On Monday, March 4th I was exactly 39 weeks and 1 day. I had my midwife apt at 2:00. Danny and I were so happy and giddy to find out if I had progressed at all from the week before. The Tuesday before, I was dilated to 2 cm and was 80% effaced. We got there and as we talked to my midwife, I asked about her stripping my membranes to make labor come faster. She said that she could do that if I wanted, but there would be a good chance I would have the baby within the next 24-48 hours. I looked at Danny and with a smile we both agreed to have her do it. So, after the apt. Danny and I headed home to get our gym clothes on! We headed over to the BYU-I center and started walking to get things progressing. Little did I know, that in about 2 hours I would be hating myself for trying to make the pain come on faster. HA.
As we started to walk around the track, I finally found out what real contractions felt like. Ya. They sucked. They were coming about 3 minutes apart and lasted for 45 seconds. Obviously not the super strong ones but still pretty uncomfortable. We finally headed home to finish up some last minute nesting and make some dinner. My midwife told me to not go to the hospital until my contractions were at least 4 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, and having contractions for at least an hour. So I was all of those but one...the lasting 1 minute part. We waited and waited as my contractions got consistently stronger. By 5 o'clock I was hunched over just trying to get through each one. I wanted to go to the hospital sooooo bad but was afraid they would turn me away since my contractions were only lasting about 50 seconds. After about an hour I gave up and said we needed to go. I wanted my epidural! After all...I thought that my midwife would let me get one when I was in labor...which I was. We get there and the nurse gets me into a gown and checks me. 3.5 cm dilated and 90% effaced. I was SO happy! I would be admitted! Oh wait. Just kidding. My midwife is a little intense and after calling her, she said she wanted me at a five before admitting me. I just about died. All you "all-natural" mommas who are laughing at me right now thinking I'm pathetic, need to remember I had absolutely noooo intention of doing this thing without pain meds. Most doctors will admit their patients when they are dilated to a three so thats what I thought would happen. I had taken no pain management classes or read any books on dealing with contractions and pain. I just wasn't prepared. The nurse told me to go out and walk around the hall for an hour and she would recheck me. After bawling through the hallways holding onto Danny and making several asap trips to the bathroom to throw up, we went back to be re-checked. By then it was about 9pm. I was praying praying praying that something changed. But of course...nothin. I almost broke down knowing we would have to go home and I would be on my own going through the contractions. I was so mad too. My contractions were coming so quickly I couldn't believe they wouldn't admit me.
So...fast forward a little bit. We are at home and I decided to get in the tub to try and relieve some of the pain. The next two hours were by far the hardest and most painful hours I've probably went through in my life. I was moaning and sobbing through each contraction. My poor husband felt so helpless. He is always trying to make me feel better when I'm hurting and for the first time in our relationship, he realized he couldn't and needed to just sit there and watch. He was still so supportive and loving and I couldn't have done it without him. After two hours, I had Danny call our midwife. She, sleepily, answered the phone. Danny told her I could barely breath through my contractions and asked if we should go back to the hospital. She said "I know its hard for her but she should take some benadryl and try and get some sleep"...UM seriously!? I was fuming. Who the heck can sleep when your going through the worst pain of your life every three minutes!? She wanted me to wait until I couldn't stand it anymore. AKA she was too tired to get out of bed and wanted me to wait until her shift ended at 5am. So, I had in my mind that I would try and wait another few hours. But then, they got worse. I was having a really hard time breathing through them. Danny called the hospital and told one of the nurses what was going on. I got on the phone and sobbed to her that I couldn't handle it anymore and told her who my midwife was. She immediately told me to come in and she would help get us set up and get me something for the pain. I think the hospital nurses know that my midwife had a reputation of waiting a long time before admitting women. We jumped in the car and headed back to the hospital
They checked me and I had progressed to a 5! yay! I cried because I was so happy. By this time it was about 2am. The epidural guy finally came. Blessed man. and got me my relief that I foolishly believed I would have gotten eight hours earlier. My midwife then came in and broke my water and then her and the nurse left us to get some sleep. Danny, after almost fainting from exhaustion while I was getting my epidural, fell asleep right away and I was left laying there with a racing mind on what lied ahead. I couldn't believe we were there and I was going to meet my little boy soon. I finally was able to fall asleep until about 5:30am, when I heard the nurse come in. She whispered to me that my contractions had slowed down to five minutes apart and that my midwife wanted to give me pitocin. By that point, I didn't really care and she hooked me up. My contractions quickly sped up and were coming every 2-3 minutes. At about 6:50, the nurse came back in to check me. She seemed surprised...I was at a 10! That pitocin sure worked. She said I was ready to push when I felt the urge too. Soon after this point my awesome friend and visiting teacher, Carlee, came to photograph our birth story. I feel forever grateful to her for offering to do this. I cry every time I look at these photos and will cherish them forever. Thank you so much Carlee!!
At this point the nurse started getting the room set up for delivery and called my midwife in. They coached me through some pushes and I could already see his head coming out! It was such an amazing feeling.
After only about 15 minutes, little baby Emmett was almost there. I gave a few more biggg pushes....
...and out came the most beautiful baby I'd ever laid eyes on. The next few moments were such a blur. I honestly don't really remember them clearly but what I do remember was that amazing world-rocking moment when they laid him on my chest. I remember the nurse saying that he knew me as his momma. He knew my smell. He knew my voice. I was instantly in love with this tiny human.
I love love loved my hospital experience. The nurses didn't touch Emmett for an HOUR. Not to even put a diaper on him. He just laid on me and slept. I loved that hour with my two boys. It was so much different than what I thought it would be. You always hear about hospitals these days shipping your baby off for hours to do testing and what not. This was nothing like that.
Favorite picture
7 lbs. 11 oz. 20 inches long
Mesmerized by his boy (:
