The birth story (not too many gory details)

As late as 5:30 on August 25^th I didn’t know I’d be giving birth that night. I worked that day and just thought I was sitting funny when I'd get these random pangs (later figured out they'd been contractions.) We had all kinds of plans for the weekend—dinner with friends, a ward temple trip/lunch/babysitting, and a BBQ. Thursday night I was even scheduled to pick up a friend from the airport at 10pm. It was at 5:30 that evening that I wondered aloud to Kevin if I should try to find an alternative driver, since I might not be totally dependable. I'd started looking at a clock around 3:45 when I realized the pangs from earlier that day were increasing in regularity and intensity. Contractions were getting stronger, but I still wasn’t convinced the baby was coming. Perhaps I was in denial.

My body, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening. I had been famished all day long. Starting with breakfast, I couldn’t get enough carbohydrates or protein. I had eaten my lunch at work by 11:00 and wanted more. And by the time I knew I’d be going to the hospital I still made dinner and ate because I was so hungry and I knew they wouldn’t let me eat once I was there. My body was loading up on energy to get me through labor. As the contractions got stronger, my body also began to get rid of extra waste, which meant by the time I was pushing I didn’t have anything left to poop. (Too much info, I know.)

The contractions got intense quickly. I hopped in the shower to help ease the pain, which worked, but also kept me from keeping track of timing them. It was at this point I probably should have gone to the hospital. But, we started timing them again and were waiting for the 5 minutes apart for an hour mark. Meanwhile, Kevin put Zoey to bed and put the final touches on the hospital bag while I went back and forth from being perfectly fine, feeling good and chatty to laying on the bed moaning (or swearing) through incredibly strong contractions. I wanted some distraction, so we turned on a TV show and I laid my head on the Kevin’s lap. About 10 minutes in, I decided I’d rather be in the shower at the hospital than laying there dealing with contractions. We grabbed our stuff and headed out the door, leaving a friend, who had been staying with us for a few nights, at home with sleeping Zoey.

I had a contraction on the way to the car and happily only one on the way to the hospital. But, as soon as we pulled up I had another. Kevin grabbed my hand, which I squeezed the life out of, as we made our way to the elevator. Someone had the audacity to push a floor button below ours and I thought I was going to lose it. Couldn’t they tell I was in labor? The nurses at the check in counter were friendly and cracking jokes, which I liked until I had another contraction and couldn’t breathe or speak. One came with me to the bathroom while the other asked Kevin admittance questions. The nurse with me decided to put me in a room right away and redirected our path into a labor and delivery room. She started the admittance process right away. I was still doing really well in between contractions, but they had moved from about every 5 minutes to every 3. When she asked me to rate the pain on a scale of 1-10, for the first time I can remember I went straight for the 10. I didn’t think I could handle the contractions any longer and was seriously considering asking for an epidural. I also really wanted to be in the shower. We couldn’t do either until they had a good reading on the fetal monitor (10 minutes.) I couldn’t sit or lay for the contractions so I stood, which made the monitor slip and a decent reading difficult to get. At this point the nurse called for the midwife to check how far along I was. Dilated to a 6, fully effaced and she could feel the baby’s head with the tip of her finger. Things were moving quickly. I wanted to keep standing and she brilliantly suggested someone raise the bed so that I could lean over it for support. The nurse worked on getting a helplock in my arm during all this, and I didn’t even notice. Kevin was fabulous and rubbed my back during each contraction, muttering words of encouragement now and again. Someone put a cold washcloth on my neck and it felt amazingly refreshing.

With Zoey’s labor I remember distinctly wanting to push before I was completely dilated. That’s problematic because it can make the cervix swell and the opening for the baby smaller. I had the same urge this time around. The midwife, Maria, was awesome and helped me get through some more contractions without pushing. Panting breathing….who knew it actually worked? After two or three more contractions I bellowed something like, “I WANT TO PUSH!” and my water broke, showering the midwife who had been trying to keep the fetal monitor stable while I had contractions. Right away I felt the baby crown. All I can say about this part is that the “ring of fire” is an accurate description of stretching skin. A few more contractions, me squatting deeper, and some pushing and suddenly the pressure was gone. Someone said “reach for your baby.” Confused, I put my hands down and Maria placed a slimy little one in my hands. Kevin helped cut the umbilical cord. I brought the baby up so I could see if it was a boy or girl. A GIRL!!! I managed to crawl onto the bed with her and she rested on my chest while we did the post-birth stuff. She stayed on my chest for a long time. I got a dose of petosin to help deliver the placenta with a lower risk of hemorrhaging. Fast labors apparently have a higher risk of that. Our parking ticket read 8:33pm and our little girl was born at 9:26pm, August 25, 2011 (due date Sept. 6^th)

7 pounds, 14 ounces, 20 inches long

Sorry Marin and Papa. I just couldn't wait three 2 1/2 more hours to have the baby on your birthday. But, our girl does share a b-day with cousin Tyler.

One tired and happy Mama

A daddy too in love with his second little girl to be disappointed about not having a boy.

The three of us