the first one to hold my daughter! I will never, ever forget that moment!

My daughter was 7 lb 9 oz and 18 1/2 inches but has bright and beautiful personality! Her smiles have made each and every day special the last 6 months!!