Our baby was due on December 8th. That day came and went and came and went and came and went a few more times... I was getting frustrated and tired. I spent December 11th and 12th in bed with regular contractions all day and then they stopped at night. They weren't strong but they were coming every 5 minutes. Michael stayed home from work those days to take care of Jonah and me.
On Friday, December 13th, I woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy (or as energetic as one can be when she is almost 41 weeks pregnant)! I told Michael to go to work and that "nothing was happening today." I went to the grocery and got some other things done around the house that I had been too tired to deal with. Little did I know, it was to be my last day as the mother of one. I didn't have a single noticeable contraction all day.
I took a bath and went to bed early that night (around 9 p.m.). I slept good. Better than I had in a long time. Then BAM! I woke up from a dead sleep at 3 a.m. I sat bolt upright in bed. I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. I tried. Nothing. It also didn't feel good to sit on the toilet. I got up and went into the bedroom. I leaned over the bed. Michael woke up and asked what was wrong. I said, "I don't know. Something's not right." I went to the other bathroom (I guess I thought I would have better luck in there?)! It worked. I was able to empty my bladder but it felt very strange. I was feeling a lot of pressure.
I went back in the bedroom and told Michael, "We need to go." He jumped out of bed and got dressed while I did the same. I called my mom and dad and asked them to meet us at Clark. Michael went and woke up Jonah. He grabbed all of our stuff and we headed to the door.
As we were leaving, I asked him, "Do you have the keys?" He felt his pocket, said "Yes, I have the keys," and locked the door. I went and got in the front seat while he loaded Jonah and our stuff into the car. Then, he walked over to my side of the car, opened my door and his eyes were as wide as saucers. He said, "I don't have the keys." I said, "What do you mean you don't have the keys. You said you had the keys."
He replied, "I don't have the keys. I'm going to go kick down the door." I said, "Don't go kick down the door. Let me call my parents and see if they can come." I couldn't get a hold of them. My cell phone wasn't working.
So off my husband went to kick down the door. It was a glass door. He first tried to punch the door. After that didn't work (big surprise), he kicked it. Glass shattered everywhere. It was loud too. It's a wonder none of the neighbors heard it. He grabbed the keys, went to the house next door where they were renovating, grabbed a piece of plywood and placed it in front of the door. Oh, did I mention that he cut his foot through his leather boot?
We headed to the hospital. I finally started getting cell phone reception and called the hospital to tell them we were coming. I asked them to call my midwife and let her know. The nurse on the phone asked me how far apart my contractions were. OH MY GOD! I wasn't having any and it just occurred to me at that very moment. I told her I wasn't having any but that I was feeling a ton of pressure. I'm sure she thought I was crazy.
As we crossed the bridge to Indiana, I had my first contraction. That was at 3:30 a.m. They were 2 minutes apart.
When we arrived, I helped Jonah put on his shoes and held his hand through the parking lot. This was a much different experience than my labor with Jonah, where I physically crawled through the parking lot.
We were taken up to Labor and Delivery where I put on a gown and they hooked me up to the monitor. I sat in the bed with Jonah next to me waiting for my parents to arrive. They got there soon after and took Jonah to the waiting room.
The nurse checked me. I was 6 cm dilated. After 15 minutes on the monitor, I took it off and got up to go to the bathroom. Things were starting to pick up. I stood and leaned over the bed a while and Michael put pressure on my lower back. After a few contractions like that, I decided to kneel over the bottom of the bed so that I could rest.
I felt all the contractions in my back. Michael was putting all his weight into my back during the contractions. It really helped. It was so quiet and peaceful. We had all the lights off. My mom came in to check on us. Beth, my midwife, also came in a few times. At one point she asked me if I wanted her to run the water so I could get into the bathtub. I told her yes even though I knew I was not going to move.
She left to go start the water and to deliver another baby. It wasn't much longer that I started having really long, double-peaking contractions. They were lasting about 2 minutes but they spread out so that I had a longer break in between. I actually fell asleep in between them. I started getting really hot. Michael got a cold cloth to put on my face and neck. I just kept saying over and over to myself, "It's only one minute, I can do anything for one minute!" I pictured my body opening like a flower.
I had a few really strong contractions where I felt like I had to let everything bulge and open. I was bearing down but didn't realize it. This happened about every 3 or 4 contractions for a while. Beth came in at one point when I did that and asked me if I was pushing. I said, "A little."
She left again and my mom came in. A few more contractions later and I had a really strong contraction and an uncontrollable urge to push. I felt the baby slip under my pubic bone. I announced very calmly, "It's coming." My mom jumped up and yelled down the hall for Beth.
Beth came in, lifted up the blanket that was covering me and said, "Yes, it's coming." She asked me if I wanted to turn over (since I was still on my hands and knees). I told her, "Not yet." I was comfortable and didn't want to risk messing that up. I was thinking I was going to have to push a while. She told me, "This baby is coming with the next contraction so if you want to turn over, you need to do it now." I said that I would just stay where I was.
Next contraction, I pushed. My water broke. It was so instinctual. No one had to tell me what to do. When the contraction was over, I stopped. Beth said that the baby was out to it's ears. I remember thinking, "That's it." It sure felt like more than that. Then, the next contraction, the baby's head was born. It was so controlled and calm. Beth said, "That looks like a girl's face." I remember thinking, "That sure is a risky thing to say to someone who doesn't know the sex of her baby."
Next contraction, I felt the baby turn and kick its way out as I pushed. My baby was born at 5:45 a.m. (Just 2 hours and 15 minutes after my first contraction). I collapsed on the bed and thought to myself, "I can't believe it. I did it. It's over. Thank God it's over!"
It had to have only been seconds but it felt like much longer, I heard everyone exclaim, "It's a girl!" Oh yeah, I just had a baby! I perked up and turned myself over (with some careful maneuvering since she was still attached to me) and grabbed my baby girl and looked into her eyes for the first time. I couldn't believe it. I had a girl. Sadie Lucille. Within minutes of her birth, Jonah and my dad came in. I had wanted them in the room, but it happened so fast there wasn't time.
She was so beautiful and perfect and had a ton of jet black hair. After a few hours, they took Sadie to the nursery. My dad came back to tell me how much she weighed. 9 lbs. 8 oz.!!! I cried. I couldn't believe something that big came out of me. Wow.
It was definitely my easiest and least painful birth. In fact, I wouldn't describe it as painful at all. It was just very intense. Michael was so wonderful. His quiet, gentle support kept me focused and calm. It was all so peaceful and amazing. The only thing that would have made it better is if I would have had her at home!
Happy Birthday Sadie Bug! I love you! You bring so much joy to my life and to everyone who knows you!
