Labor of Love! The Birth Story

She's here! Little Charlotte {Charlie} Mae entered into our physical lives on May 4th 2014 at 4:01pm. She weighed in at 7lbs 13oz and 20.5in. She's as healthy as can be and adjusting well.

To say that we are overjoyed is an understatement. But, her arrival was anything but easy compared the "cake walk" of a pregnancy that we had. It never crossed my mind that the labor would be difficult - let alone 40 hours. My mom and my sister both had very easy and speedy deliveries. Just goes to show that everyone's situation is unique. For those that have been asking, here is the story of her very anticipated debut!

It's quite lengthy. If you want general updates on the first couple weeks... stay tuned for the next post.

May 3: At 1:30 I felt a pressure and "pop" that seemed somewhat like water breaking but not quite. We checked into the hospital at 2:30am after being encouraged to get checked by the on-call OB. I was dilated 2cm but my bag of waters was in tact. At 4:30am we progressed to 4cm with contractions 5-6 minutes apart. It was then that I slept for about 2 hours until I could consult with the doctor. At 8am we decided to go home - Although it was clear we were in early labor I preferred to labor at home in the comfort of my bed. The nurses all thought I was crazy and said that most woman would stay and have their water broken. Not me! I was able to take a bath and nap for another hour but then my contractions were strong enough to hinder sleep. At 4pm I called my OB again because my contractions were 4 minutes apart but would sometimes jump to 6 or 8 minutes. She said to wait until 3 mins apart or a 9-10 on a pain scale. Okeedokee! So, what is a girl to do.... go to a BBQ of course! Although I was uncomfortable, I thought the distraction of Brendon's 30th birthday party would take the focus off of my discomfort rather than staying home. I was right! But, it wasn't always fun breathing through contractions while socializing, eating, and attempting to enjoy a bonfire. We went home at 9:30 and sleep at that point just wasn't possible...

May 4: Between midnight and 3am my contractions got much stronger. I tried several positions while Eric slept. Laying down, all fours, walking, sitting on the toilet leaning on a table, ect... At 4am Eric woke to me rocking the bed as I was breathing through a contraction. I told him I was "fine" and that I was stuck at 6-8 minute contractions again so we shouldn't go in yet. Thankfully he was level-headed because he trumped my stubborn ways and drove to the hospital anyway. My birth plan was to avoid an epidural if possible unless it meant gaining sleep. Well, over 24 hours of labor and only a few hours of sleep.... I needed the juice if I was going to push out a baby. Our nurse reassured us that an epidural was designed for this type of labor - as a tool to help a woman rest up for the hardest work a woman can fulfill. By 7am I had gotten an hour of sleep and my OB checked me. 4-5cm, 90% effaced, but slower contractions. It was then decided to get things moving. They broke my water and then added Pitocin. By 9:30 we were dilated to a 6. YAY! Two more checks, many contractions, and increased discomfort later.... no progress. We then tried using gravity by changing my position. Still no luck. By 3:30 we were still at a 6. It was then that our OB informed us that my uterus was tired, my body was swelling "below," and little muffin's heart rate was dropping slightly. Her head was simply too big to fit through the canal.

Eric and I didn't need to talk it over. We knew right away that a C-section would be best even though we had hoped to have a vaginal delivery. We made a couple calls to family and 20 minutes later we were in the operating room. {It must be mentioned that my husband looks unbelievably sexy in scrubs!}

Our sweet baby girl was pulled from my body and immediately handed to Eric. I was intently listening to everything from behind my sterile curtain. That moment when I heard Charlotte's first screams I swelled full of tears! It seemed like she was crying for 10 minutes while Eric was saying, "Oh baby girl" over and over in an effort to comfort her. Then he walked her over to me and I kissed her sweet face and the face of the man that stood by me and supported me every minute of the labor process and the last 9 months.

We were able to bond for an hour in the recovery room and little Charlie caught on to breastfeeding right away. What an awesome time we had being 3 instead of 2! Every pain, every ache, every hesitation was erased and I blissfully let myself fall into the awe of holding our daughter. We then welcomed visitors for a couple hours - which, in the future I will delay since we could have benefited more from sleep than commotion. Lesson learned. None the less, the visits from friends and family were warm and well received. Once everyone left Charlotte got her first bath and we were off to bed! Eric slept in my hospital bed with me - not only are those recliners only so comfortable - I just wanted to be snuggled by my husband.... even if I was in pain and a huge diaper. Haha!

The next day was spent recovering. I was happy to have my IV and catheter removed so I could move freely around our room. It was then that I realized that I truly had undergone major surgery. Just sitting up was difficult but Eric and our nurses were very helpful. I loved the quiet moments at the hospital - witnessing the first hiccups, breast feeding, watching her lift her little noggin off my chest with her strong neck, watching her "hold" her own pacifier against her tiny face, inspecting all of her fingers and toes.... so in love! And, I enjoyed the visitors too, but it was always so overwhelming -- maybe because there were sooo many people that came and went throughout the day.... including a jillion hospital personnel.

Papa!

Grandma Patti, Nora, and Mike

"Cousin" Miles

The night of the 5th our favorite nurse, Amy, told Eric that we were doing well and that if we wanted to discharge early, she would approve it. Heck yes! We decided to discharge on the 6th even though staying an extra day would have given me more time to heal. But, after such a long process I just wanted to be home. And, my dog wanted me home too! That same night Eric reported that Ported had gotten into all kinds of things in the house and destroyed them... all my things. I think that he was confused that Eric was home once or twice a day but I wasn't... and he could smell me. To him, I left in pain and I wasn't returning.

The morning of the 6th I had my 16 staples removed. We slowly packed our things and made sure everything was in order. Leaving those automatic sliding doors of the hospital was like stepping into the first day of kindergarten! So much wonder, eagerness, hesitation, excitement, and joy all in one. It was particularly excited since I felt as if I hadn't seen the light of day in a week. And, it was the perfect day. The sun was shining and the air was warm! I went into our home first so I could reassure my dog that I was still alive and well. He acted particularly strange - he didn't come to the door when I opened it or when I called. It was then convinced that he ate something and was hiding out of fear. I walked into my room to find him crawling on his belly on our bed  - now convinced that he had eaten something and was impailed and dying! Why wasn't he coming to me!?! Eventually I got close enough and he sprung up to kiss me. And.... then he proceeded to pee uncontrollably on my bed.... just like a puppy. WHAT!?! Oh well! I was happy to be home and see him. And, he was eager to meet the baby. He kissed her and laid beside her car seat. So sweet.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post about our first 2 weeks as a new family!