Birth Story: Haddie Mae!

Starting around 34 weeks I had become incredibly uncomfortable because Haddie was breech and completely in my ribs. I couldn't sleep on my back or side so I was forced to sleep sitting up in the living room. I had rib pain at all hours of the day and constantly felt like she had no room left. Luckily, she turned at 37 weeks and dropped a little, so I because immensely more comfortable. Unfortunately, I also had a feeling this could mean I'd actually go all the way to 49 weeks this time. Thirty-seven weeks came and went and while I was regularly having contractions, but they were never close enough together or painful enough to time them. Everyone kept joking that she was waiting to be born on Titus' birthday, which was the 10th and very possible. His birthday rolled around and I was 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Garland asked me like he did every day if I was having contractions or thought today could be the day. I'd actually had no contractions even though I'd run a ton of errands and been to the chiropractor, so our sweet boy got to keep his special day to himself.
But lo and behold, at 12:30am (30 minutes after Titus' birthday ended) I woke up to a very pretty strong contraction. I immediately thought it could be something significant because I'd never had a Braxton-Hicks contraction that was painful enough to wake me up at night. Even though they were pretty close together, the pain was manageable, so I tried to go back to sleep. After 30 minutes I realized that would be impossible and started timing them: 4 minutes apart. I decided to take a shower in case it was the real deal and they started getting pretty painful at that point (1:30ish), but still not so bad I couldn't breathe or talk through them. I woke Garland up and told him what was happening and then told him to go back to sleep while I timed them and bounced on the exercise ball (which he did, because on the second child you do things like that, I'm realizing).
After another hour they were 3-4 minutes apart and hard to talk during so we called for Tito backup at 3:00am. Arrived in the ER at 3:45, checked in at 2cm and 60%, told to be monitored for an hour to check for progression. The contractions started getting pretty awful, but standing and rocking made them more manageable. An hour later (4:45) I was shocked to be at a 4 and 80%; we were having this baby!
At this point my doctor walks in, which is so great that he was on call that night! Not so great... He tells me has had to leave by 8:00am to get to Dallas. It's 5:00am so I am disheartened that I probably won't deliver by then, but he thinks I may do it.
Then we entered the most intense part, the epidural waiting game. I'm transferred to a room and getting my IV and everything set up and they're waiting on some lab result so I can get my epidural. I'm at a 6 and having to breathe deeply and rock through every contraction, every 3 minutes at this point. Got my epidural at 6:00 but it only took on my right side. They prop me up on my left side and give me an extra dose, it helps some, but I'm still having pretty intense back labor on my left side. Checked at 6:30am and I'm at a 7. Dr. Mason assures me he thinks I will have this baby by 8 and Garland and I exchange shocked glances. Titus' birth was 16 hours and that was even encouraged with Pitocin for the last 9 hours!
I have to breathe through each contraction even though I have the epidural, but they're manageable. The good part about not being completely numb was I started feeling pressure and knew I was getting close. By 7:30am I was at a 9, by 7:45 at a 10 and ready to push!
Since I passed out several times pushing with Titus, I instructed Garland to count out loud during pushes and poke me in the face if he had to, anything to keep me present if it happens again. On the second push, boom, I'm out like a light. The nurses get out oxygen and smelling swabs for me to breath into (think hand sanitizing wipe) and that is surprisingly helpful. Because my epidural wasn't working all the way I was feeling the contractions which was not good, but I could also feel the pressure to push, which was very helpful (with Titus I couldn't feel anything). After 9 minutes and a couple more rounds of passing out, Haddie Mae came into the world at 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19.5 inches long. It was absolutely just as cool as it was the first time I delivered, although slightly more shocking since I was only in the hospital for 3 hours before she was born. Best of all? She was born at 7:58, two minutes before my doctor needed to leave for Dallas :)

We stayed in the hospital for 48 hours (I failed the Strep B screening and my labor wasn't long enough for HM to get all the antibiotics. They wanted to keep her for observation but everyone checked out fine) and she's been a super easy baby so far!

More to come on her first weeks home in another post!