2-20-13
I fell in the garage and broke my foot. I spent 2 days in a cast and then was put in
a walking boot. The whole time all I
could think was how I would labor and deliver a baby in that condition. My due date was only 3 days later.
3-1-13
I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I was
having contractions roughly 10 minutes apart.
I tried to sleep but admit I was a little excited. When Mike got up for work, I warned him
jokingly that he may be coming home early.
Throughout the day they mostly went away except for a few random mild
ones that I simply ignored.
(1:20pm) Had my orthopedic appointment and was
instructed to wear my boot constantly even in labor. After we went to Babies R Us to try out
potential carseats for the new baby.
(3:00pm) Mike and
I decided we would go to Disney on Ice an hour away in Grand Rapids that night
at 7. We told the kids.
(4:00pm) Came home
and had potato soup and bread that was brought to us by a friend in MOPS. Contractions started back up in the middle of
dinner and by 4:30 I could tell they were regular again.
(4:51pm) Called
Linda (our midwife) to tell her about the contractions and that we were
probably going to go to Disney on Ice and head out around 5:30. She seemed surprised and probably didn't think
we should go but I was still convinced they would go away and I would be
pregnant for a few more days.
(5:30pm) Left for
Disney on Ice. On the way I noticed
contractions were going from 10 minutes apart to 9, then to 8, then to 7. I started to worry maybe we shouldn't be
going.
(6:16pm) I called
Linda back to give her an update and she said to call us and she could meet us
at my house if need be.
(7:00-9:00pm)
Watched Disney on Ice with the kids.
They loved it. I had regular
contractions the whole time but they didn't seem to be getting stronger or
closer together.
(9:00pm) We left
Grand Rapids and took the kids to get a treat.
(10:00-10:30pm)
Got home, put the kids to bed, and did a little cleaning up.
(11:00pm) Decided
to get a shower. When I was done, I put
my pjs on and my big walking boot. Took
2 steps and felt water go down my legs and into my boot and socks. It wasn't as much water as when my water
broke with Lor so I wasn't fully convinced.
I took a few steps and went to the bathroom and realized I was still
slowly leaking and there was some pink tinged fluid when I wiped.
(11:20pm) I called
Linda to tell her. The contractions were
about 6-9 minutes apart but a bit stronger.
She offered to come, set up, and sleep on the couch until we needed
her. I was still afraid it was too early
and she should be home in her own bed until we needed her the next
morning. She asked us to call back in 30
minutes.
(11:24pm) I called
Megan (our birth photographer) to let her know what was going on and give her a
chance to arrange child care for her son.
Then I decided I should get some sleep because the next day was going to
be a long one.
3-2-13
(12:00am) Mike
called Linda to let her know we were going to sleep.
(12:34am) I think
Megan called us to let us know that she had her mom there to watch her
son. Mike then slept and I dozed in and
out as contractions picked up quickly in intensity and I was soon having to
breathe and focus to get through them.
(1:30am) They
became too painful to lie in bed anymore.
I woke Mike up and told him it was game time. I remember thinking clearly, "uh oh,
this sh%$ is about to get real." :)
(1:52am) Mike
called Linda to tell her it was time and that we needed her. Mike then started getting some stuff ready
(towels, tub, and other supplies)
(2:13am) Called
Megan and told her to come.
(2:30am) Linda
arrived and started setting up. At some
point around her arrival she called Emily (who was another midwife coming to
help Linda because we were all a little worried about laboring with a broken
foot).
(2:52am) Megan
arrived.
(3:10ish) Emily
arrived.
I labored on the ball and sitting on the bed but had to get
up and rock/moan through the contractions.
Linda checked on the baby who was doing beautifully. I am amazed looking back how much talking and
joking I was doing in between contractions.
I still thought we were hours and hours away from meeting our baby.
(4:00am) I decided
to give the tub a try. I removed my boot
(ortho be darned) and hobbled in with some help. The water was amazing. I floated on my belly and held on to the side
of the tub resting in between and then would pull up on Mike during a
contraction.
Somewhere around now my noises must have changed in some
way. Linda suggested maybe I was needing
to push. I wasn't convinced (ironically
never had that urge with Michael either).
I asked her to check me. She told
me to wait one more contraction (I think assuming the urge would become
clear). After the next contraction it
still wasn't clear and I was afraid maybe I was only 4 cm or something. I was starting to have some pain in my
back/tail bone but again didn't put the 2 together. She checked me and said it was time but the
baby still needed to come down a bit.
She checked on the baby several times while I was in the tub and the
baby sounded perfect. After a few very
intense contractions I reached down to feel the baby and although I could feel
the baby's head it was still nestled pretty far inside. This is the only point in labor where I
started to feel a bit discouraged like maybe the baby would be in there
forever. I kept reminding myself that
soon I would get to find out if it was a boy or a girl.
(5:08am) I started
pushing. I felt like I wasn't making any
progress but pushing did make me feel better.
(5:20am) Mike woke
up Loralei so she wouldn't miss it.
(5:30amish)
Michael woke up and came in our room next to the tub. He kept saying "mommy don't say
that." I think because I was saying
"ow ow ow" through the pushing.
Mike called Sara to come help with him.
(5:35am) Sara came
and took Michael downstairs to watch a show.
(5:40am) An
intense contraction hit and I felt the baby slip down. We called Sara upstairs so Michael wouldn't miss
it. I turned over to a semi-squat/sit
position because I wanted to catch the baby and total squatting was out with my
gimp foot. I pushed again and reached
down and felt a head full of fuzzy hair.
I helped slow the baby down and then the contraction passed. It was amazing to see a person briefly suspended
between 2 worlds. Linda checked on the
baby's shoulders (I guess to make sure they weren't stuck) and said that they
were fine.
(5:48am) Another
contraction hit and I pushed out the rest of my sweet baby. I pulled the baby up to my chest and quickly
saw that it was a little girl. I said
her name a bunch and kissed her and just started at her. Someone mentioned the cord was up around her
shoulders and across the back of her neck (funny after Michaels came out over
the top of his head...what do my kids do in there anywho?). Linda came and helped lift the cord up and
around so she would have more room to reach me.
(5:49am) I pretty
quickly felt a little pushy again and out slipped the placenta.
(6:15amish) I
decided I wanted to get out and get in bed.
After getting in bed I started feeling a little dizzy and nauseous like
I have after my other 2 kids were born.
Mike took the baby and Lor cut the cord.
Linda then took the baby and got her measured and Mike weighed her and
they got her dressed and foot printed.
Things are a bit fuzzy here.
Linda checked my blood loss, my pulse, and my blood pressure and everything
was normal. Emily went to make me a
peanut butter and banana english muffin and get me some juice (green
goddess...yumo). I remember wanting to
hold the baby but couldn't so I laid back down.
After eating I started to feel a bit better. I realized I hadn't eaten since 4pm the night
before and even then didn't eat much.
(8:35am) Linda
wanted me to get up and pee. I crawled
to the toilet and tried but couldn't.
Somehow I got back in bed and laid down.
Linda again checked all my vitals and they were normal. I could tell she was becoming alarmed. Her quiet and calm presence got much more
formal and serious. She suggested
Cytotec even though she thought the bleeding was normal. We discussed it a bit and I decided it was
worth it.
(8:55am) I took
some Ibuprofen as the after contractions were killing me, especially given how
I was feeling.
(9:00am) Linda
went downstairs to get a snack and took a short nap on the sofa.
(10:00am) Linda
came up to check on me. Meanwhile, I had
slept a bit and was feeling a bit better.
She got me up to try to pee and I was able to (even walked to the
bathroom). She checked my vitals again
and they were all still normal. I was
still a bit nauseous so she got me some peppermint oil. She also rubbed something on my belly that
was supposed to help with the after pains (it must have worked along with the
ibuprofen because they were manageable after this point). I ate some cashew balls and some energy bites
and drank some more juice. I remember
being crazy hungry.
(10:15am) Linda
headed out and we began our new life as a family of 5.
