... kids that is. This is a post that I've been meaning to write for a while, and since new baby is almost three months old, I thought it was about time that I did it! So, here is new baby's birth story for those who are interested:
Since I was four days past my due date with the Munchkin, I was really hoping that I would deliver at least by my due date with this one, if not sooner. I had been having Braxton-Hicks since December, and in February they started getting stronger and coming more often. I took this as a good sign that things might happen sooner, but also knew that it might not mean anything. I read somewhere that eating three dates a date for the last four weeks of pregnancy can help labor along once it starts. That is to say, help contractions be stronger, dilate faster, shorten labor, etc, but not necessarily start labor in the first place. I even found a scientific paper about a study done in UK (I think) that supported this, but I don't really want to look for it now, so if you want to verify just search it yourself. Anyway, I decided to try it, because I also didn't want my labor to stall like it did last time either. Everything was ready, and the waiting began.
I went into my last doctor appointment three days before my due date. At this point, there were a few nights that I couldn't sleep because I was having such bad Braxton-Hicks. The night before was one of these nights, but this time the contractions hadn't gone away as much as the other nights. I let the doctor check if I was progressing at all, and I was; I was at 2 cm! I went home feeling that things might be going my way, and this baby would be out in no time.
I don't remember exactly the progression of my contractions, but I do know that I went on a walk the next day to try to help them along. I guess it worked, because that night there was no sleep for me. Looking back, I don't know that the contractions were really *that* bad. They were strong, and it was definitely uncomfortable to experience them, but I'm not sure if that was what really kept me up. I just knew that baby was going to be born on Friday, and I think it was the excitement more than anything knowing that and knowing I was in early labor that made it so I couldn't rest.
Around one in the morning on Friday March 20 I decided that I was having reasonably consistent contractions. I waited about a half hour and told my husband. We got ready and collected the Munchkin and went to my parents' to drop her off. Then it was off to the hospital. I was a little nervous/concerned because my contractions seemed to be slowing down at that point. We went anyway in the hope that things would pick back up and/or that I has progressed enough to be admitted.
We got to the hospital around 3 in the morning. The nurse checked me, and told me, "Congratulations, you're at a 2!" Okay, so those weren't her exact words, but that's what I felt she was telling me that with her words dripping with sarcasm. I almost cried! How could I be having these intense contractions and not have done anything since Wednesday?! The nurse said they would monitor me for an hour to see if anything changed. When she checked after the hour, nothing had changed, but she said I could walk the halls for an hour because I was having consistent contractions and this was my second baby. And boy, did I walk those halls! I walked up and down, and up and down, and even climbed some stairs a few times. By the end, I was tired and in more pain than I started, needing to take more breaks because of contractions. I was sure something had happened.
And, it had! I went from a 2 to a 4+! I was admitted to the hospital around 5 in the morning. However, things did not go as quick after that as I had hoped. I declined the epidural saying I wanted to see how things went, since with my first it made me stall for about 4 hours. Because of that, I was able to stand and walk about some; I was still hooked up to the monitors, so I couldn't go very far, but at least I wasn't confined to the bed. I walked in my little space, and swayed my hips, and sat on the exercise/birthing ball, and I slowly progressed. By 9 o' clock, I was only at a 6! The doctor came in sometime around then and broke my water. I feel like up until then things were going well. My contractions were very intense, but I could handle them. After my water broke, the demon contractions started. I called for the anesthesiologist and was blissfully pain-free sometime around 10, or maybe 10:30.
Things continued to slowly progress, but progress they did, and around 1 in the afternoon I was ready to push. But, we had to wait for the doctor. He showed up about 20 minutes later. I pushed for about 10 minutes, and my beautiful daughter was born at 1:29 PM March 20, 2015! She was 9 lb 3 oz, and 19.5" long. She came one day early, so that was nice. My husband said he hoped she would come on a Friday and I wanted a Spring baby; she accommodated both of us by being born on a Friday and the first day of Spring.
She is growing well, and is a nice chunky thing. Her big sister loves her to pieces, as do her parents. We love having her in the family, are so happy she arrived healthy and happy!
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