What the special day was like...Birth #2

On Sunday the 27th, it was a very nice day. Elise had a cold and I didn't want her to get the other children at church sick with a cough, so I stayed home while Curtis went. Later that evening, we wanted to get out and enjoy our Sunday as a little family. We headed down to the river. I love moments like this, little did I know that it was going to be the last family outing with just the three of us!

The river was FREEZING! Elise waded in it and i couldn't believe she didn't mind the cold. I dipped my feet in, so i could be close enough to get her if she went too far out or fell. Curtis enjoyed taking pictures. I had to take breaks from the river. It literally hurt me feet, like they were burning! (Which, we think may have aided in the stimulation of me going into labor-the feet are very sensitive and connect with a lot of organs in the body through pressure points.) But, who knows?

We then headed over at 7pm to our friends house who invited us over to have amazing angel food cake. We had a great time and decided to play a card game. It all started at 9pm. I remember thinking, my contractions are kind of regular, but didn't think much of anything because they felt like the Braxton Hix contractions that I had. As we were walking home I thought, "you know these could be it". It was 9:30ish and Elise was not in bed, Curtis was putting on a movie that our neighbors let us borrow (which was a little odd-we usually wait till little girl is in bed to put on the movie) They started watching it all cute and cozy together...but i felt i needed to finish the dishes. Contractions still there, but not very bothersome. i wasn't really paying attention or keeping track of time. Thinking back now--they were probably coming every 5 minutes, but totally didn't feel bad. After the dishes, I knew I needed to get Elise in bed, but I felt I really needed to finish packing my hospital bag and just get it ready just in case. So I went upstairs while they continued to watch the movie.

At 10pm I told Curtis that this was it! We kind of dilly dallied a bit, then the contractions got worse, and I knew we really needed to get to the hospital. After hearing that, Curtis was still into the movie, and I had to tell him to turn it off, It was distracting him too much! He started to call people to arrange for watching Elise, and ended up that Curtis' Sister-in-law from Payette was on her way.

I felt we could not wait any longer at home, so we would meet at the Meridian St. Lukes hospital and they would pick her up there. We arrived at the hospital. My contractions were distracting enough, that I started to need some coping. The best coping method I used was to get on my hands and knees and breath through the contractions, trying to relax my body as much as possible. It helped. I had to do a couple in the parking lot of the hospital. Curtis, Elise and I went up and as I signed the paperwork, the lady seamed to just take her time, and I was thinking, man, this is getting quite uncomfortable leaning against this counter for my contractions...I wanted to get in there as soon as possible and get in the tub or something!! I was trying to go without the epidural this time around.

They finally admitted me into triage at 11:10pm and hooked me up to be monitored. I asked how long, and they said it has to be 20 minutes. That long?! I felt like i needed to refuse that! But of course didn't. Contractions came harder, and I had to concentrate more. Around 12 minutes into it, the contractions got strong enough, that I once again had the urge to push with them...and I though "Oh, No!! Not again, I don't know if I can handle this feeling again, and going against it...especially if labor will be long." With Elise, I had the uncontrollable urge to push early, and they told me not to push or I would rip my cervix! So I opted for the epidural.

The nurse went away then came back shortly, probably getting the ok to send me into the Labor and Delivery room. She had not checked me yet, and she said that we could go ahead and go into the Labor room (I was admitted!) BUT, she still needed to monitor me for 5 minutes more. Are you kidding? She checked me and I was at a 5...great, having the urge to push at a 5...thinking I will probably end up with the epidural.

