*Adorable ruffle-bum bloomers from PinkyBleu*
*Amazing photos taken by Jodi Mockabee Photography*
The newest member of our family finally arrived on the 13th of August. I say "finally" but according to my due date-August 29th-I was two weeks early. It just felt like I was overdue! Here's the run-rundown:
12am- woke up feeling kinda funny so I got up to go to the bathroom and WHAMO....my water broke. I was very surprised, as this was not how I expected to start labor.
12:15am- got in the shower, expecting contractions to start any moment...
2am-still NO contractions! I walked circles in the house, got the carseat ready, packed last minute essentials, window-shopped online.
3am-mild contractions began, stronger than Braxton-Hicks, but not what I'd call active labor. I decided to try to sleep.
5am-got a little sleep but began getting anxious about contractions. They were regular, but still not really painful. I was supposed to go to the hospital 4 hours after my water broke and at this point I was putting it off. I really wanted to give birth naturally, and I knew that since my water broke I would be urged to start pitocin to get my labor going.
6am-called Grandma "Yaya" to get Madelynn. Finally called the hospital and of course they wanted me to come in.
7am-arrived at he hospital. Contractions slowed down and sometimes I could not even feel them! My doctor was out of town (I know, so typical!) so I met the on-call doctor...I was not very impressed (even more typical!). At this point I was dialated between 4 and 5 and the doctor suggested I start pitocin to get things going. But I was dead-set on giving birth naturally...even if it took longer. So...I began walking...
11am-...and walking...
1pm-...and walking. Now I was dialated between 5-6. Big Woop! I thought the second time was supposed to be faster! Nothing was going as I envisioned...
2pm-another walk around the hospital.
3pm-I was suddenly very tired and deciced to lie down and try to sleep. I slept in between a few contractions and then BAM! A real labor contraction finally hit. BAM! Another one hit and I was really having to breathe through it. BAM! Ok, this was starting to really get going!
"Jess..." I said to my husband (who had fallen asleep on the chair),"you might want to call my mom and tell her to come back."
"Why?" he asked sleepily.
"Because I think I'm going to have this baby soon!"
As he called my mom I kept having more contractions-each stronger than the last.
3:30pm- Shortly after my mom arrived the doctor came to check on me. I was starting to feel very "pushy." This was a term I remembered all to well from the last time, and I was not very fond of this part. It's the part between painful contractions and actual pushing contractions. It's TRANSITION. The doctor said I was fully dialated and ready to push! (Not that I didn't already know that). I could literally feel the baby moving down with each contraction. I had to grab Jesse's hand. I felt like I had to sit straight up, squat, kneel...anything but lie down at an incline. My nurse raised the back of my bed at a ninety-degree angle so I could face the back of the bed and kneel. There was a steel bar I could hold on to, which was probably a welcome break for Jesse's hand! I could tell that this was going to be quick. I think I gave about 5 or 6 six big pushes and then.........
3:50pm-Baby Lila Nevada McMahon arrived! I can't even explain what a relief it was to get her out! I already felt a million times better. Lila let out a big cry. She was (and is!) absolutely perfect.
My labor was much different than I had expected. I would say that my actual hard labor was about an hour. An hour! But such a strange beginning with my water breaking and slow-starting contractions. My nurse told me that next time if my water breaks I should get to the hospital RIGHT AWAY. Well, we'll see if there is a next time...
For now we are pretty content with our little family of four! Welcome baby Lila!
