Emilia's birth story

It was the evening of 10/20 (Tuesday). I was feeling pretty frustrated and annoyed with all the false labor I had been having for weeks. I decided to take a bath and relax, hoping that I might be able to sleep a little better than I had with all the cramping and contractions I had been having in the middle of the night. I crawled into bed about 9.45. I started to notice a little bit of cramping and remember thinking "ugh, nothing all day and now I have to try and fall asleep with these annoying cramps." I was on the verge of sleep when all of the sudden I felt a click sensation and actually heard a click noise, as weird as that sounds. I thought to myself "did my water just break?" But then nothing happened. About 30 seconds later the tidal wave came out. I literally could not believe it. Thank goodness Chris had planned ahead and had lined our mattress (my side) with garbage bags underneath the mattress pad so nothing got on the mattress. He was on the couch downstairs when I called and told him to get his butt upstairs and that my water had broken. My water broke at 9.55pm on the dot. I remember looking at the clock right when it happened.

Chris called MIL to come stay at the house so we could head out to the hospital (upon calling they told me to come right in). I'd say about 5-10 minutes after my water broke I started feeling contractions. By 10:15 they were regular and about 5 minutes apart, not too painful. In the car ride on the way to the hospital they became about 4 min apart, were slightly over a minute long and definitely the real deal. We got to the hospital at about 11pm. I headed straight into a labor and delivery suite where they checked if my water had broken and they confirmed that it had. From there I labored through contractions while they did b/w. I was checked and around the time I got there and I was at 3 cm, still 75% effaced and Emilia was at a -1 station. I let them know that I wanted an epidural. My BP was high once I got there and so of course they had to run b/w for pre-e. Clearly I was in effing pain so I don't understand why high BP would be so alarming in these cases, but alas better safe than sorry. It freaking took FOREVER to get my b/w back and by the time I got my epi it was 2am and I was already dilated 5-6 cm. OMG - the contractions I had before the epi were 2 minutes apart lasting for over a minute. I was dying. The contraction monitor screen looked like a mountain range, I'm not even joking. Ah, but sweet relief once that epi came (and what an awesome epi it was, I was very comfortable the rest of the time). The OB offered a Lunesta to help me sleep and I thought hey, why the hell not, I'll need my strength. I passed out from 2.30 till 4.30 and woke up totally refreshed. No wonder Lunesta is thought of as addicting. I need some of the stuff now!


I started feeling pressure about 5am. It was around this time that I started feeling pain again - but it was just in the area of where my cervix would be. The nurse said that baby was probably pushing on my cervical area b/c I was close to pushing. I was checked and proclaimed that I just had a lip of a cervix and that I was 9.5 cm dilated. We were going to wait a bit and labor down before I started pushing. I think it was at about 5.30 that we did a practice push - the nurse immediately stopped me and said that baby was right there and that she needed to get the OB in sooner rather than later b/c it was going to be a quick delivery. The room was prepped for delivery as we waited for the OB. I don't remember exactly what time she got there. Pushing was so easy this time around. I don't know if it was because I knew how to push from the 1st time or was just more aware of where I needed to push. It was seriously like 3 contractions later and Emilia's head was out. Then just one small push for the rest of her. The OB immediately proclaimed that she had some weight to her. Once she was suctioned she was placed on my chest and I of course started crying. That surprised me as I hadn't cried at that moment with Gabriella. I think it was more emotional for me this time b/c I knew what an amazing journey I was about to embark on and how special it was going to be. To me, Emilia looked just like Gabriella. I couldn't even believe how similar they looked.


Moments later she was taken over to be cleaned off, checked, etc. I could not believe my ears when they said she was 9lbs 1oz. I mean, WOW, we knew she'd be big, but I certainly was thinking something more in the 8lb range. Then the 22 inches long was announced and I was amazed again. What a big girl!


OB delivered my placenta and I really had minimal bleeding which was great. She said I had one very small tear with just one stitch so I was happy about that as well. I was able to BF pretty much right away and Emilia was just a natural from the start. I was just amazed.

She's here!

Our precious little Emilia arrived on Wednesday, October 19th at 6:51 am. She was 9 lbs 1 oz and 22 inches long. Her delivery was a breeze. She was out in just 3 contractions. We are SO in love!

