A DAy iN thE LifE Of thE McMAhOn FAmilY

Saturday, August 21, 2010

MEEt LiLA (and the story of her arrival)

Welcome baby Lila!


*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!

4 comments:

  1. Yeah! Love Jodi's pictures and I love her middle name! We thought about that one because it is a family name and we live so close to the Sierra Nevadas! Glad you were able to give birth naturally like you wanted!

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  2. Wonderful story for a beautiful and most perfect baby girl:)

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  3. I Love the sweet pictures of Lila and your story of her arrival<3 I'm so glad I got to be there! You did an amazing job of delivering her and I was so in awe of how calm you were! Lila is a perfect little sweet girl!

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  4. I love reading birth stories, they reflect on what we get to experience as women and it is truly beautiful. Your new addition is gorgeous in every way. Can't wait to meet her.

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