RP from 3rd Tri... Madeleine's Birth Story and Pic

This is a little overdue, but the past week has been crazy! Madeleine Carroll was born Monday, November 23rd at 1:07 pm at 36 weeks, 3 days. She was 5lbs even and 18 3/4 in. long.

I went into labor last Sunday at 11:45pm. During the day DH and I went apartment hunting because we were trying to find a community we liked before the baby was born because we knew looking around with a baby would be difficult (we're moving in February). Afterwards we went to Crate and Barrell. On the way home I felt incredibly crampy, but didn't think anything of it because I had been crampy on and off for two weeks. I came home and made dinner and relaxed for the rest of the night. I went to bed at 11:30 and then at 11:45 I felt a pop in my belly. All I could think was, "no way," but I went to the bathroom where I began gushing amniotic fluid all over the floor. I walked into the bedroom and woke up DH and said, I think my water just broke and showed him my soaked through undies.

I called my OB at midnight and he told me that if I wasn't having contractions, I could labor at home until the contractions became 5 min apart, but if that didn't happen, I had to go to the hospital by 7am. I tried to sleep, but it wasn't happening so I watched a few movies, bounced on my exercise ball to try and get things going and ate because I knew I wouldn't be able to once I got to the hospital. I soaked through about 10 of the extra heavy flow overnight pads within the 7 hour time frame. I began contracting, but nothing really strong or regular, so DH and I headed to the hospital at 7am. I had time to shower and do my hair and makeup and make sure I had everything I wanted in my hospital bag.

I was admitted to the hospital at about 7:45am. By that time the contractions were starting to become painful and were about 5 minutes apart. The doctor came in and checked my progress (which was perhaps the most painful part of everything!) and I was 3cm dilated, 80% effaced and -1 station. I let them know I did not want any narcotics and it was noted and never mentioned again. I hadn't wanted pitocin, but it was explained to me that it was necessary because my water had broken and my contractions were not strong enough yet so there was a potential risk of infection.

I received the pitocin drip at around 9am and by 10am I was 5cm and the contractions were so strong I was asking for an epidural. The epidural was the most wonderfully amazing thing ever! Almost immediately I stopped feeling the contractions and it relaxed me so much that I started feeling pressure by 11am. At 11:30 I was checked and was ready to go! I was completely in shock that everything went so quickly... I felt like I had just checked in to the hospital!

Pushing was not painful at all with the epidural, although I was able to feel the pressure of the contractions. Pushing was just a lot of hard work... DH said my face turned blue at some point from pushing so hard. It took about an hour and 40 min of pushing before Madeleine was born. I did not have an episiotomy... my OB was massaging my perineum the entire time to avoid tears and I ended up with a very small first degree tear that only required one stitch. I have to say that the feeling of her being born was the biggest sense of relief I had ever felt in my life. Delivering the placenta was not painful at all and happened within 20 minutes of delivery.

Madeleine was blue when she was born so DH did not get to cut the cord and we barely got to see her before they wisked her away to the nursery. DH went to the nursery with her so I was left sitting in the room alone. I felt completely fine and couldn't believe I had just had a baby! I spent the time texting family and friends to let them know she had been born and called my Mom and Dad to tell them to start making their way to the hospital (DH and I didn't want anyone there until after the baby was born).

Because I was breastfeeding, they brought Madeleine to me as soon as possible even though they were concerned about her blood sugar levels because she was so early. I asked for a lactation consultant and one came to help me with my first feeding and taught me how to get her to latch on properly. They then took Madeleine back to the nursery to monitor her sugar levels and said they would bring her to me every few hours to nurse.

I honestly didn't know how it would feel when she was finally born, but I can say that I now know exactly what love at first sight feels like. We have had a rough week with her staying in the hospital for an extra night because of jaundice and then being readmitted over the weekend because her bilirubin levels jumped back up after she went home. We brought her home again yesterday and have a pediatrician appt today to make sure she is good to go now. The past week has been so crazy it feels like a blur, but we're so grateful to have our little girl home with us. I didn't think it possible, but I love my DH even more after seeing him with our little girl and how awesome he has been throughout the past week.

My advice to the future moms... make sure you stand your ground in the hospital. Although 95% of the nurses and doctors at our hospital were absolutely wonderful, there are a few people who will always doubt your parenting decisions. Since I am breastfeeding, I did not want to supplement or give her pacifiers which led to some criticism from nurses. Everytime they tried to talk me into something, I asked to speak directly to my doctor, the baby's doctor or the lactation consultant to make sure I really had to do what they were saying. Although they did end up supplementing our daughter with formula to get her blood sugar up and bilirubin levels down until I was able to pump enough.... we were able to make sure she nursed before supplementing and we have transitioned to EBF well regardless.

Our little turkey is now doing wonderful and I love being a mom. Best of luck toall the future moms and Jingle Bellies!