January 4th: The Day Our Miracle was Born!

I have gone back and forth about writing Maggie's birth story because a) I feel that sometimes we put too much out there that should be private. That is not directed at anyone specifically. I have been told that I share too much at times. That is one reason I have struggled with this post. b) I have a lot of friends right now who are expecting and I don't want to freak them out because Klint and I were shocked after her birth. I really don't want to scare anyone else.

I guess I should preface my story by saying that Maggie was my second and second babies tend to go a lot quicker. Where Sophie took me from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to have, Maggie did not. Here is her story...

From the beginning with Maggie I made it clear that I did not want a man to deliver me. I wanted my doctor who I had seen the whole time. I knew that if it happened naturally I was in for whoever was on call, but I had hoped we could induce again and I would have my doctor. It worked out that is exactly what happened. I chose to be induced on the 4th so I could have who I wanted deliver me. I know that may seem silly, but with Sophie, I had a male doctor who I was not happy with. He didn't let me get loud at all in my pushing. He wouldn't listen to me when I tried to adjust my position. It was just horrific. I didn't want that experience this time.

Up to my induction date, Klint and I traveled to Valdosta. We knew we were chancing it, but Tifton is only 45 minutes away. I was sure we would be fine to make it back. Ha! If I knew then what I know now, I would not have chanced it.

We went in at midnight on the 4th. I was a nervous wreck. Sophie was with Klint's mom and I just wanted to cry the whole night. The feelings of her not being the only one anymore and what if something goes wrong, all of it just had me on edge. 

39 weeks with Maggie!

39 weeks with Sophie!

They checked me in and I had to be monitored for an hour before they would insert a pill to help progress my dilation. When I went in I was almost 3cm. After my hour of being monitored they inserted the pill. I had to lay flat on my back for an hour which was torture!!! The beds are so uncomfortable and my back was killing me. As soon as my hour was up, I flipped to my side. I could tell I was having contractions, but they weren't too bad. They came in to check me to see if they needed to do another pill. I was a full 3cm almost 4cm and thinning. They decided to wait until 5:00 to do another pill. After suffering through an hour of laying on my back again, I finally flipped to my side and dozed off. At 8:00 the doctor came in. She checked me and said I was 4cm, almost 5cm. She wanted to go ahead and break my water. I asked for one last potty break before we went forward. I remembered with Sophie that once they broke my water, my contractions really got to rocking so I wanted to be ready. They broke my water at 8:02 and within 10 minutes I was contracting pretty good. I told Klint to get the nurse to start my IV so I could get my epidural. They came in and started it and the contractions got worse and worse. 

After about three more bad contractions, I told Klint I really needed to push. He told the nurse and she checked me. I was at 7cm. She called the doctor to see about my epidural or some kind of IV meds. I had a couple more contractions. At this point I looked at Klint and said, "I'm not going to get an epidural." He tried to reassure me I would, but when he looked at the nurses they wouldn't meet his eyes. He pretty much knew I was right. Poor Klint! I felt horrible because I was trying to rip his hand off. The contractions hurt so bad! He said he looked down at one point during one of my contractions and his fingertips were purple! They probably should have x-rayed his hand after it was all over to make sure it was functional! Ha!

I told Klint I needed to push. I just felt like if I pushed I wouldn't hurt anymore. I never felt this feeling with Sophie, thanks to the epidural, and know this is why I ended up pushing for two hours to have her. The nurse checked me and she said she only felt my cervix on one side. They got the head nurse to check. She told me to push through the contraction. In the middle of it she looked at the nurse and said, "Get the doctor! I feel the head!"

My bed became a transformer and transformed into my labor bed! Pushing was great! Until the second round when I told the doctor I couldn't do it and she told me to focus and I could (my wimp out moment)! Let me stop right here and say, I am so glad that I chose to induce to have my choice of doctor. She was wonderful and it was a totally different experience then my first. She let me pretty much do or say what I wanted and she was so professional. She knew I was a worry wart and she made sure I had no reason to worry. Love my doctor.

At the end of my second round of pushing I noticed that Maggie's heart rate was dropping and it was taking its time getting back to normal. After my third round of pushing, the doctor told me that we had to get Maggie out. So we started our fourth round. It was so much easier pushing this time because I knew what I was doing. I could tell what was happening. I asked for a mirror, but they didn't get it in time. I pushed three times on my fourth round and the head was out. The doctor looked at the nurses and told them that she couldn't pull Maggie. Klint looked and realized the cord was around her neck and the doctor was having to hold it from squeezing her neck. During my last push I had two nurses help push because the shoulders were stuck. And with 20 minutes or so total of pushing she was here at 9:03! One hour and a minute after they broke my water! We were dumb to think we would have made it back from Valdosta if my water had broke! There is no way!

She came into this world weighing 9lbs. 8oz. and they measured her at 22in. long (but at the doctor last week she was only 21in. so we aren't sure how long she really was at birth). I looked at the doctor in shock. I couldn't believe I gave birth to that big baby without any drugs. I felt proud! I am pretty tough after all! (Even though I did apologize to the nurses for being a wimp and yelling. They assured me I did great and they said I didn't yell at all!) Here are pictures of Miss Maggie!

 

 

It happened so fast that there was no family there. They got to the hospital right as they took her to the nursery. I did get to see Sophie without Maggie in the room which was a big deal to me because I didn't want her to see me with the new baby and feel she was being replaced. When Sophie did see me she was scared because of the IV and she wasn't sure of the bed because of a bad experience in the ER and gluing her chin. As soon as she knew I was okay, she wanted to go back and see Maggie.

I was exhausted and Klint and I were both in a state of shock. We expected something comparable to Sophie's birth. This was so fast! I stayed sore for most of the day, but I did notice that I seemed to recover quicker with Maggie then I did was Sophie. I really feel it was because I didn't have an epidural this time. And for the few minutes of pain I had, it was well worth it to have a fast delivery and a quick recovery! 

Klint was a little dazed!

I had to do an hour of skin to skin with Maggie (this was something new). Before Klint took her to the nursery, he got to hold her for a little bit!

Announcing her arrival!

We felt so blessed that Maggie was here and healthy especially since she wasn't supposed to be here at all! She is our miracle (as is Sophie) and we can't wait to see what the future holds for her!

Our family of four!