31 days of stories - day 9

Day 9 - The Story of Ellie's Birth

 

I had the world's easiest pregnancy.

Seriously.

I was barely sick.

Gained only 25 pounds.

Felt great.

 

However, I had a very, very difficult delivery.

 

We took Bradley classes.

I wanted all natural, all the way, baby.

Epidurals were for sissies and I was ready to DO THIS.

 

I went into labor at 12:04 am, on my due date.

"Here we go!"

 

The first 12 hours weren't bad.

Contractions were every 7-8 minutes.

Totally manageable.

 

Around 4pm, things seemed to pick up speed.

I was in hourly contact with Paige, who just so happened to be my doula.

We played board games and watched some TV.

And joked about how different our lives were going to be.

Just think!

We were only hours away from having our girl.

Our little Elizabeth Paige.

 

After Survivor, so around 9pm,

it started to hurt.

A lot.

 

I called Paige and she told me to eat something and try to rest.

Cause weren't going to be no eatin' once I got to the hospital.

 

I layed down for a bit after a quick snack of crackers and sprite.

(I CRAVED sprite during my pregnancy.)

 

Around 10:30 pm, the contractions seemed to change.

They were lower, and across my back, and made me sick to my stomach.

 

Called Paige again and she told me to take a shower then head on into the hospital.

 

I showered.

My belly was seriously GIGANTIC.

I was terrified.

This was really it.

I was going to the hospital to have a baby.

 

I got out of the shower and promptly threw up.

Yay.

 

Chris helped me get dressed and loaded in the car.

 

I had about 6 contractions on the way to the hospital.

Not a good time.

I hadn't realized up until that point how much Chris had been helping me through them.

Now that he was driving and couldn't help, they seemed to hurt worse.

 

We finally got to the hospital.

24 hours after I had felt my first contraction.

 

When I got out of the car,

my water broke.

 

We met Paige at the door and walked what seemed to be the longest hallway in the history of the world. 

I had to stop 3 times for contractions.

Kim, my second doula, joined us soon after.

Yes, I am lucky to have to family members who are doulas!

 

I finally got into my room, got a gown on and got checked by the midwife.

I was a whopping 1 centimeter.

Yes.

1.

After 24 hours of labor.

 

I should have known right then that things weren't going to go well.

But Paige explained how some women go all at once, that now that I was at the hospital, I would go fast.

 

I didn't.

 

4 hours later of contractions every 3-5 minutes.

3 cm.

 

I sat on the ball.

Walked the halls.

Rocked in a rocking chair.

 

4 hours after that.

3.5 cm.

 

I sat on the ball

Walked the halls.

Leaned over the bed.

 

8 hours after that.

5 cm.

 

By that time, around noon, on the second day, I was exhausted.

And completely grossed out.

No one mentioned that once your water broke,

you would leak forevermore after that.

It was really fun.

Not.

 

My midwife was starting to get concerned, but I was determined.

I was managing the pain ok.

Chris and Paige and Kim were all helping me through it.

I was just really tired.

 

She said she would give me 4 more hours.

2 hours later, I caved and got the epidural.

I needed rest!

Nearly 40 hours of unmedicated labor.

I'm a rockstar.

:)

 

2 hours after that Ellie's heart rate started to drop and we very quickly made the decision to have a c-section.

I have never seen Chris look so scared.

 

They gave me another shot of something and I barely remember anything about her actual delivery.

Isn't that sad?

 

I remember throwing up on the very cute anesthesiologist.

And trying to stay awake.

And hearing them say, it's a girl!

And that there was no way on God's green earth I was ever going to have a baby the natural way.

Apparently, I have a very small pelvis or some such nonsense.

 

What seems like days later, I got to recovery and got to see her.

She was beautiful.

Wouldn't you agree?

 

As hard as all of that was,

the first two weeks at home were even harder.

 

I was in serious pain.

I was exhausted.

I was sad.

I missed my mother.

 

I thank the sweet heavens for Chris.

He stayed with me.

And brought me food.

And rubbed my feet.

And took such good care of me.

 

 

 

He even helped me nurse.

I remember him bringing her to me one morning telling me it was time for her to eat.

 

I flat out refused.

If you have ever nursed, you know the pain I was in.

 

He reminded me that I had made him promise to make me if I wussed out.

I relented.

Thank goodness I did.

After the first few weeks it got much easier, and we happily nursed for 11 months, until, one morning, she poked it and laughed.

She was done.

 

So, all in all, my pregnancy was fantastic.

And my delivery sucked.

It took me a long time to get over the fact that I didn't get the delivery I wanted.

 

I did, however, get perfect results.

And that's all the really matters.

 

 

(wook at those wittle toes.  i die.)