Our sweet little girl is 11 days old already, which is hard for this Momma to swallow. She is the sweetest, easiest baby so far, except at night. At night she is sweet as long as I let her sleep on my chest. Nowhere else is acceptable. During the day, however, she will gladly sleep in her bassinet, swing, on my bed, in her car seat or wherever else she chooses to succumb to her fatigue. Enough about what an angel we have been blessed with now, this post is about Ella's birth.
It was a Monday night, I was 38 weeks, 5 days pregnant with Ella and I was about done with being pregnant. I told Paul that I needed to run to Ross to get a few things then I was going to bed but that starting the next morning we were going to be doing whatever we had to to get labor going. I knew the time was coming, very, very soon. The following morning I went into labor.
I actually got up with Paul and the kids but decided to lay back down for a bit since I hadn't been sleeping well at night. After laying down for a short while I began having contractions. My initial thought was, "this is too good to be true, going into labor during the day, on a Tuesday (which meant that my Father-in-law didn't have to work that night and also my best friend would be able to make it since she came back from her mini-vacation the night before). I lay there for a while before I decided to start timing the contractions. At this point it was about 8:30am and the contractions were sporadic so I decided it wasn't true labor. My dad called and we talked for a short while then I got up out of bed and began my day, figuring I should get the last of the birthing stuff together and ready just in case I went into labor soon. By about 9:30 I called my midwife, Callie, and told her that I may be in labor but that the contractions weren't lasting long enough. At this point they were about 3 or so minutes apart but only lasting 30 seconds. We decided that she would call me back in an hour to see how things were going. By the time she called me back they were pretty intense but I still wasn't convinced it was true labor. She decided to head my way just in case. I text my father-in-law and bestie to let them know it was baby-time (or at least I was hoping it was baby-time because the contractions were hurting quite a bit). I continued to get things ready and began ordering Paul around. Upon inflating the birthing pool we discovered that the hose to fill it would not attach to our sink or shower. Therefore I had a decision to make: go without the birthing pool or send my husband to Home Depot to get an adapter. Easy. He went to Home Depot. This left me at home alone, well, kind of. Addyson, our 3 year old daughter was with me and Aiden, our 1 year old son was in his bed napping.
After about 15 minutes I regretted the decision to send him as I was progressing pretty quick and was pretty sure it was true labor, even though I have always been paranoid about crying wolf. I gave Addyson some instructions about things she needed to help Mommy with as I was trying to take care of everything I felt needed done between contractions. I had stopped timing them by now but they were pretty close together. Suddenly my phone starts ringing and it's Tracy, my best friend. She needed directions to my house from school. I told her to hold on as I breathed through a contraction, then quickly gave her directions before the next one started. Thank God she showed up just a short while later. The next few minutes are a blur as I tried to focus and make it through the contractions that were coming faster and stronger each time. Luckily my midwife arrived soon after this, around noon I would say. Paul also got back with the attachment and was able to hook the hose up to the shower to fill the birthing pool. By this time I was in the bedroom laboring and being the control freak that I can be, listening to everything going on to make sure it was all being done exactly as I had planned in my mind. Callie's birthing assistant, Jenn, offered to rub my back to help with the pain. What I remember best is how she or Callie were able to press on my hips just firm enough to help relieve some of the pain. Several times they asked me if I was ready to get in the pool but the contractions were so intense and frequent that I didn't want to move or do anything. I decided to use the restroom once more before getting in the pool. Funny side note: apparently most women just pee in the birthing pool or tub but I'm waaaaay to squeamish for that. After using the restroom I put on a swimming top and got into the pool with their assistance. Immediately I felt some relief from the contractions. Paul boiled water on the stove to make sure the pool was warm enough and would bring it in every few minutes. That, too, was soothing. I'm not sure how much time went by, I wouldn't say more than about 20 minutes or so before I was feeling the urge to push and looking at Callie as if something was wrong. I told her a few times, "I feel like I need to push". She kept telling me, "Do what your body tells you to do". Yet I couldn't bring myself to push. In my mind things went too fast and there was no way that the baby was low enough and I was dilated enough to be pushing already. Finally I had her check and she confirmed what my body had been telling me, I needed to PUSH! Yet I still couldn't bring myself to do it partially because I felt things had progressed too quick and partly because my water hadn't broken yet. By this time Paul was climbing in the pool with me, clothes and all, as he was preparing to catch the baby. I'm not sure exactly when, but they brought Addyson in to be with me during the baby's delivery. She was amazingly sweet and quiet during the whole thing. She held my hand and smiled so sweetly at me. I'm not sure much could have soothed me more than her being there, other than the relief I felt from the prayers I prayed. During each contraction I prayed a little prayer that went something like this: "Father, thank you for this pain. I know that this pain is temporary yet necessary to bring this sweet child into the world. You have blessed me twice already during birth and I pray that you continue to bless us with another healthy baby. Lord, give me the strength to get through this, strength that I know can only come from you."
A few more contractions went by and I didn't think I could hold back on pushing any longer. Each time I prayed that I felt relief from the contractions like I've never felt before. I reached my hand down and felt my baby's head. I questioned this in my mind since I still hadn't felt my water break yet I couldn't not push, my body forced me to by this point. So I pushed through a couple contractions, because I learned with my 9 pound, 6 ounce baby that if I eased the baby out, I wouldn't tear. Tearing was one of my biggest fears because it hurt like hell afterwards with Addyson, who was only 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Before I knew it Paul was laying our sweet little girl on my chest. I didn't have confirmation yet as to whether the baby was a boy or girl but the moment I looked at her sweet face I knew without checking. Although I did check a minute or two later, just to be sure. I looked at her, gave her a kiss and whispered, "I love you sweet Ella!"
