I was 35 weeks pregnant and trying to get a few things for my hospital bag that weekend. I didn't feel prepared for the baby at all, even though I wasn't due for another month. On the way home from the store, I realized that I had forgotten to get some things that I needed. I felt frantic and started crying. My husband looked at me like I was a little strange (I know he thought I was completely insane at that point), and then tried to tell me that we'd get the rest of the things next weekend. Because, of course, we still had plenty of time. It didn't make me feel better though. Then I went into turbo-cleaning and decorating mode. I kept telling my husband that our house didn't feel "homey" enough, and I went on a mad tear through the house, cleaning, straightening, reorganizing, and decorating. I knew I seemed like a complete psycho, but I didn't care. I was on a mission, and it was going to get done! (Uh can you say NESTING?!)
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| My big belly.. taken that crazy weekend :) |
After the weekend, I had a doctor's appointment that Monday, right before I turned 36 weeks. I was so excited because it was the first of my weekly appointments. That just meant I was getting closer to having my baby here with me. When I went to the doctor, I found out that I was 2-3 cm dilated and 75% effaced. I was pretty excited! To me, that meant progress! My doctor said I definitely wouldn't be making it to my due date of February 15th (my hubby's bday), and to call him if I started having any contractions.
Fast forward to that Friday (Jan.21st). I felt a little off that morning... like something was just different. I told my husband that I wondered if my water was starting to break, but then just kind of blew off the idea. It was only January 21st, and I wasn't due for another 3 weeks! Plus, my bag wasn't finished, and my hubs told me that we would finish it that weekend! I went to work (I'm a first grade teacher), and started questioning my co-workers about their water breaking. Of course, everyone had different experiences, and several didn't have their water break at all. I went through the school day still feeling a little strange. I even told my principal that I felt weird, and I wondered if my water was starting to break. I kept feeling little gushes, but I still didn't really know.
Later that afternoon, I felt a much bigger gush and started to get a little worried. Every time I would stand up, I would gush some more. I went ahead and finished out the work day, and then headed home. I called my friend, and she said that I might want to call labor and delivery and see if they wanted me to come in.
The nurses at the hospital told me to come in and get checked out, and I called my husband to let him know that I was heading to the hospital, and I'd tell him if I found out anything. He had a soccer game that evening, (he's a head girl's soccer coach in a town about 45 minutes away), and I didn't want him rushing home if it was just a false alarm.
Now, you spend nine months thinking about what's going to happen when you go into labor. In my mind, I pictured a gush of water, hard contractions, limping to the car in anticipation, my husband loading up my hospital bag and driving me to the hospital.... That is SO NOT how it happened though...
After talking to the nurses, I put a few things in my unfinished hospital bag, loaded myself into the car, and calmly drove myself to the hospital. (yeah.. NO huge gush, NO contractions at all, NO limping, NO Husband loading my FINISHED hospital bag and driving me to the hospital.) I went up to the the Labor and Delivery unit alone to the stunned sight of my nurses. They asked if I was alone and if anyone else was coming, and I told them no. I was actually worried that it was just a false alarm, and I didn't want to have to head home embarrassed. They gave me a hospital gown and told me to lay down, and they would check me out.
So there I was, lying in the hospital bed alone, watching TLC's Say Yes To the Dress, waiting to see if my water had broken. I felt strangely calm.The nurses came back saying that they were pretty sure that my water had broken, and when they checked me out, I was 3-4 cm dilated and 90-95% effaced! They called my doctor, had me fill out some paperwork, and hooked me up to IV's. To my shock, I was there to stay! I called my husband to let him know he should head over to the hospital, and then I think I just layed there in shock, feeling the tiny kicks of my baby Landon, and letting the realization rush over me that I would be able to hold my baby boy very soon!
I have to say, that I was very lucky with this pregnancy and my labor and delivery experience. The worst part of being pregnant for me, was just the constant morning sickness for the first few months. After that, it was all a breeze! I was a little worried about the whole labor and delivery stuff. After watching episode after episode of A Baby Story (OMG I always managed to watch the scariest ones where the women were screaming and something always went wrong), and those awful 1980's videos of labor in my childbirth classes, its safe to say that I was a tad apprehensive! Luckily, as everything else in this baby adventure, it was nothing like I thought it would be!
I had arrived at the hospital at about 4:30pm, and my doctor stopped by to check me out at 5:30. (I have the BEST doctor. He wasn't even on call that weekend, but came up to deliver my baby anyway. He's the best!) He decided to start a pitosin drip to get the contractions going, and said I'd have the baby before the end of the night! Crazy stuff! My husband arrived short after, followed by our families and friends.
Now, I've been to the birth of my sister's babies, and I felt like I knew what was in store for me. I told my husband beforehand that there was lots and lots of waiting involved with labor. And of course, like everything else, I was SO wrong!
My contractions started soon after the pitosin, I got an epidural around 6:20. (Those epi's are the most AMAZING things ever!!!!! I could still feel my feet and legs and move them, but no pain. Wonderful.) By 7:30pm I was 6 cm dilated, at 8:30 I was 8 cm... our parents had all left to get food, and we actually had to call them to come back to the hospital because the doctor said I'd be pushing in less than an hour! Time was flying by, and by 9:15 pm, I was ready to push!
Pushing was also not like I expected. The AMAZING epidural was working wonderfully, and my husband, doctor, and nurses kept me laughing the whole way through.
Then, the best moment of my life! Landon Riley was born at 10:04 p.m. He was 6 pounds 12 1/2 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. He had ten perfect, little fingers and toes, and was a spitting image of his daddy. I had just become a mother. I looked at my baby in disbelief. This was the little person that had been rolling around inside me just a few hours earlier! He was my child, my baby, and had just made me the happiest person in the world! I could not feel more blessed! I love my little family!
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| Landon Riley! |
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| My precious baby |
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