Sweet Miss Maddi: The Birth Experience

Everyone keeps asking about my labor and delivery experience with sweet Maddison, so I figured I would tell the story. There wont be too many "gross" photos, I promise, but a few may be gory with some blood.

Well it all started on the morning of April 15th when I received a phone call from my husband saying the hospital called him to ask if we would like to be induced "today." TODAY, seriously TODAY!?!?! I almost jumped out of my skin with adrenaline because it wasn't something I was expecting. We still had another week until our actual due date and another appointment with the doctor. Nonetheless, my doctor wanted to induce because they thought the baby was going to be really big with a really big head. So, I sat around all day just waiting for the phone to ring from the hospital. It was the LONGEST day of my life. Every minute seemed like an hour and I would get the worst headaches from my nerves. Around 5:00 p.m. a nurse called to tell us that a bed was ready and to be there by 7:00 p.m.

On the way to the hospital I was so excited and so super nervous. I was scared of the pain, I was nervous to meet her, and I actually felt really guilty for being induced. Almost as if I was forcing the rabbit to come out of the rabbit hole when it wasn't time. I couldn't help but think I was doing something wrong because she should come on her own time, but truly it was the best for her and I.

But we made it and were introduced to our labor and delivery room at 8:00 p.m. Let the show begin ....

Signing away my rights...

I'm all hooked up and ready to get started.

And of course my sweet husband is all hooked up with his electronics so he can start sharing his news with the world (one Facebook post at a time)

At 10:00 p.m. they applied a gel to my cervix to get it to soften up and I had to lay in bed for one hour, then walk the halls for one hour.

After walking the halls for an hour, I decided to check my email and Facebook (don't laugh - walking around in circles for an hour is boring!)

But quickly had to lay down as the gel actually started my contractions without the pitocin. Bring on the pain!

Ok forget the pain ... bring on the epidural!! The contractions were nicely 2.5 minutes apart by now, even though I was only at 2cm dilated. Billy tells me not to be a super hero and get the pain medications I need to feel comfortable. I tried to tuff it out for a while, but ended up calling my nurse to see what "pain management" techniques we could do. She excitedly asked if I wanted to start my epidural and of course I agreed. I wanted to enjoy this time with my husband rather than battle the pain. However, I was sooooooooooooooooooo scared of getting that big long needle in my back.

The anesthesiologist came in and started to prepare his table full of goodies. I was actually so scared I stared to shake. He asked me to nicely bend forward and squeeze the nurses hands. Poor thing probably lost all of her feeling and blood flow to them because I had a nice grip ... a really nice grip!!! So then I hear that I'm going to feel a poke and some pressure. I thought for sure I was going to lose my mind at this point and just kept telling myself that it would be over soon. Seriously, it was over and I didn't even feel ANYTHING. It was amazing. I was scared over nothing!! I even asked the guy if I could put him in my pocket and take him home for future pain management needs.

But unfortunately the medicines gave me the shakes on top of me already being nervous, so my stomach became really upset. Thank goodness for the nurse, my sweet husband, and the trash can next to the bed.

Ahhh feeling much better now ... time for a nap!

Billy popped out his comfortable chair and I turned on my side for a little late night snooze. I was abruptly woken up by a loud and annoying beeping noise. My IV machine's battery was running low and needed to be plugged into the wall, so a random nurse on duty came in to take care of it. At this time I felt "something" run down my leg and some serious pressure in the lower region. I asked her if this was normal and she told me that it was, but that I would REALLY feel pressure when it was really time.

I was uneasy about this and asked her to nicely ask my nurse could come in to check me. This random nurse assured me that I had "many" more hours to go and would probably deliver in at about 4 - 5:00pm later that day. (It was only 4:00am) But I still insisted on seeing Nurse Jaime!

So she nicely came in to check me. All the sudden her eyes get big as she tells me that I'm at 9.5 cm. Billy flies ... seriously flies ... out of his chair and asks what it means. She nicely told him to call my mom as it was "go time!"

Billy makes his phone calls to my mom and his dad that it was time. Then we joked that Bill would get there faster than my mom and sure enough, he was the first one to arrive.

Billy also called Alicia since they were going to share the very special bond of having the same birthday. How exciting for your best friend of 18 years to share the same birthday as your daughter. Well, Alicia arrived at the hospital as well and at 5:29 everyone was kicked out of the room because it was time to start pushing. And there was no way that I was going to allow anyone to see my legs spread eagle.

Even though I was ready to start pushing, my water hadn't broke yet and the nurse informed me the doctor would have to come do it. So we started pushing ... ok ready GO! Puuuush. Ok again ... WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!! On our second push, my water broke. Actually, it didn't just break, it gushed out like a fire hyrdrant all over the place. We of course had a good laugh about it because thankfully the nurse was standing next to me, not in front of my legs.

For the next hour, we pushed and we pushed and we pushed.

And at 6:55am on April 16, 2010 sweet Maddison Lynn arrived! All 6 pounds 10 ounces of her (she wasn't a big baby like they had thought, nor was her head)