I tried to rip off the monitor straps, but she said no and I had to keep them on. Elise was still with us, Curtis was carrying her and our bags. We headed and walked down the hall. Not just a couple steps out the triage door, and I had another contraction. There was nothing to lean on, Curtis' arms were full, so I just bent down and went on my hands and knees. Curtis put pressure on the middle of my hips and helped relive the pain. I had told him at home that it would help a lot, and It really did. It ended. Got up, a couple more steps...oh, another one coming, bent down, same thing...but Curtis was slacking. Still holding Elise and the bags, he gave the pressure and then let off early...HOLY COW, what he did really helped...so I hit his leg letting him know he needs to do it more. Come to find out, he was trying to free his hands and help, and apparently I had smacked him pretty hard on his leg...he wouldn't let that go later after the delivery! :)

Elise had come around to my face, which I am so glad she couldn't see my face since it was faced to the ground, but she was petting my head saying "Ok Mama, Ok?" She is so sweet. That one let up, another couple steps and I was starting to say sorry to Curtis, because I wouldn't be able to do it, I wanted the epidural. After those short couple steps we were finally in the door to the delivery room...just barely and then another contraction...same think on the floor. They were asking me if I could just get to the bed and I was trying!!! What am I supposed to do with nothing to lean on for support?? I was not going to just stop and stand there and take the contraction, I would probably crumble to the floor, and would have been excruciating.

The last couple of contractions as Curtis put pressure on my hips, It almost felt like the pain just went away and I was able to relax VERY well. This was amazing. I knew it because he had let up just a little, and the pain was horrible. He put the pressure on, and it was relieved!!

That one let up and I was seriously trying to get to the bed, but I really didn't want to also knowing that I would be on my back, which made it even worse. Being on my hands and knees helped my cope with the urge to push and relax the best that I could. Laying flat on my back was horrible! I remember asking "Could I be on my hands and knees in the bed while you do the rest of the monitoring?" I think she was okay with that because it would at least get me on the bed. I got close to the bedside and another contraction hit (now...just think, the room is not that big...these contractions were coming fast together). So I bent down on hands and knees. Nurses still asking If I could get in the bed. Curtis wanted to set the bags and Elise down, and told them what to do to help me. They asked me if I could get to the bed, and I apparently just crawled a little more to the bed, so now I am right by the bed. Curtis was going around the bed to set Elise down...out of view of everything. He remembers me saying the baby is coming. At that point I think my body took over and just knew what to do. I started shaking really bad, and Curtis remembers seeing that. The baby was coming down. My water broke and I heard someone say she was crowing, then my body pushed and out her head came, then another little push and the rest of her shot out. I am so glad someone was there to catch her. Then I remember hearing Curtis' feet turning around and him saying "Oh!" He had just turned around from putting Elise down and there the nurse was holding the baby! They clamped and cut the cord and started doing their thing with baby, and then one of the nurses was like, "now can you get on the bed? We still need to deliver the placenta." I laughed a little and finally was able to get in the bed. The doc came in the room not long after and did the rest. I needed a little stitching were I had torn before with Elise, but he said it was not bad at all.

I think I was more worried about my cervix than anything else at that moment. I thought it was not possible to go from a 5 to a 10 in that short amount of time! I must have ripped my cervix... but everyone clearly reassured me that If I just had the baby, I was ready, and if I ripped my cervix that I would have definitely known. The doc checked and I was fine! Yay!

It was totally not what I had thought would happen, It was too fast to even think about what just happened. I was waiting for this glorious moment or feeling, but it just happened quickly that I didn't have time to soak in everything. Let alone, I wasn't even aware of what was happening around me because my face was to the floor.

Apparently they had called a lot of people in, and were surprised that the baby was coming so quickly. The special NICU nurse ran in not prepared, and had to use another nurses equipment, and I was glad that the nurse that delivered was her 4th birth.

Elise did not see anything, just hearing and then seeing a baby in the room. Curtis immediately took Elise in his arms and went to go look at her new baby sister. It was a good experience for all of us. Elise's Aunt came to pick her up just after all of this, and Curtis walked in on them and said "did you want to see the baby?" They were so shocked that she had already came! They were able to come in and see, then took Elise for the next couple of days.

It was great, almost unreal, and now we think that the next time around when I think I may be in labor...no waiting around! Get to the hospital quick!

We were glad that Ayla was born healthy, and that my body recovered quickly from the fast labor. Everyone thinks, including me, that the next time around as soon as i feel it's the real thing, i should get to the hospital right away! Just in case. Because with forty minutes in the hospital, next time i will need more time if they have to monitor that long and for me to have somewhat more of relaxed time in the Labor and Delivery room. :)