Marlie's grand entrance...

Lets just say it was a night and day difference when compared to Madisyn's birth.

Wed. September 15th

• 11am:  I went to my midwife appointment. She checked me and said I was at a 2 and %50 effaced. Pretty much, I was ready to go into labor at any point. She stretched my cervix a bit and stripped my membranes. She told me "don't be surprised if you have some contractions and some spotting. It could get things going."
• 12 pm:  I started having very mild contractions and I just pretty much dismissed them all day until around dinner time.
• 9 pm:  I started to believe this was really it. The contractions were still very mild. I had made dinner and did chores and just carried on as usual.
• 10 pm:  The contractions started to get stronger and I told David to go to sleep now because I'm going to need him once things really kick into high gear.

Thurs. September 16th

• 1 am:  I layed on the couch and tried to stay awake for the movie I had rented. I was actually able to go in and out of sleep until about 3 am. I'm so glad I got a little rest. *With Madisyn I was awake from 7pm on Sat until 12:31 on Monday when she was born. Yikes!
• 3:30 am: I was still able to lye down, but I was no longer able to sleep through my contractions. I decided to start timing them. I timed them for an hour and they were 5 minutes apart and lasted at least a minute each. According to the internet I was in active labor between 4-7cm dilated. I didn't count on being that far along because with Madisyn I was having intense contractions for 30 hours and was only at a 3.
• 4:30 am: I called the hospital and let them know that I was in labor and I'd be coming in a couple of hours. David and Madi were sleeping and my pain was totally manageable on my own. It really wasn't that bad at all. I just had to stop what I was doing for each contraction and breath through it, but it was not very painful. This is all compared to my labor with Madi.
• 5:30 am: David woke up and I told him this is it. You're not going to work today. We called grandma and asked her to come get Madi.
• 6:30 am: Contractions were getting stronger, but they were still manageable. I was talking and smiling in between them. When grandma got here she said "you're definitely not at a 6 or anything. You're way too happy for that." I totally agreed with her. I figured if I was at a 3 or 4 I would be happy.
• 7 am: David and I left for the hospital.

We checked in and waited to go into triage.

• 8 am: I was all hooked up to the baby monitors. After all the questions were asked and I had breathed through some more contractions the nurse said ok lets check you to see how far along you are. She looked at me and said "you're pretty far along." I was surprised and said "like how far?" She said she wanted to check me while I was having a contraction so she could be sure. We waited for the next contraction and she checked. "You're at a good solid 7." I think my jaw dropped to the floor. "REALLY?!?!" I said that out loud. She said "you're doing so great." I just couldn't stop saying I'm at a 7? REALLY?! I almost didn't believe her. I just looked at David dumfounded and I was SO HAPPY. With Madisyn I was 35 hours into intense labor and I was at a 6 before I finally said give me an epidural! Yet, this time I was at a 7 and hadn't experienced that kind of pain? The body is an amazing thing.

• 9am:  I was admitted and brought to my room. I had David take a few pictures to document how happy I was. I still can't believe how personable and happy I was. I called my family and closest friends to share the good news. I just put the phone down while having a contraction and then went right back to my conversation like I was sitting at home just chillin or something. It was all pretty surreal.
• 10am:  It was a little after 10 and out of nowhere my contractions got really strong and were right on top of each other. I was drenched in sweat and I was not smiling anymore. Oh my goodness. I was not ready for that at all. I told the nurse "I want an epidural!" She informed me that my midwife was going to be there at any moment to check me. Just then, my midwife came in and had me get up on the bed. I was shaking and I felt totally out of control. I could not seem to catch my breath. She checked me and said I was at a 9 and I had 2 choices. She could break my water and I would have a baby very soon after that, or I could get the epidural I was pleading for. I opted for the epidural because I couldn't imagine being in that much pain for a minute longer. As soon as I said those words, my water broke. About 2 seconds after my water broke.... 
• 10:28 am:  ...I felt the strongest urge I've ever felt in my life. It was so strange. I HAD to push. My midwife said "give me 2 good pushes and you'll have a baby." I heard her say that, but I was too busy hyperventilating and thinking I was going to die to really listen to her. I felt like I was going to pass out because I was panting so hard and not breathing through my nose at all. They gave me oxygen. She told me "you need to breath. If you pass out it's not going to be good for you or the baby." So I mustered up all the willpower I had in me and breathed and pushed. She said "that was great. Give me one more like that and she's out."
• 10:35 am:  I gave it all I had and out she popped. I had pushed for 7 minutes and my baby was out! 10 hours of labor that was almost all totally bearable and she was here! (Madi was 41 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing.) I did not know it at the time, but the umbilical cord was wrapped once around her neck and as the midwife was pulling her out, she went to lift the cord over Marlie's head and the cord snapped in half. David told me all of this later that afternoon. I guess it was quite the spectacle. It sprayed blood everywhere and they ran Marlie straight over to the little newborn bed. David didn't cut the cord until later because it cut itself. Crazy! Anyways it was almost an out of body experience this time around. It was kind of loud and chaotic for the last 20 minutes there. I'm glad no one was taping it and it was just David and I in the room.

In case you're wondering that's not a diaper. It's an ice pack. This was right after Marlie was born.




The respiratory specialists came right in because she had pooped while she was still inside me and they had to make sure there was no meconium in her lungs and such. This was all going on about 3 feet away from me while I was getting all stitched up. It was only a minor tear this time, but boy does it not feel very good to be stitched up when you don't have an epidural. We'll just leave it at that.



Here she is... 9lbs 6 oz 20.25 inches of pure sweetness.







The rest of the hospital stay is soon to come :)