Evelyn Kate arrived on 12.2.12 (pip)

babymama1212 · December 2012

After 32 (yes, you read that right... 32) hours of labor, Evelyn was born weighing 8lbs 6oz and was 20.5" long.

Quick Birth Story: I was due on 12.1.12, however I lost my mucus plug on Monday November 26th. I had random light contractions throughout the week. On Thursday I had a chiropractic adjustment and a massage. On the drive home from the massage I started having timeable contractions about 7 minutes a part. DH and I hung out at home and tried to ignore them as best we could because they were still far a part and not that strong. By 11pm they just died out and we went to bed, sad it wasn't baby day.

On Friday, November 30th I had a few contractions starting at 8pm. We had dinner plans with friends that I didn't want to break, so we went ahead and met up with them. I had contractions throughout dinner that I tried to ignore. DH didn't even know I was having them. I would just try to look away and breathe through them. Because we did the Bradley method - I was trying to work on controlling the pain naturally from the very beginning.

Once we got home from dinner I decided we should time them and they were already 5 minutes apart and getting stronger. I labored at home until 2am when the contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and I couldn't talk through them. When we checked into the hospital (on Saturday, Dec 1) I was 3cm.

3.5 hours later, I was 4cm. Then, I got into the shower and bounced on a yoga ball while DH sprayed me down with water. It felt awesome. I was in the shower for 5 hours straight. When I got out, I was at a 7cm - but the pain was so great I didn't think I could continue without meds. The baby was still really high and I started getting the desire to bare down... so I did for about 3 hours. It was the most painful thing ever. I finally requested an epidural and had to wait an hour for the doctor to arrive.

Once I got the epi - I was able to sleep for 2.5 hours (first sleep since Thursday!). Once I woke up I continued to labor for several hours to only be an 8cm. At that point, I had been laboring about 29.5 hours and my doctor was getting worried there was a reason the baby wasn't coming down. They checked me and decided her head was transverse and not coming down into my pelvis very well. She gave me another hour and a half to make some progress or we needed to discuss a c-section. When she came back 1.5 hours later, I was only 8.5cm - but progress was progress. She gave me another hour. When she arrived back in an hour - I was at a 10cm. I couldn't believe it.

An hour of pushing (and a 2nd degree tear) and Evelyn was born at 3:38am and was placed on my stomach. That is the moment I experienced love at first sight. It was just incredible.

Evelyn is a great baby and I'm surprised at how well sleeping and breastfeeding has been going. My recovery has been difficult, but obviously, all worth it!

Here are a few photos I took:

In her "going home" outfit from the hospital:

Her hair and eyes just melt my heart:

First bath at home: