She's here! I can't believe I have already finished my pregnancy and had my sweet little girl! It has been quite a while since I posted here, and obviously--we found out we were having a girl! lol We found that out on January 9th, and we have loved her immensely so ever since conception. So I am posting now to tell my, well her, birth story.
As you guys know, my estimated due date was Friday June 26, 2015. I had a fairly uneventful pregnancy, no gestational diabetes, no other complications (other than one high blood pressure that freaked us all out at 38 weeks and we thought I was going to have to be induced). Well, June 26 came and still no sign of baby Ella! I was only dilated to 1.5cm, and only 50% effaced. Talk about disappointment! I thought for sure I was going to end up having to be induced at 42 weeks, as did my midwife! We scheduled the date for July 9, and Ashley (midwife) told me she'd see me the following Monday at my first post due appointment. Daniel and I went to lunch, enjoyed some time together, and talked about the next couple weeks and what/when to talk to family about it all.
Saturday came and still nothing, no cramps, contractions--nothing. So we went and saw Inside Out that night. Great movie, btw! We enjoyed spending more time together, went to the store to get groceries for the week ahead, and cuddled on the couch (because after all that, this 40+1 momma was exhausted). When we went to bed that night, I could not get comfortable. I wasn't really cramping, just felt uncomfortable.
Sunday morning we made breakfast, and around noon we decided to take a nap since neither of us slept well. When we laid down, I started cramping, but didn't think anything of it because I had cramped off and on my entire last trimester. Once I laid down, the cramping got stronger and I couldn't get comfortable. I figured I just had to use the bathroom, I got up and tried to go, and was able to. When I finished, I looked and had lost what I thought to be part of my bloody show. I went into the bedroom and told daniel that there was a possibility i was in labor or that it was going to start in the next couple days. I hadn't had any discharge like that before, so it caught me off guard. I tried laying down again, but the cramping was annoying so I decided to take a shower. When I realized the cramping wasn't going anywhere even with the shower it dawned on me that i was actually most likely in labor. When I got out of the shower, I started trying to bounce/ rock on my exercise ball to see if that helped the "cramps" subside. It helped them be less annoying, but didnt stop them. 10 minutes later, i got up--barely made it to the tile--and my water broke. We think it was more like a tear, because it just kinda ran down my legs slowly. I texted my doula and let her know, and Daniel and I started getting the hospital stuff together and made lunch. We knew at that moment we would be meeting our little girl in 24 hours or less!
After my water broke, things got real super fast. My water broke at 3p, by 4p, my "cramps" (that were actually contractions) were so strong I couldn't talk through them. Daniel and I tried to watch a Parks & Rec, I tried to sip a smoothie, we tried talking, and eventually gave up on all of them. Daniel turned on Lindsey Sterling on Pandora and helped me by timing the contractions. By 430, my contractions were about 90 seconds long and about 3 minutes apart. I suddenly got really nauseated and got sick, which prompted daniel and I that we should probably go to the hospital. We called my doula and told her just to meet us at the hospital because it was a 30 minute drive and with me being as nauseated as I was, it worried us that I was farther along in labor than I actually was. We also called my mom and daniel's parents and told them to head this way as soon as they could.
We got to the hospital around 5 and was immediately taken to OB Assessment. That was the worst part of my entire labor process. Those 45 minutes they left me in there were pure torture. I was strapped to the machines and forced to stay in this tiny bed. Daniel felt helpless because all he could do was hold my hand. When they checked me, my water had indeed broken; however, I was only at 2cm and 75% effaced. Talk about disappointment!!! I turned to Daniel and told him that I was probably going to end up with an epidural if the contractions were this bad and I was only at a 2! I felt so disheartened! But things started to look up when they got me to my actual labor and delivery room.
When I was able to walk and move around, my contractions were so much more bearable. I rocked, swayed, squatted, labored on the toilet, all of the above. They didn't keep me hooked up to monitors and checked me only three times the entire time I was there. About 3 hours after getting there, I was at 4cm, 2 hours later I was a 5, and one hour later I was an 8. I went from 8cm to 10 cm in 15 minutes. My body started having the natural urge to push at 8cm. That was rough. The nurse and my doula were both telling me to try to breathe through the urge and not push. The most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. LOL Its really hard to stop something that naturally happens, btw. After they saw i was at an 8, I tried walking from the bathroom to the bed, and when I got to the bed, they had me squat while holding on to the back--so I was leaning over the back of the bed. 5 minutes later, my doula had to go hunt down the nurses! The nurse and my midwife almost didn't make it in time! Haha they barely got their little gown thingies on before Ella decided it was time for her to make her appearance! I only pushed 3 good times, and she was out in 15 minutes.
Breastfeeding is hard, but I know it will get easier. I am so thankful that I was able to have the birth I wanted, and that my baby girl came out completely healthy. We only spent a little over 24 hours in the hospital. They offered to have me stay another night, but I couldn't do it. I wanted my own bed! I got a nap when we got home and it was glorious! lol We still can't believe she's here and she'll be 2 weeks old in 3 days! Crazy how fast time flies! Daniel and I are enjoying our alone time and snuggling with our sweet girl. Titan loves her too! (except when she cries, then he has no idea what to do!).
We are extremely blessed, and I could not be more thankful. I probably wont post often (not like i did before...lol), but I hope to post at least once a quarter. Ella keeps me quite busy!
I hope you guys enjoy your weekend--I know I sure will!
