Devin's Birth Story: Giving Birth to My Second Baby

Devin, my second born, my sweet, little cave man. Just like with Drake, this birth story started with an appointment to be induced. I was almost 40 weeks, showing no signs that labor would come any time soon, and according to my ultrasound, I was going to have another big baby. My appointment was for 5 o’clock on a Wednesday so that they could let the medicines do their work overnight, and I would be able to labor more intensely during the day after a good night’s sleep. They called Wednesday morning, however, to move my appointment to the next night because the birth center was full. Although I was disappointed, it was no problem. What’s one day?

Well, as fate would have it, the next morning I woke up around 6 am with strong cramping in my lower stomach. I thought I needed to use the bathroom, but when that didn’t help stop the cramps, I figured out that I was having contractions. For about three hours, they were consistent, getting stronger, and becoming closer together, and then they stopped. I would have one every 20 minutes or less. They were very painful and at some point during the day, they began causing excruciating pain in my lower back. But, I wasn’t sure if I was really in labor at all because they were so sporadic. Everything you read and your doctor tells you about labor contractions is that they get stronger and closer together, and that  wasn’t happening for me.

Our original plan was that Damian would drop me off at the hospital and return home to be with Drake once I settled in, but since we thought I might be in labor, we decided he would wait until they checked in on me.

Damian’s mom came over to watch Drake shortly before our appointment. We stopped at the Panera Bread drive thru, and I remember the contractions picking up as I gripped the door handle. I enjoyed my soup and sandwich despite them. Then we stopped at Damian’s work to drop off some (late) FMLA paperwork, and headed to the hospital.

We were a little early, so we waited in the car and snapped this picture. As we were about to go in, I crossed my fingers that I didn’t have a contraction as I walked in through the door because I wasn’t sure I could continue standing. The back pain was amping up! The belly part of the contraction was completely bearable, but the back pain was not.

We walked in and they brought us to a room. Thankfully, I didn’t have a contraction until I was in the safety of my room! I informed the person checking me in I thought I was having contractions, but they weren’t getting closer together. I changed into my gown, went to the bathroom, and collapsed into the bed. People were trying to talk to me, but my contractions were serious, and I wasn’t about the talking. I kept wondering how the expected me to answer, and why they kept pestering me.

Finally around 6pm the midwife came in, and I promptly announced I would like some pain medicine as soon as possible. She smiled and said it was a good sign because people don’t usually ask for pain meds unless they are in labor. I barely heard her. I just wanted her to go fetch the nurse for my IV.

She checked me, laughed again, and said, “You’re 7 centimeters dilated! You’re having a baby tonight!” Poor Damian was in the middle of a horrible cold.. He grabbed an energy drink and a sudafed and geared up for the big moment.

A nurse came in and gave me my IV with the pain medication, and I felt my whole body relax. The medicine doesn’t stop the pain all that well, but helped me relax, and in that moment, I needed to relax. About an hour after that, they broke my water, and I dilated the rest of the way soon after.

At 9pm, after 15 minutes or so of pushing, my precious little Devin was born. Only he wasn’t little! At 22 inches long and 11 pounds and 3 ounces, he was the biggest baby my doctor had ever delivered without a c-section! He was perfect! Unlike Drake, Devin screamed and cried! He wasn’t too happy about being out in the world, but we were happy to have him.

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