I'm not sure where to start, giving birth is such a huge event, and I don't want to leave anything out or forget anything,
because this isn't just me sharing with you guys my birth story,
but its a record for myself so years later I can read about the birth of our daughter.
I’ll be sharing a lot of details about childbirth. If that’s "too much information" for you, then you should just read the condensed version HERE.
Otherwise, enjoy!
So here we go! If you've been keeping up to date with my pregnancy updates you would know that Ive been having alot of braxton hicks for weeks and weeks, and as the weeks past they were very time able, if I sat down to time them they would almost always be 5 min apart lasting 30 seconds. but I knew they were not real labor contractions because they didn't hurt,
they were annoying and somewhat uncomfortable, at my 38 week appointment I was 3cm dilated and 75% effaced and my doctor said she was very low. that was a Tuesday,
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| Putting Cort to work ;) |
As the week went on I kept feeling about the same, but I got a serious nesting bug! I was cleaning EVERYTHING scrubbing floors, washing cabinets doors and outlet covers, skip ahead afew days to Saturday January 30th. I decided I needed to get afew more things done because you never know when you are going to go into labor and i wanted to make sure the house and random chores were done, I organized the goat barn some more, brought out two 1/2 full 5 gallon buckets of water for Polly and shoveled off our porch, noticed afew more braxton hicks then normal,
but at that point I had just started to ignore them,
That afternoon John, Cort and I were invited to go bowling for Cort's cousins birthday party with family, so we went there to bowl, but Cort didn't want to bowl, or even be in the bowling alley, so John took Cort outside and I ended up having to bowling for all of us. that got done around 3:30 pm, We went to some stores to pick up afew things, and as we were walking around I started noticing that these braxton hicks were alittle more intense then my normal ones, I took note of that and started timing them as we were driving home, they were about 9 min apart lasting a min,
we got home and John took Cort to do some work at the barn, the contractions were still continuing, so I decided to take a bath, because Ive always heard if it was fake labor the warm bath would help stop them and if it was real the bath would help get things started, I layed in the bath for an hour, and they went from 8min apart to 5 min apart. around 7:30 I texted my mom and let her know I was pretty sure I was in labor, but want sure, the contractions were intense, but nothing I had to breath through, 8:00pm rolls around and the contractions go from every 5min and lasting 60 seconds to every 10 min and lasting 30 seconds, I was so disappointed.
I was so excited at the thought of meeting my little girl and it was looking like the contractions were dying down, we put Cort to bed, and started watching some TV, around 8:30-8:45 my contractions suddenly starting back up again at 5 min apart lasting a minuet and a half and alot more intense,
I called my mom and told her she should probably come to the house to watch Cort so John and I could go to the hospital "if I really was in labor".
At 9:00pm and they were back to lasting 60 seconds and more intense,
I didn't feel like I wanted to talk or walk through them,
I finally believed I really was in labor.
We headed out to the hospital and got there just after 10:00, we Checked into the hospital, they checked me and I was 5cm with a bulging bag of water.
I actually was in labor!
We texted family to let them know I was in labor and John and I prayed together,
they monitored me for a bit to make sure Hazel was handling the contractions well, then they unhooked me and I walked around the room some and sat on the birthing ball. 11:45pm rolled around and I asked if they would set up the tub,
They checked me and I was 7cm and fully effaced! I relaxed in the tub and turned on the jets, The contractions were still about 5 min apart lasting about a min, in between contractions i almost didn't feel like i was in labor! I could talk to John,
And we talked about what we thought our daughter would look like,
as time went on the contractions got stronger and stronger,
around 12:15 am I started feeling almost like I had to push,
They checked me and I was almost 9cm! I got out of the tub and got in the bed,
12:24am my water broke and they got the Doctor, around 12:26 and I started pushing, As I was pushing I heard the Doctor say "Oh looks like shes coming face up!"
She was coming out posterior, Which I knew usually was alot harder to deliver and usually is associated with back labor, which I didn't have at all!
After a few more pushes and Hazel Mae was born on January 31st at 12:38am, After only about 12 minuets of pushing and no tears she was here!
They put her on my chest and I was instantly in love! John and I talked to her and she just looked wide eyed at us. She had a FULL head of hair and long dainty fingers! after alittle bit she started to nurse, she latched right away and ate for almost a hour!
After awhile they took her to the bassinet in the room to weigh and measure her,
She was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 18 1/2 long! they moved us to my recovery room, and we all went to bed. This labor was so much more different then my labor with Cort, it was faster, and my recovery has been much much easier! I am so grateful and blessed that I had a wonderful labor and delivery experience. I feel like what has really helped me in both my pregnancies/births is prayer. Giving your anxiety, worry, fear and pain to God.
