September 10, 2011-I rarely got a good nights rest in the later months of pregnancy and that night was no exception. I went to bed and before long got my usual braxton hicks I would get at bedtime and Leo would always move a lot at night. But this night it seemed to last forever, like 2.5 hours of braxton hicks about 10 minutes apart. I was texting my best friend who was awake in AZ and she said maybe it was early labor. I kept telling myself I'd know when they were real contractions. If you recall from birth story #1 my water broke at home and so I really never had to time contractions. I obviously couldn't sleep so I downloaded a contraction timer on my phone to entertain myself and decided if I fell asleep it obviously meant nothing other than another uncomfortable night. I fell asleep.
September 11, 2011-Thank goodness Dylan slept in until 930am since I had gotten so little sleep the night before. I woke up feeling pretty darn tired and just generally icky. I told Jake about my night and said I thought I'd have a baby by the next day, that my body had to be doing something. He decided to go grocery shopping with Dylan because I slow things down and he told me to go rest. Well, cliche as it sounds, I didn't rest! I cleaned the whole house top to bottom and I moved fast! Something just got into me and I wanted my house clean NOW. Shortly after 1pm before Jake and Dylan got home, I got a very noticeable, and painful cramp....my first real contraction that I was aware of. I rested for a few minutes to see if anything else would happen and it didn't. I went downstairs to eat lunch with the family, and yep there it was another contraction. How could I have ever mistook a braxton hick for a real one? They are NOT the same. I called my mom to say something could be happening but not to book her flight just yet. We finished lunch, Dylan went down for a nap, and I went upstairs to shower. I think I knew something was coming because I wanted to make sure I had a shower. I certainly had an uncomfortable shower, but contractions were probably 10-20 minutes apart. I finally decided to lay down and rest and see what happened. Jake was convinced they would slow down and this probably wasn't it. I was very on the fence. Well about an hour later they were 7-10 minutes apart and I called my mom to tell her I still wasn't sure, but she said she knew this was it and had already booked her ticket for the first flight out the next morning. I told her I hoped she was right! I also called my OB office and the doc on call said I could go in or wait until they were 5 minutes apart. I asked him if he thought at this point if things would slow down...he said probably not, they were more likely go come with a vengeance. Hmmm ok, we'll see. At this point it was about 430p and I told Jake since I'd been having contractions for nearly 4 hours I felt I at least needed to be seen at labor and delivery. So I did what any woman would do in this situation...my hair and makeup! I was kind of killing time to see if contractions would get closer. They did! I was doubled over many times doing my makeup and when I got to my hair I started to get a little nervous They were 4-6 minutes apart and all of a sudden it hit me that we should probably get moving. All of a sudden bags were being finished packing, Jake was loading the car, Dylan was still sleeping somehow. I called the sitter to let her know he was coming and I was praying that I wasn't insane and not actually in labor. By the time we got everything and Dylan in the car I was in a lot of pain and feeling extremely anxious.
At close to 6pm we dropped Dylan off and took what would be our last photo as a family of 3. I told the sitter I wasn't sure if this was it but we would let her know. It was extremely emotional for me saying goodbye to Dylan. I was leaving the child I knew and loved to probably meet a new one. It was all very confusing and fast and my emotions were all over the map.
The car ride to the hospital was brutal as contractions were 4 minutes apart and strong. We had to check in at ER because it was a Sunday night and wait for labor and delivery to come get me. I chose to walk instead of get in a wheelchair. I wasn't convinced I was in labor until somebody told me so. Well they took one look at me on the Labor and Delivery floor and got me in a room and into a gown quickly. It was just before 7pm so it was shift change. The day nurse quickly took my vitals and said she would check my cervix to see if anything was happening. This is where I start to get really anxious. She says I'm at 6cm and calls me a rockstar for laboring at home all day. It hits me and Jake at this point we are having a baby...probably soon. She asks if I want the epidural and before I'm even checked in, its on its way. Why is everything moving so fast?? The new nurse comes in as well as the doctor, who is the same doctor who delivered Dylan. I'm thrilled. He checks me and I am 7cm. I realize I am not quite ready for all this yet, I need a few minutes to clear my head, to emotionally daydream like I did with Dylan, to take in the experience. It's going too fast. I get the epidural through horrible contractions and then the doc breaks my water. Jake and I have maybe 20 minutes alone after all is said and done between the epidural, water breakage, and all the check in questions.
You see, I had a 12 hour labor in the hospital with Dylan and many epiduraled hours to daydream about his birth, that I was almost a mom, and what it would all feel like. With Leo, I showed up at the hospital and had a baby. It took some time for my emotions to catch up with my reality. I loved him instantly but thought it was all a dream for a moment. We dropped Dylan off Sunday night around 6pm and three hours later his brother was born. I had two very different labor and delivery experiences that both ended with healthy beautiful sons. You don't really ease of your pregnancy concerns until you see your baby, count their fingers and toes, breathe them in. Right after Leo was born I felt enormously blessed to have had two healthy pregnancies and children, despite my struggle to conceive, my body had not failed me or my boys on their journey to my arms.