Still here

39w3d....no baby yet. Friday's OB appt brought info that I already knew. Although apparently I did not make backwards progress. I'm still the same as my 38 wk appt (2cm/75%/-2). Asked about membrane stripping. OB indicated that it was generally something they did for borderline hypertensives and since I have had no BP issues he thought it would just put me in a world of hurt for no reason. Fine, whatever, I won't contest at this point.

Spent the better part of yesterday walking around to see if we could get this show on the road and nada. I did have some pretty sporadic painful contrax overnight, and had some this morning, but it has not materialized into anything. Mucus plug like crap has been coming out since 37 weeks. No bloody show, etc. I'm beyond sick of work. I am at the point now where all my work has been completed or transitioned so I just get to sit around and surf the net for things like "is this false labor?"

4 days till my due date. I can't even believe it. Next OB appt is on Wed.

Eff me sideways aka 39 week update

I'm still here, mentally hanging on by a thread. I still cannot believe this kid is not here. I'm at the point where I'm starting to freak out that she's going to be overdue. What I feel now will be considered pleasant compared to if that might happen.

I ended up in L&D yesterday. Not actually related to labor. I was experiencing some light headedness and headache and given my prior history of gestational hypertension my OB decided I best be checked out. Well everything is perfectly fine. Apparently I am the picture of pregnancy health and Emilia looked great on the monitors. My OB was on call and he checked me - 2 cm still, but apparently I have gone from 75% effaced back up to 50% and baby was at -4 station (from 2 weeks at -2). Not sure how we're working in reverse here. I have my usual appt with him today and want to know how you make backwards progress and what the plan is moving forward. I thought I would be a candidate to have my membranes stripped at this point given the progress I had made thus far, but now I have no idea if that's even possible or if I would even respond favorably to it. It is, as with other more natural induction methods, only going to work if you were essentially go into labor as it is.

Ugh, so yeah, eff me sideways. This kid needs to get out.

Dr. appt update

BP - normal
Weight - up 2 lbs from last week, but I normally go to the OB in the AM, and this was after lunch
Progress: Still at 2 cm, but 75% effaced, baby still at -2 station

OB thinks it'll likely be within the next week. Let's hope so for my sanity's sake.

thirty EIGHT week update

How far along? 37w6d
Total weight gain/loss: I go to the OB tomorrow, but I'm guessing about +62ish?
Stretch marks? Yes
Sleep: Nope, between pg aches and pains to Gabriella rattling my bedroom door handle a few times a night I'm pretty much stretched thin on sleep
Best moment this week: honestly nada. This week has sucked
Movement: Yes
Food cravings: No
Labor Signs: Oh loads of them. Daily mucus plug sightings, BH, cramping, some real contractions
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: sleep, not being pregnant
What I am looking forward to: I think its pretty obvious at this point
Milestones: Being the most pregnant I have ever been

I'm not gonna mince words. This week has utterly sucked. I feel like my body is playing a prank on me. I have been losing noticable chunks of my MP, having cramping, BH, contractions and nada! I'm not used to this. With Gabriella, as soon as I started having contractions, I was in labor. So all this foreplay back and forth is getting REALLY frustrating. Yesterday I made it to 37w5d, the exact gestation that Gabriella was born at. I thought surely that with all the early labor crap that was going on that we would have at least have something going on by now but alas. Emilia already has sibling rivalry and wants to test my patience just as much as her sister does.

Hopefully tomorrow's doc appt bring some good news. Maybe I'll miraculously be on the brink of labor. I'll be sure to update.

The weekend's developments

I wanted to be sure to record the events leading up to Emilia's arrival, so this post will basically be about how I really thought I was going to go into labor this weekend, lol.

Friday night I started having increasing BH, which turned into a few real contractions. Nothing timeable really, but they were there. FF to Saturday, crampy and BH all day. Pink tinged CM all day. Lost another piece of mucus plus. Started getting sore throat. Sore throat turns into a razor-blade swallowing feeling by the evening (fun). Sunday was pretty quite aside from me being sick. I had constant bowel movements all weekend and now I'm here at work (blah).

Gabriella decided to take a tumble down the stairs this morning. Thankfully she's ok. Then she decided to choke on an oreo. Quite an eventful morning, really.

As much as I'd like Emilia to get here ASAP, I wouldn't mind not being sick while in labor. I am content to wait a few more days till I get better, you hear me, Emilia?!

Latest belly pic is up on the Belly Pics page. I didn't have a chance to take one at home, so I took one with my snazzy new iPhone from work. I'm pretty sure I have dropped. My heartburn has definitely gone down and I am able to eat more than I was about a week ago.