birth

First, if you want to see what my birth story with Eli was like, click here.....it is very different than with Evie. :)

Wednesday, May 6th, I woke up and thought "We're having a baby today!!!" I did not think I would be able to tell the time or day, but as they say, we plan and God laughs.

After kissing Eli goodbye, we made our way to Paoli Hospital. When we were about 10 minutes away, I remembered I was supposed to call to see if they could still take me. I called from the road and they said that they got busy last night and to call back in an hour. So we made our way home again and waited. At 9, they said they could take us.

Our room wasn't ready, so we waited in the maternity ward, nervously to say the least. The nurses were very apologetic, but I was not complaining. Their job is one that I highly respect AND they were going to be taking care of me, so I was not going to complain at all. :)

We got into the room at about 10:30. I changed into what was to be my clothes for the next 2 days: the dreaded hospital gown that had to be open in the back. Who wants to see a pregnant lady's hiney, I have no idea.

I had to get my IV in and the nurse told me right off the bat that she was not good at starting an IV......yikes. And she was telling the truth because she did it wrong on my left arm and I still have a bruise there today. She did the other arm and it was fine. She was new and again, I was not complaining.

They started the pitocin and the antibiotic for my Group B Strep at around 11:30. I was registering contractions on the monitor, but I couldn't feel them yet. I remember watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, listening to my OB talking to Chad about the times when Chester County was woods and trees back in the day and waiting to feel the contractions.

I began to feel some relatively painful contractions around 1pm. The nurse was scaring me a bit, saying that before they got really bad, if I wanted an epidural I needed to ask for one because it can take 20 minutes for the anesthesiologist to get to my room and another 20 minutes for it to kick in. So I asked for an epidural.

The anesthesiologist came in 5 minutes after that conversation and though she had to stick me with that giant needle TWICE because I have scoliosis and she hit bone the first time, it kicked in rather quickly. My Mom and in-laws were in the room no longer than about 15 minutes before I had to start pushing.

The indicator to push was that my butt hurt. I told the nurses that and they scurried everyone out of the room to check me and lo and behold, I was 10 centimeters and needed to start pushing. Once my OB broke my water, I pushed 4 times....


Push 1: not much happened

Push 2: I could see the head and hair on that head

Push 3: head was out and they were sucking the goop out of her mouth

Push 4: shoulders and rest of her completely out

Witnessing this was something that I wanted to do so badly when I had Eli, but was in so much pain that I forgot to look. Watching this was breathtaking for me. I am so glad to have been able to witness my daughter being born.

God knew I had plans for a drug free birth...but again, God was in control and not me. He has shown me time and time again that when I plan for things, He usually has other plans in mind for me. You would think I would get the message by now and stop with my incessant planning. But alas, I don't. So He patiently teaches me again and again.

I am also so thankful to have been able to experience both a drug free birth AND a pain free birth. They were very different, but I am so glad I could experience both. I am so excited to watch this little girl grow and see her personality shine through. The birth experience is a wonderful one, but nothing compared to watching your child grow and loving them beyond the ways in which you have ever loved before.