It was a Monday night, I was 38 weeks, 5 days pregnant with Ella and I was about done with being pregnant. I told Paul that I needed to run to Ross to get a few things then I was going to bed but that starting the next morning we were going to be doing whatever we had to to get labor going. I knew the time was coming, very, very soon. The following morning I went into labor.
I actually got up with Paul and the kids but decided to lay back down for a bit since I hadn't been sleeping well at night. After laying down for a short while I began having contractions. My initial thought was, "this is too good to be true, going into labor during the day, on a Tuesday (which meant that my Father-in-law didn't have to work that night and also my best friend would be able to make it since she came back from her mini-vacation the night before). I lay there for a while before I decided to start timing the contractions. At this point it was about 8:30am and the contractions were sporadic so I decided it wasn't true labor. My dad called and we talked for a short while then I got up out of bed and began my day, figuring I should get the last of the birthing stuff together and ready just in case I went into labor soon. By about 9:30 I called my midwife, Callie, and told her that I may be in labor but that the contractions weren't lasting long enough. At this point they were about 3 or so minutes apart but only lasting 30 seconds. We decided that she would call me back in an hour to see how things were going. By the time she called me back they were pretty intense but I still wasn't convinced it was true labor. She decided to head my way just in case. I text my father-in-law and bestie to let them know it was baby-time (or at least I was hoping it was baby-time because the contractions were hurting quite a bit). I continued to get things ready and began ordering Paul around. Upon inflating the birthing pool we discovered that the hose to fill it would not attach to our sink or shower. Therefore I had a decision to make: go without the birthing pool or send my husband to Home Depot to get an adapter. Easy. He went to Home Depot. This left me at home alone, well, kind of. Addyson, our 3 year old daughter was with me and Aiden, our 1 year old son was in his bed napping.
After about 15 minutes I regretted the decision to send him as I was progressing pretty quick and was pretty sure it was true labor, even though I have always been paranoid about crying wolf. I gave Addyson some instructions about things she needed to help Mommy with as I was trying to take care of everything I felt needed done between contractions. I had stopped timing them by now but they were pretty close together. Suddenly my phone starts ringing and it's Tracy, my best friend. She needed directions to my house from school. I told her to hold on as I breathed through a contraction, then quickly gave her directions before the next one started. Thank God she showed up just a short while later. The next few minutes are a blur as I tried to focus and make it through the contractions that were coming faster and stronger each time. Luckily my midwife arrived soon after this, around noon I would say. Paul also got back with the attachment and was able to hook the hose up to the shower to fill the birthing pool. By this time I was in the bedroom laboring and being the control freak that I can be, listening to everything going on to make sure it was all being done exactly as I had planned in my mind. Callie's birthing assistant, Jenn, offered to rub my back to help with the pain. What I remember best is how she or Callie were able to press on my hips just firm enough to help relieve some of the pain. Several times they asked me if I was ready to get in the pool but the contractions were so intense and frequent that I didn't want to move or do anything. I decided to use the restroom once more before getting in the pool. Funny side note: apparently most women just pee in the birthing pool or tub but I'm waaaaay to squeamish for that. After using the restroom I put on a swimming top and got into the pool with their assistance. Immediately I felt some relief from the contractions. Paul boiled water on the stove to make sure the pool was warm enough and would bring it in every few minutes. That, too, was soothing. I'm not sure how much time went by, I wouldn't say more than about 20 minutes or so before I was feeling the urge to push and looking at Callie as if something was wrong. I told her a few times, "I feel like I need to push". She kept telling me, "Do what your body tells you to do". Yet I couldn't bring myself to push. In my mind things went too fast and there was no way that the baby was low enough and I was dilated enough to be pushing already. Finally I had her check and she confirmed what my body had been telling me, I needed to PUSH! Yet I still couldn't bring myself to do it partially because I felt things had progressed too quick and partly because my water hadn't broken yet. By this time Paul was climbing in the pool with me, clothes and all, as he was preparing to catch the baby. I'm not sure exactly when, but they brought Addyson in to be with me during the baby's delivery. She was amazingly sweet and quiet during the whole thing. She held my hand and smiled so sweetly at me. I'm not sure much could have soothed me more than her being there, other than the relief I felt from the prayers I prayed. During each contraction I prayed a little prayer that went something like this: "Father, thank you for this pain. I know that this pain is temporary yet necessary to bring this sweet child into the world. You have blessed me twice already during birth and I pray that you continue to bless us with another healthy baby. Lord, give me the strength to get through this, strength that I know can only come from you."
A few more contractions went by and I didn't think I could hold back on pushing any longer. Each time I prayed that I felt relief from the contractions like I've never felt before. I reached my hand down and felt my baby's head. I questioned this in my mind since I still hadn't felt my water break yet I couldn't not push, my body forced me to by this point. So I pushed through a couple contractions, because I learned with my 9 pound, 6 ounce baby that if I eased the baby out, I wouldn't tear. Tearing was one of my biggest fears because it hurt like hell afterwards with Addyson, who was only 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Before I knew it Paul was laying our sweet little girl on my chest. I didn't have confirmation yet as to whether the baby was a boy or girl but the moment I looked at her sweet face I knew without checking. Although I did check a minute or two later, just to be sure. I looked at her, gave her a kiss and whispered, "I love you sweet Ella!"