labor + delivery

wowzers.  i just reread jack's labor + delivery post to make sure i included the same info in maddy's and i can't even believe it.  i'm a total hormonal wreck, but i also haven't quite realized what we just did!  it's absolutely amazing how different the stories of my kiddos' births are - and i wouldn't have it any other way.  a healthy boy and healthy girl.  we are so, so happy.

maddy's birth:


pete and i spent the day installing our new dryer - complete with re-running ducts inside the laundry room wall and hooking up water for our 'steam' feature.  awesome dryer work!  we made trips back and forth to home depot, squatted, bent, leaned, and at one point climbed, to get the work done.  i vaguely remember contractions throughout the day, but did my best to ignore them so i didn't feel like i was in labor for days.  i may have paused a time or two to catch my breath, but all-in-all, they were manageable and ignorable.

8:44pm - i noticed a particularly strong contraction that i had to 'breathe' through and decided to take note of the time.  jack was sleeping next to me on the couch and we had an animal show on, so i didn't say anything to pete.
8:51pm - next contraction
8:58pm - another
9:05m - another
we took jack to bed, and went to lie down ourselves.  i mentioned that tonight might be the night to pete, and we settled for some rest.  i didn't have any other 'signs' {dropping or a 'show'}
i called my mom and let her know to keep her phone by her side, just in case.   the plan was to have her come over if we went into labor in the middle of the night, then take jack to her house in the am.
10:51pm - while pete slept, i kept experiencing painful contractions.  i was breathing through them and managing the pain, but they got closer and more painful, so i called my mom to come over.
i gave her the ipad to time them, but she ended up coaching me and monitoring my pain instead of keeping consistent time.  our best guess was that they were 3-4 minutes apart.  i told her i kept feeling like i had to use the restroom, so she suggested i wake pete and take a trip to the hospital.  we were all concerned this labor would go by fast, being my second, so pete and i packed up and went to the hospital around midnight.
12:05am - dr exam, no dilation.  like i was maybe a 'one' {very frustrated jen}  they sent me on a 2hour walk thinking that would for sure send me past 2 so i could be admitted.  we walked and walked.  and it was hard - contractions hurt.  i was dehydrated and had to pee every restroom {that's a lot in a hospital!}, and we went back for another look.
2:30am - dr exam.  still.no.freaking.dilation.  same as previous exam.  they sent me packing home after i cried to the dr about my baby most likely being sunny-side-up (like jack) and expressing that i didn't think i would ever dilate.  i get super dramatic about things, and this even was no exception!  they said to rest and come back if a. my water broke, b. there was bleeding, or c. i started swearing and stuff at pete {i was all, i could do that now -- these contractions hurt!!!}
3:00am - home.  trying to sleep.
and rest and sleep and rest.  in between contractions, that HURT.  i had to manage my pain closely, every time i didn't, things would seem out of control.  it was exhausting on one hand, but i got the hang of it and was able to sleep between the contractions.  {it's actually super refreshing to sleep for a minute, surprisingly!}  my contractions were still about 3-4 minutes apart.
11:30am - {jack was still here hanging with pete} jack came in the room to cuddle me for a second and then left with my mom to watch the 49ers game.  she came in to talk to me and noticed the focus i needed and what happened when i didn't.  i expressed my 'plan' of 20 hours of labor, then back to the drs.  that got me at home, laboring, self-managing the pain, {read: out of the medical world's plans for interventions and away from the temptation of the epidural}.  pete and i agreed we'd head back to the drs at 4:00pm.
2:00pm - i drag myself out of the bedroom to walk and tell pete that i'm done.  maybe we'll go at 3:00pm.  i tell him that i feel like i'm not dilating and we discuss what to do at the hospital.  if i'm at a one still, what?  a four, what then?  i won't discuss anything past a 4 because i'm SURE i'm not there.  i know {mentally} that my contractions hurt a TON more, but emotionally, i'm sure i'm destined for drugs and possible a c-section, so i'm defeated.  ***
3:00pm - after wandering around the house, using a birthing ball, kneeling, standing, and rocking, i feel like i'm really at the end of my rope {and i'm still sure there isn't any dilation}.  like a good coach, pete holds off and distracts me from the hospital with more positions.  my back is killing me and i KNOW that baby is sunny-side-up.
pete suggested a shower or bath {i'd used water off and on to help, which it did}, so that sounded great.  i got in, on all fours, hugged the ball, and had pete run hot water over my back.
4:15pm - something happened.  i felt a kick, almost pop, but knew my water didn't break.  it made me gasp and my breathing suddenly became very instinctive - puffpuffpuffpuffpuff.   i said we had to go to the hospital.  pete kind of took his time, thinking that he needed to kill a little more before we went rushing back, which i totally appreciate now and was really nice outwardly about at the time, but inside i was screaming, GET ME THERE NOW!!  i had so many contractions, it took us forever to get to the car.  we got in the car and i was puffpuffpuffing and yelling that the baby was coming out!  {it wasn't}.  we called labor and delivery to let them know we were on our way.
4:45pm - water breaks in car.  omg!  all of a sudden i can't not push.  i'm telling pete we'll have to pull over and have the ambulance come.  we call l+d, they say to go straight to the er {they can hear me and it was very movie-like}.
4:55pm - pull into er.  i can barely walk.  wheelchair.  me screaming to get me in a bed.  take my pants off!  is the baby coming out? and maybe some bad words.  sorry er people.
5:00pm - mad dash through hospital, fully dilated and needing to push, er drs want to get me up to l+d for the safest delivery for me and baby.
5:09pm - after a few pushes, baby crowns.  pete sees baby turn around from it's sunny-side-up position, then.... out pops maddy!!!!!  i looked down and yelled, it's a girl?!?!, with the most surprised, overjoyed voice.

***looking back, i totally hit what is called 'transition, 8-10cms' at 2:00, which made me super irrational and emotional. 

most.amazing.experience!  and just what we planned {except i could've tried to get to the hospital a little earlier}