Welcome Madeleine Luna!

On November 7th, 2016, we welcomed the newest member of our family into the world. She is happy, healthy, and beautiful! This is the story of her birth.It seems to be a trend with me. Just like with Drake and Devin, this birth story starts with a date for an induction. I was about halfway through my 39th week when I had an ultrasound that confirmed that Maddie would be a big baby. No one was surprised. We all suspected she would be big because Drake and Devin were both big, but this confirmed it. She measured 10 pounds exactly at that point.

So my midwife decided induction would be best, and I agreed. I would start the long induction process on Sunday night with plans that she would be born on her due date which was Monday.

I hoped and wished that she would come before the induction (which happened with Devin) because I preferred laboring without Pitocin, but little Maddie refused to budge.

Sunday night I went in and the doctors gave me Cervidil to help things along. By morning, it was giving me crazy contractions. I called Damian and told him to get to the hospital before the nurse checked on me because the contractions were so close together. They removed the Cervidil and checked me before Damian arrived. I was a measly 2 cm dilated and the contractions stopped immediately. I panicked for nothing, but at least Damian didn't miss any of the action.

They started my Pitocin around 8:30 am. At the birth center, you can move around, eat, and drink as much as you want. They don't check your cervix every 5 minutes (thank goodness). I basically stayed in my room, paced quite a bit, and waited, anxiously for things to get moving.

The contractions weren't bad most of the time. I was able to breathe through them and rest in between. No problem really. If that was all labor was, everyone would be doing it! Around 1:30 pm they came in to check on my progress. At first the midwife thought I was only 2 cm still, but then she said “oh no, 4cm! We can break your water!”

I was happy because I knew that would speed things along, and I really wanted to have my baby and get all the painful parts over with. Once my water was broken, they had to kind of push on the baby's head a bit so the water could come out. Her head was blocking the way. The actually breaking of the water isn't painful, but the pushing on the head and such was pretty uncomfortable, basically like a prolonged cervix check.

Finally, they left me to it. My contractions picked up quickly. I already told the midwife that I would probably want some pain medicine, so my nurse was ready to give it to me when I asked for it. At 2:30 pm,  I told my nurse I was going to wait until 3:00 for my pain medication, but I didn't make it. At 2:45 pm, I called her in and asked for the goods (Nubain, I believe). The pain was real. I was in an odd mindset with this labor. I really didn't want to go through it. I wish I'd had a better mindset as I think it would have helped, but there you have it.

The medication almost put me to sleep. I remember thinking about all sorts of random things, and every so often, I'd feel a contraction, but mostly I was feeling just fine. The medication makes you super relaxed, and  it has always helped me get through the transition phase of labor. I'd do it again in a second!

An hour later, I began to feel the contractions again, and they were intense. I asked the nurse if there was anything else they could give me and she said we could do the intrathecal, and I thought about it. It is similar to an epidural, but you can usually still feel a bit and you aren't hooked up to it constantly. Like I said, I was very resistant to the pain this labor. I said I wanted it.

Too bad for me though! My midwife came in to check me, and I was 9 cm dilated. She said I could still have the intrathecal, but that likely the baby would be here before they got it to me.

Rock and a hard place. I told her not to bother with it, and labored on for about half an hour. I was not pleasant. There was a good amount of yelling/groaning through contractions and a fair bit of whining that I didn't want to do it in between. I'm not proud of it, but it was how I was feeling in the moment, so there you have it. I didn't yell at anyone, so I suppose that is good.

After those 30 minutes, I was in the middle of a contraction when I felt Maddie drop past my cervix. It was an odd sensation and not one I remember with my first two. It felt like a popping cork. I told my nurse something was happening. She checked, and I knew she would bump into the baby's head because I could feel where her head was. And so she did. She calmly called in the midwife and another nurse, who were there in less than a minute. I pushed once more, and then again, and then Madeleine Luna was born.

I held her against me, but I was in a position where I couldn't see her well. Once all the cleanup was done, I looked at my beautiful girl, and fell in love instantly. It is the moment that makes me forget all that happened before, and the moment that makes me want more babies. For me, in this moment, I have always felt an immediate connection to my new baby. I loved them instantly and always. My heart leaps to care for my baby, and that desire doesn't go away.

For video footage from the big day, check out my video on YouTube.