I had been having contractions here are there with no regular pattern from Christmas eve until I went into labor. The night of January 3rd ended much like the 2 days prior, heartburn and headed to bed early, lots of pressure, lots of cervical pain, with the last saying to my husband being, "another night pregnant".
I woke up at 4am, which is pretty typical because I never made it through the night without a trip to the bathroom, but this time was different. I woke up to cramping, and knew this was a "real"contraction and everything felt a bit wet. No, not like I was a sleep in a puddle or anything as dramatic as that, but I knew when I did decide to get up to go to the bathroom, I was going to have to make a run for it. And indeed I did, as soon as I sat down, it was confirmed that my water had in broken in bed, while I was alseep. Looking back, I am not sure what woke me up, the cramping or my water breaking.
I headed back to the room and gave Eric the nudge to wake up. I joked with him that I almost made it to morning this time. Brandon was born in the middle of the night (2am) and we had to head to the hospital with Brooke in the middle of the night (1am), so Eric was convinced this was going to be another middle of the night somehow or another. Like the typical husband, he was running around a little more frantic and in a rush than I was. Based on the contractions I knew we had time, but my water had never broken on its own before, so this was new to me.
I made the phone call to my mother in law at 4:10am, this is after she flew all the way back to NJ from AZ, just that afternoon. I guess Leah was waiting for her after all. Around 4:30, I kissed both children, sleeping sweetly in bed, and we were off to the hospital. Contractions sped up to every 3 minutes during the car ride, but I still had time for texting my sister in law who was now WIDE awake with excitement. The 30 minute ride was easy compared to baby #2.
The third time around, I thought I knew what I was getting into as far as labor goes. Its supposed to be easier and faster each time around. I was wrong. Brandon, #2's labor was fast and excrucatingly painful. I went from barely 1cm at 8pm, to almost not making it back to my delivery room at 9pm, from a walk to get labor going more regularly, because I couldn't stand through the contractions because the intense pain.
By the time we got to the triage room with #3 and hooked up to the monitors, my contractions were slowing and were barely painful. I was getting disappointed. I was expecting this labor to be only a few hours from beginning to end. I knew I wasn't going home because my water had broken, but I was ready to get something going. They checked me around 5:30/6, I was 3 to 4cm, and I was indeed staying. Shortly there after we were moved from the triage to our delivery room.
Hooked up and waiting. I so anxiously wanted my contractions to come back. Never in my mind did I think this is the type of labor I would have had this time around. I basically had to beg our nurse to let me walk around because I was sure that it would get labor moving just like it did the second time. I walked, for 30 minutes, back by the time my nurse told me to, and STILL nothing was really going on. It was around 8:30am at this point. We had basically spent the whole morning WAITING, resting, chit chatting, texting, we could have been at home. Tired and frustrated, I just wanted a strong consistent labor to kick in. I was ready. They mentioned pitocin and I knew there would be no pitocin without an epidural. They started pitocin, and within a few minutes I was getting prepped for an epidural. In overall terms this labor was fairly painless, only about 20 minutes worth of pitocin contractions (which started almost instantly) before my epidural was in and working. Similar to my first 2 epidurals, it did not take on my left side and I needed a second bolis of medicine to get me numb. By 9:30 my epidural was in and I was resting comfortably. Within 30 minutes of pitocin, things were going strong, contractions in the 100's and we were finally making progess.
Around 12, the doctor finally came in to check me and I was 9cm. The nurses came in to get the table set up for the doctor, break the bed down and by the time that was done I was already 10. It was time. There is something about labor and delivery that I love. I dont' know how to describe it, but I could do labor and delivery time and time again. I don't know if its the excitement, the atmosphere, the feelings of euphoria as you see your baby and hear its cry, but I absoutely LOVE laboring and delivering. I only pushed through three contractions and the baby was here, a girl, with the sweetest loudest cry. Instantly in love. Re-telling this story make me want to rewind and live through it again. Like I said, there is just something undescribable about meeting your baby for the first time.
Not the most flattering first picture ever, but its hers. Leah Jean 7lbs, 7oz (Originally 8lbs, 12oz), 19 3/4th inches
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