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A few weeks ago, I did this thing… I became a mom! That experience was by far the hardest and best thing I have ever done in my life. I am so happy that we have a healthy little boy now. The journey to motherhood was full of anticipation, anxiety, excitement, and the unexpected. Now, I am part of the “when I went into labor…” club and can join in on the birth story conversations!
The Night Before Labor
My birth story began the night before I went into labor. I had cooked a chicken and rice meal for dinner. My husband worked the night shift so he took this dinner to-go. He ate his during his lunch break while I had already eaten all of my portion at home earlier that night. He text me on his lunch break and told me that his piece of chicken was still pink on the inside.
This sent me into a panic thinking I had ingested an under cooked chicken. I thought I had just poisoned my unborn child and myself with salmonella. I am one of those people who quickly thinks of the most severe possible outcome (I just can’t help myself)! That night, I went to bed terrified that I would soon be worshiping the porcelain god.
The Day of Labor
The next day, I was feeling funny. I woke up that morning around 9:00 a.m. and was just not feeling right. My mind associated this feeling to the under cooked chicken. I waited and waited throughout the morning for myself to feel worse and finally reject the food. However, that never happened. I kept myself busy that day cleaning up around the house and just prepping for the arrival of our baby (which would come sooner than I thought).
Around 2:00 p.m., I started thinking that these feelings I was having were becoming a pattern. Then, it hit me; I was in labor! It only took me all day to figure out! For a first-time mom, I guess it’s normal to be this naive.
Usually when my husband gets home from working the night shift, he stays up for a couple hours to unwind and spend some time with me before going to bed. However, this particular morning, he came home and went straight to bed. This turned out to be the best thing he could have done that day! Little did we know that we would be in the hospital having a baby in just a few hours.
When he woke up that afternoon around 3:00 p.m., I told him that I thought I was in labor. Together, we started timing the frequency and severity of the contractions.
Laboring at Home
During the pregnancy, it had been suggested to us that when labor begins, I should labor at home as long as possible. This route would be more comfortable than being in a hospital. I took this advice and labored at home until 9:00 p.m. when I had finally had enough and the contractions were five minutes apart.
Also encouraging me to stay home longer was the fact that my mom was flying in that same day at 8:00 p.m. and we were supposed to be picking her up from the airport. I kept trying to plan around her arrival time and thought maybe we could get her from the airport then head to the hospital. But… Baby decided to progress faster! There was no way I was going to make it to the airport and then to the hospital in that much pain and faster contractions.
Thank God for our most wonderful friend, Nicolle! She picked up my mom from the airport, took her to the hospital, and made it there within 15 minutes of me being admitted to labor and delivery. (Sorry again, Nicolle, for ruining your outing that night!)
Yes, I Got an Epidural!
Once we were admitted to the hospital at 9:30 p.m., I was already seven centimeters dilated and begging for an epidural. My nurse was AMAZING and tried to get me as comfortable as possible quickly. She told me that because I was already so far along in dilation, everyone else on her rounds that night would have to wait until I was situated.
The epidural was finally administered by 10:30 p.m. and I was a completely different (nicer) person after that liquid gold took over. After the epidural was administered, the rest of the evening kind of slowed down. The excitement that I was about to birth a human was all we could talk about.
My Mind was Racing
To be completely honest, I did have a moment when I was laying on my back in the hospital bed looking up. I could seen my reflection in the ceiling lights. I saw myself in the hospital gown, belly bulging upwards, and my hair was a mess. In that moment, I began to cry and panic. I had never birthed a baby before! How was I supposed to do something that I didn’t have experience doing? I would never feel my baby moving around inside me again. Was I ready for all of this? How can I do this?! How would my birth story end?
My husband was standing next to me and watched the tears streaming down my face. He didn’t know what to do. All he could seem to muster up was asking if I was okay. I didn’t even respond to him. There was nothing that needed to be said in that moment because we both knew that all of this was about to happen. We were going to have a baby!
The doctor and staff came in at 3:00 a.m. and we began pushing. Baby was born at 3:15 a.m! It was definitely a faster delivery than we all expected, but that’s because baby was ready to join the world. And what great timing he had! He was born on 11/19/17 (due date was 11/28).
Coming Home
And just like that, my birth story came to an end. The day that we got to go home was the best and worst feeling. I was excited to get out of that uncomfortable hospital bed and into my own bed. However, I was terrified about what comes after leaving the hospital. When a new life depends on you, how do you do it? Nothing I had read or heard prepared me for this day. And that was because nothing every really prepares you for becoming a mom.
Since that day, nothing has been the same. I thought we had everything ready and knew what to expect having a baby at home, but nope. Everyday has been a learning experience for baby and for us first-time parents. It’s not easy at all, but it is all so worth it! This is just the beginning of a grand adventure!
What is Your Birth Story?
I love hearing other mama’s birth stories! The day that we brought life into this world is always so magical. Tell me your birth story in the comments below!
Always,
Samantha <3
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