Birth story

False alarms started middle of the night at 38.5 weeks... But didn't build into anything and the next day I wasn't dilated or effaced and that was a Thursday morning. Just some strong braxton hicks at night through the weekend. On Monday, at my 39 week appointment, I was 2 cm and 50% effaced, so excited, and Dr. Shaw "stretched" me. An hour later at 4 pm I started having stronger braxton hicks that seemed to be building. By 8 I called my mom, and by 10 when she got to our house they were dying out. Again, Wed night with the strong braxton hicks picking up in frequency, assuming labor was around the corner, calling Ruth and Izi and then dying out in the middle of the night. I was sleeping every other night, feeling frustrated with my body, worried about induction, and not wanting to be the boy who cried wolf. Fast forward... So the only thing different on Sunday (my due date) was that I had had the craziest nightmares of my life Saturday night, like every hour waking me up, and I also had my first headache since the first trimester. That day I just wanted to lie down, I was irritable, and I felt like withdrawing from everything. At 7 pm I told my mom I felt something shifting/and some intense braxton hicks but that they were probably another false alarm. I knew she was at a family wedding an hour away and at 10 told her they were dying out and to have fun. So when I woke up at 12, my contractions immediately started coming every 4 minutes and I was moaning. We called my mom at 12:30 when it was clear something was definitely happening and she was driving home to CT from the wedding with Bruce and 30 minutes from my house. By the time I got downstairs at 1 they were like 3 minutes apart and I was on the floor with my head on the couch. I needed a hot water bottle for my back pain and couldn't stand up straight. We got into the car and had to stop about 5 times on the way up the maternity floor to breathe through contraction. I settled into a bed at 2 am, 4 cm and 75% effaced, and had my epidural at 3:30. I started shaking, I don't know if it was nerves or hormones or both. I HATED that log feeling, but I calmed down about 90 minutes later and Mo slept while I just relaxed in the bed. At 6:30 when the doctor came to check me I was 6 cm and getting excited. They broke my water. But I needed a little convincing and a little pitocin at 8 to keep things progressing when I hadn't made more progress. We also turned down the epidurdal, thinking it had slowed me down and contractions were still 4 minutes apart.. After an hour we stopped it because the baby wasn't reacting well to it but luckily the contractions stayed at 2 minutes apart and getting stronger. So when I woke Mo up at 10 because I started feeling like pushing, I also started feeling contractions near my cervix that were intense and I had to breathe/moan through. At 11 I was really feeling the pressure and pain and we waited 30 minutes for it to build so strong I wouldn't have to do much work, she came out at 12:00 and the pushing wasn't so bad and I forgot the pain. Written to friends, Gonna have a recovery this week, second degree natural tears, but had great doctor. And she's delicious!!! At first she was so dark and hair looked black so I thought Mo's twin but she looks so much like Hudson after she got cleaned up, esp when he was born!!! SO sad, because Hudson is so into this and he has his first cold in like months and maybe eye infection, I know they'll have the rest of their lives but would have been so great to have him around. We still brought him in and held him up to see, facetime, etc. Ruth and Izi traded off with my mom last night. I can't wait to see Teddy in a few minutes. Forgot how sweet the newborn phase is so going to soak in this last round. I'm going home tomorrow and will have to recover this week, dry up my boobs, all that fun stuff and can't get wait to get back into it next week. Going to be so much fun with Mo off until labor day and extra help and then will figure out life with two... although it's really just breakfast and then from 3-7 every day because of Hudson's school and activities. I've lined up some help for year that will make huge difference. That's the story!!! Milk engorgement and hemorrhoids no joke!!! Can't wait to put behind me. Some insomnia and 9 lbs. to lose 5 days later. Obsessed with her, want to hold her all day!!!

39-40

2 false alarms, 2 cm and 50 percent effaced, strong Braxton hicks, losing plug, feeling confused and anxious, 5:45 wake up, food indulgence, 23 lbs

38 weeks

*procedure... resulting from... *pressure *22 lbs *made it past H bday! *still handling energy *no room for food by din *braxton hicks, less appetite but no other signs

37 weeks

*surviving *21 lbs