Team Shelton-Est. 2001: 09.12

I know I haven't blogged in FOREVER. I figured now is just a good of a time as any to blog. And why not blog about a huge event in our lives the birth of our baby girl! ***Warning- Super long post***

My parents came to visit us three weeks before my due date. They of course were hoping that I would have the baby while they were here. This pregnancy was different in many ways than with Henry, but I had a feeling that I wouldn't have the baby early. Like Henry we didn't find out what the sex of the baby was. However, the doctor and the ultrasound tech said on multiple occasions that "it was so easy" to tell what the gender was, that both Dan and I were convinced that it was another boy.

At 37.5 weeks I went in for a check up and the doctor said I was dilated to a 3.5. She was really surprised that I wasn't having contractions. Up to this point my doctor had mentioned induction at every visit, which I was strongly against because I wanted a drug free birth. She really didn't want me going over my due date. But since I was dilated, I think she thought that I would be having the baby anytime, and so she didn't mention anything. My parents were visiting at this point and they started to get excited that they would be here for the birth.

The week past and I went back into the doctor. I was still a 3.5. No contractions. So my doctor decided to strip my membranes. Ouch! Not to mention that I had serious cramps the whole rest of the night. I had wanted to make my own designer hospital gown to labor in, so my mom stayed up all night finishing up a super cute teal paisley gown with bright pink ribbon because she was convinced that I wouldn't make it through the night. I woke up fine. Nothing. I felt fine the rest of the week. Some cramping here and there, and a lot of "lightening like" shocks in my pelvis, but nothing that I would consider as a wave like contraction. My parents went back home.

On Tuesday the 28th, two days before my due date I went on a walk in the morning and then went swimming with Henry. Then that evening I went back into my doctors. I was still at a 3.5 and so she decided to strip my membranes again. It wasn't as painful this time around, but within 15 minutes I was cramping up. We stopped at Deseret Book on the way home, and I was hurting so bad I could hardly stand to walk around. We got home around 5:30pm and I spent most of the evening complaining of the cramps, but I still ate dinner and went on our evening walk. Around 8ish my back was hurting and so I laid on the couch with a heating pad. I tried to go to sleep around 11pm with the heating pad, but I was so uncomfortable and restless. I was pretty sure I was going into labor, but I was in no rush to get to the hospital because I wanted to labor at home as long as possible. I just kind of paced around the house all evening. I took a bath which seemed to relax me a bit. The crampy pain never left, but at some point I realized that it would get a lot worse and then not so bad. Finally around 1am I started timing these periods of worsening pain, and they were about 1 minute apart. At around 1:30am I told Dan we needed to go to the hospital. I threw up almost immediately after he woke up, I was in transition. But Dan wanted me to be 100% sure that I was in labor. He was mad that I didn't have someone to watch Henry. I told him to text my friend DD but he didn't want to disturb her if it was nothing. I told him I was serious, but he still didn't really believe me. So we packed up Henry in the car and headed to the hospital.

The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever! I was in so much pain. I told Dan that I was getting an epidural. (At this point all I knew was that if I was going to be at this pain level for hours and hours there would be no way that I could tolerate it- little did I know I was in transition and almost through labor). Dan dropped me off at the emergency room and went to park the car with Henry. I checked into labor and delivery and I could hardly fill out the paperwork. They checked me at I was at an 8.5 with a bulging bag. They put me in one of their gowns (Dan was still parking the car), I wouldn't get the chance to wear my fashion forward hospital gown after all. I was rushed to delivery, they were asking me a bunch of questions, trying to take my blood and start an IV. Dan arrived with Henry and I told him to text DD now! I was hurting and remember burying my face in the bed. I felt the sudden urge to push, and my water broke. I pushed twice more and let out a primordial warrior princess scream with each push. I guess I was scaring Henry because Dan took him outside the room. As he walked out my doctor walked in and I gave one more push. Dan heard the baby crying and came back in. Lydia arrived 32 minutes after we got to the hospital.

I am so glad I gave birth naturally!! Everything I wanted out of this birth- laboring at home, going drug free at the hospital, and having an easy recovery-happened. I feel so blessed. I have been on a high since I had Lydia, and I really do feel awesome.