The last time I posted we had JUST moved to Arkansas.
Well, now we are back in AZ and we just had a baby! SURPRISE!
Life seems to fly by when you aren't documenting it.... or... it just flies by nontheless.
I don't know about you but I LOVE to read birth stories. Each one is different and very unique. Before Selah was born I would spend hours reading births stories, ya know, to kinda prepare me. I cry like a baby when I get to the part about the baby coming into the world and meeting mom for the first time. Gets me every time.
So, with that being said, I hope you all enjoy reading them as much as me. WARNING, I don't spare the details =) Here is Selah's birth story:
Selah Noel was born September 17th, 2015 at 7:44 am. She weighed 7 lb, 7.9 oz and was 19.5 in long.
It all started on September 15th. I went in to my 39 week appoinement with my midwife. As she was asking me questions she asked, "So, have you felt any contractions recently?" I said, "I don't know...what do they feel like?... wait! Feel my belly right now!" So she felt it and sure enough it was a braxton hicks contraction. It didn't hurt at all and just felt like tightening. Honestly I thought Selah was just stretching. Oh, I also lost my mucous plug that morning (YUCK).
Wednesday morning (the 16th), I was still having contractions but I decided I needed to go to the grocery store. If I was going into labor sometime soon we needed the refrigerator stocked!! All the while at the grocery store I kept feeling those tightening sensations. Nothing major. When I got home I had a strong feeling that I had better take a nap just in case I went into labor that night (mommy intuition).
When Dakota got home later that day we headed out on our last date (Isn't this always how it happens?). On the way there, I started having some back pain. All the sudden I didn't feel like going on a date and I really just wanted to get-it-to-go and head back home! So we did (it was Pita Jungle by the way, yummmm). As we were eating I was still having contractions, but they got to the point where I could actually time them and see some type of pattern. They were 10 minutes apart lasting 30 seconds to 1 minute. They still werent painful and sometimes I could barely feel them.
I still wasn't sure if this was the real deal or not... after all...I had read TONS of birth stories and I didn't want to go into the hospital with false labor. So I made Dakota's lunch for the next day and we went to bed. Well, he went to bed. I was awake for the rest of the night timing contractions. I laid in bed for the majority of them just breathing through it and timing them. I really didn't want to wake Dakota up because if this was going to be a long labor I wanted him well rested.
At around 2:00 am my contractions were 5 minutes apart lasting 1 minute. Well, this was progressing wasn't it!? So I took a very long hot shower and on my way out of the shower I tripped on my hospital bag and woke Dakota up. "I'm in labor" I said. "WHAT?!" He jumped out of bed real quick. As he was getting things ready I continued to labor on the bed. I had heard that it feels worse to labor in bed and that I should get up and walk around to help with the contractions. But honestly, for me, I felt more comfortable and relaxed when I was laying in bed. When I got on the labor ball, or when Dakota tried pushing on my back, I HATED it. Seriously weird. But you have to do what works best for you!
We left for the hospital around 3:30 am. I don't really remember the car ride. It was a big blur. When we walked up to the ER I told them I was in labor and they said "It doesn't look like you are in labor". Que the next contraction!
Sitting in the wheelchair on the way up was seriously the worst. It pushed Selah's head against my back and made the pain much more intense. And of course the whole way up the nurse is just chatting away asking me all sorts of stupid questions that I would rather not answer.
Once we got up to triage they checked me and I was 5 cm! YAY! It was at this time that I started getting really shaky and I threw up a few times (it actually felt good to throw up... took my mind off of the contractions). This continued on until she was born. The nurses said that was a good thing I was having these signs because it meant labor was really progressing.
Well, they took me to a room and Dakota and I got straight into the hot tub. ohmygoodness. That felt amazing. This is where I spent the next 3ish hours. We had instrumental worship playing on my iphone and every time a contraction would start I would focus on deep breathing and Dakota would basically do what I told him to do. Sometimes I wanted him to push on my back, sometimes I didn't want him to touch me at all.
And then all the sudden.. I had this intense. urgent. desperate need to push! Its real what they tell you.. it seriously feels like you have to take the biggest poo of your life. I stood up in the tub and said "Dakota... get the nurse NOW! I HAVE to push!!!" Dakota jumped right out and got water all over the floor while trying to find the call button. It was pretty funny. I got out of the tub and went to the bed; all the while trying my hardest not to start pushing. The nurse checked me and I was a 10! YAY! I had dilated 5 cm in about 3 hours.
On my second push my water broke... or should I say my water exploded. That sure is what it felt like. A water balloon exploding. It kinda scared me. Anyway... I pushed for 30 minutes. It felt... uh... it felt like I was trying to push a basketball out. Pretty much.
Dakota was holding my hand through it all and I remember getting internally mad at him when he left me to go catch Selah. But all was forgiven and forgotten the moment that she came out. All the pain stopped as soon as she was placed on me. I remember looking at her and thinking "Oh my gosh... I did it... she is here... she is so CUTE!" Nothing compares to that moment. I thought I would cry... but I was so elated and excited that she was out that I think I forgot to cry. I was on a high!! Dakota didn't cry either which really surprised me. We were both all smiles (until later when we got alone time with her... that is when the tears came).
So, that is her/our story. No IV, no pain medication. It was immensely better than I thought it would be. Shoot, I didn't even miss a meal! I ate dinner, went through labor, and ate breakfast minutes after she was born. I am very thankful to God for a non-eventful labor and delivery, and I am extremely grateful to have such a beautiful healthy little girl. Thank you Lord.
More updates to follow about her growth =)
