I'm going to start my story on Thursday March 22, 2012. I went in for what would end up being my last prenatal visit to my Doctor, I was 39w 3d. I had an ultrasound done and Brayden was VERY low and everything was looking good. My Doctor said I was already 2cm dilated and very thinned out, she did not think I would make it past the weekend.
My Mother, who lived 2 hours away, was planning on coming down for the birth and staying for a week after. So I called her and told her what my Doctor had said so that she could be ready to come when I went into labor. Sunday morning, the day before my due date, she showed up on my door step bags in her hands. "You're staying?" I asked, a little shocked, (she had had 5 kids of her own, she know babies usually did not come just because it was their "due date") hoping that I would not end up being a week late and her visit be in vain! So we decided we would try to "kick-start" my labor and took a long walk together that evening. It does not hurt to try right?? :)
That night I woke up at 1:40am (March 26th) to use the bathroom (something I had been having to do several times a night for the last month lol). While in the bathroom I had a contraction, nothing bad...no pain, just felt like the braxton hicks I had been having over the last month or so. When I got back in bed I had a few more and was having a hard time going back to sleep, so I decided I would time them...2min....2min....2min.... WOW they are kind of close together I thought! By this time I was starting to feel uncomfortable laying in bed and felt like I wanted to get up and move. So I got up, got some water and wandered around the house in the dark alone while I continued to time my growing contractions. 30 minutes later and still every 2 min apart I went in to wake up my Mom. She asked how far apart my contractions were, "2min", and how long I had been having them, "40min". At that she jumped up a little shocked and said "Lets GO!" So I woke up my Husband and we got ready to head to the hospital. (while getting ready to leave my hubby asked me if there was such a thing as "faults labor" lol)
Once we arrived at the hospital my contractions were getting stronger but I was still able to walk and talk through them. I was put in an observation room so they could monitor my contractions for a bit to determine if I was really in labor and if they were going to keep me. At that point they checked to see how dilated I was and found that I was already 6cm! Needless to say they did not send me home, and I was transferred to an LD&R room. Because I wanted to have a natural birth with as little intervention as possible, they hooked me up to a wireless monitor system so that I was still free to move and walk around, I could even get in the shower with it!! They wanted to start an IV line just in case I needed it in an emergency, even though we did not plan on using it. But my veins in my hands are SO hard to find, that I ended up throwing up while the nurse was pushing and digging around trying to find a good vein, so once it was finally in they had to give my some fluids :(
At this point it was about 4:30am and I had wanted to walk the halls, but my contractions were getting so intense that I opted for sitting on the birthing ball instead, which helped out tremendously! At around 6am my contractions were getting pretty strong and very close together and I wanted to lay down in the bed. My nurse came in and checked me again at this point and I was 9cm! We started to worry now if my Doctor, who had been with me through all my pregnancies, was going to make it in time! She was suppose to come in at 7am, but it was already 6:20am and I was almost complete! At 7am sharp my Doctor walked in the room. She checked me, broke my waters (which had stayed intact this whole time), said I was complete and that I could start pushing at anytime. Which was good since I was started to feel the urge to push!!
After just 20min of pushing, and 6 hours of labor total, Brayden James entered the world at 7:39am! He was SO perfect and he was my MIRACLE! He was able to be placed on my chest right away and we enjoyed bonding in his first moments of life!
Today Brayden is a healthy, thriving 9 month old! We are still enjoying Breastfeeding, cloth-diapering, and baby wearing. And most of all watching our miracle grow and learn everyday!
* (Brayden was born our Rainbow baby after 3 pregnancy losses. The still birth of our first son, Evin at 20 weeks gestation in Nov. 2010, and 2 early miscarriages in 2011)
