Three weeks ago we welcomed a sweet new baby into our family! Before the details fade, I figure I should write down the experience of getting her here - because it was quite the experience.
My pregnancy was really great! It was pretty similar to my pregnancy with Myla with a little bit of extra morning sickness thrown into the first trimester and hip pain in the second. By the third trimester though I was feeling good and we were excitedly anticipating our baby girl's arrival!
I feel like second baby pregnancies are tricky - You kind of expect the same exact story to play out as your first because that's all you know! That's how I felt about delivery. I figured I'd just waltz into my 38 week appointment, be dilated to a 5+, and be sent to the hospital where they would break my water, give me an epidural, and she would be born shortly after. Our baby had other plans.
It was a rainy Sunday night and Brian and I went for a walk in the rain around our apartment complex after putting Myla to bed. We joked about walking the baby out and about how storms make ladies go into labor. I was having lots of Braxton Hicks, but I had been having those consistently since the second trimester. Nothing felt different. They lasted about 40 seconds and weren't painful at all. They ranged from about 10 minutes apart to 4 minutes apart without any real pattern. Anyway... we walked for a while and then came back and ate ice cream (an every-night pregnancy ritual it seems!).
We got in bed for the night around 11:30 and after laying there for a few minutes I noticed that my Braxton Hicks contractions were a little bit different - just a teeny tiny bit painful - like a mild period cramp. I told Brian but he was already half asleep and told me to wake him up if I needed to. I layed there for just a few more minutes and timed the contractions. They were only 2 minutes apart but still not really painful at all - just a little uncomfortable. I decided that I would take a shower and see if they went away. As I was getting out of bed, Brian woke up (yes, it only takes him about 30 seconds to fall asleep). He wanted to text our friend Janet and let her know what was going on just in case we needed someone to come and watch Myla. I reluctantly agreed, but didn't really think I was in labor.
In the shower the contractions started to get a little more intense and were always about 2 minutes apart (or less!). I started to get a little bit nervous and Brian started to get a lot nervous/excited. He wanted to call Janet and have her come over right away. I told him no way! I didn't want her to come over and for it to be nothing! But then they suddenly started to hurt worse and I had to breathe through them. I hurried and finished up my shower and I had to go to the bathroom - and there was blood... I told him to call Janet. This was at 11:45. She is amazing and came over right away! By then I was starting to really not like the contractions and we rushed out the door (Brian grabbed all the wrong bags, ha!). I remember I couldn't find my shoes and I just moaned to Brian, "Shooooes! I need shoooooes!" while I was crouched on the ground by the door. Janet wished us luck and we were off!
The car ride was almost unbearable. Because the contractions were so dang close together I didn't really get a break! A contraction would last about a minute then I'd get a minute to recover and it would start all over again! I could barely stay in my seat. Brian went about 80 on the 40mph roads and I am SO grateful that it was close to midnight and there was no traffic. We wouldn't have made it to the hospital if there had been any.
I felt like a crazy person (just like you see in the movies!) because I couldn't help but yell/scream/moan/want to die. I kept thinking about a youtube video I had watched recently of a woman who gave birth to a 10lb baby in her car on the way to the hospital while her husband filmed it. I was sure that was going to be me! Egads.
Brian literally peeled out at a few stop lights and we were making it there in record time (thank heavens). When we got on Thunderbird Rd about 2 miles I started feeling the need to push. I told Brian and he said, "No way! Don't you dare push!" I've decided that not pushing is possibly harder/more painful than pushing. When it's time, it's time.
We squealed into the roundabout and decided to just leave the car there (parking tickets could be dealt with - delivering a baby in the car could not). I waddled/staggered my way into triage with Brian holding me up (we didn't think to get a wheelchair). It literally felt like she was going to plop out right there on the hospital floor...
The triage nurse (who probably sees ladies saying they are about to have a baby any second all the time) didn't believe me that birth was imminent. She casually started going through the standard questions (Full name? Birthday? Weight before getting pregnant? Last known weight? How are your contractions? Are they really 2 minutes apart? For how long.... etc etc). I told her if she didn't get me into a bed I was going to have that baby right there. She sped things up a tad bit after that but still made me stand on the scale to get weighed (whyyyy??!).
They put me on the bed and tried to find a nurse to check me (apparently their nurse was on a different floor). A substitute nurse came in and checked me - confirming what we already thought. "Ummm...She's complete!" Meaning, ready to push. Meaning, no epidural (sob)!
Sweet Brian started asking for an epidural for me from the moment we walked in. I guess at that point the nurse just looked at him and shook her head.
They called upstairs and let them know we were coming and then started wheeling me up there on the bed. By wheeling, I mean running down the hall (Brian said a nurse flew off the back when they went around a tight corner, ha!). I remember really wanting to push again in the elevator and made that known to the poor nurses. Their reply? "Lay on your side and cross your legs!" I tried, but that's no easy task when your baby is right there.
We finally made it to the labor and delivery room about 12 minutes after arriving at the hospital. They kept telling me not to push and Brian kept asking for an epidural to which he was told, "She doesn't even have an IV!" Finally, a more seasoned nurse listened to me and said, "Fine, let's do this." The nurses were all scrambling around trying to set things up, the bed hadn't even been dropped. I held my own legs (Brian was in shock, I think) and puuuushed. SPLASHHHH! First push - My water exploded all over the nurses at the end of the table and sweet Emry's head came out. Second push - she was here! 15 minutes after driving up to the hospital.
Tell you what, that "ring of fire" they tell you about is real! Ouchiewawa. I'm fortunate I only had to experience that for 2 pushes, that's for sure! The relief was HUGE after getting her out, but I was still in a lot of pain (Those afterbirth contractions are no joke!). They wiped her off a bit and asked if I wanted to hold her - I sure did! She looked just like Myla to me except with dark hair and a very squished nose (it was smooshed and crooked for a little while). She had the biggest prettiest eyes and was so calm snuggled up to me. Best feeling ever!
The closest doctor came in a few minutes after she was born and made sure I wasn't hemorrhaging or needing stitches and told me everything was great! The "real" on-call doctor came in about 30 minutes later just to check in.
She was here safe and we were both healthy and great!
I think I can safely say that was the craziest hour of my life.
In conclusion:
11:30 pm: First very very mild (but frequent) contractions started
11:35: Hopped in the shower
11:45: Called Janet to come over because contractions were getting more intense and still very close together.
11:50: Janet arrives and I get out of the shower and get dressed
11:55: Out the door!
12:08: Arrive at the hospital and leave car in the roundabout
12:20: Made it to L&D
12:23: Welcome to the world Emry!!
6 lbs 8 oz, 20 inches, 12:23 am on September 14th!
Now for lots of pictures (in no particular order because I am tired and don't feel like organizing them...)!!
We're home!
