Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Emersen's Birth Story, Part I

I have a theory that with each child and each pregnancy, you get a better idea of what actually goes into birth and all of its miracles. But with that, at least for me, came a bucket load of apprehension! So I took to reading birth stories. Steve would laugh as I stayed up until midnight, sometimes one o' clock in the morning reading the experiences of other women in my same situation. But they helped! I decided I'd write one for Emersen's birth... just in case there was someone else who needed to read one. And  because they're fun to remember. And because Emersen might want to know about it some day. But mostly because each birth is one crazy miracle. 


The Saturday before Emersen was born was gorgeous. It was warm and sunny, and perfect. We spent the day outside. In the morning I rode my bike while my sisters ran, and then we walked/ran together for about six miles. When we got home Steve went for his run, I got the pirates ready for the day (they'd been outside playing) and all of us headed out for lunch. (In N' Out. Not healthy - delicious.) After lunch we went to a park with a thirty foot tall climbing structure (supposedly there are only three of them in the world) and several creative swings and slides. All three pirates loved it. I figured Robs and Erikboy were a given, but Squísh surprised me and climbed all over the thing!



After the park we went to the library. It had been a couple weeks since we'd last gone, and the pirates were begging for new books. We checked out a whole stack, and then drove home with enough time to play a little more before my parents came over to watch the pirates. I figured it'd be one of the last weekends we had before our baby and I wanted time with just Steve and I.


My parents came, and we said goodbye. We planned on seeing "Captain Phillips." But before we went to the movie, I wanted to pick up an outfit for our baby to wear home from the hospital.  (I didn't have one yet, and I wasn't due for another week. But I was adamant we needed it that day.) We went to the store. We bought socks, onesies and a delightfully pink layette. We drove to the movie and purchased our tickets five minutes after it had already started. (Steve didn't want to go - as our only seating options were at the very front - but I was stubbornly set on seeing a movie that night.)



Steve was a good sport - and we watched the movie with our seats tilted as far back as they could go. I noticed mild, mild contractions - but nothing more than I'd been having for the past several weeks.

When we got home around ten o' clock, the pirates were sound asleep, and my mom was reading one of the library books. We told her about the movie, and on her way out the door she suggested I "have a baby." I laughed and said we were still a couple days out at the very least.


We went to bed around 11:00... and I fell asleep wondering when our baby actually would come, and what it would be like.

All three of my previous labors have been pitocin induced. With Robs, my water broke around eleven at night, but I never went into labor. I was given pitocin to get labor started, and she was born right before lunch time. With Erikboy, my water broke at five in the morning and after a healthy dose of pitocin, I had him by four in the afternoon. Squísh was entirely induced. I went into the hospital at midnight, was put on pitocin around one, and had her in my arms by seven thirty that morning. Each of my deliveries had been slightly faster than the previous one, but they were all pretty similar.

But an hour after we went to sleep on Saturday, Squísh woke up crying. I couldn't get her to go back to sleep, so I had her come into my bed. Steve went to sleep in her twin size bed, and everything calmed down again.

At two fifteen in the morning I was peacefully dreaming one crazy dream. I was on a boat with pirates (they had beards) but every couple of minutes my back hurt. A lot. I slept through about five contractions, before I realized the pain wasn't from the boat rocking, and it wasn't part of my dream. I woke up and went downstairs to walk around. My back still hurt. I realized this might be actual labor... but I wasn't entirely sure because I'd never felt labor outside of a hospital with wires everywhere and pitocin on tap.

I decided I should probably see how far apart they actually were. (It seemed to be the logical next-step.)

They were one minute apart, and my back hurt. A lot. So I called my mother...

(to be continued...)

5 comments:

  1. I dreamt about pirates all night too after seeing Captain Phillips. I can't believe you watched it from the front! I'm anxiously waiting for part 2 even though I know how this story turns out :)

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  2. That is a wonderful cliff hanger. Please get to part two!

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  3. I looooove birth stories!! I can't wait for the rest. I too had contraction dreams with my last delivery. And with my last two, I've been confused about what labor feels like. It looks so simple in the movies... Lady doubles over and says dramatically "it's time!" But I love how both you and your mom and maybe even Steve had a hunch :) I believe in hunches. Especially yours!

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  4. oooh, hurry up and write the rest!!

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  5. Oh and by the way. I hope that Mae never grows out of wearing princess dresses... to any occasion.

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