AUGUST 6TH
2:30 pm – Mild contractions began (yet again)
6:00 pm – Contractions becoming more frequent. Decided to order in for my birthday dinner because I no longer felt like going anywhere.
10:00 pm – Switching between the warm bath and being on all fours as I was becoming more uncomfortable. The pain still had nothing on my period, though!
AUGUST 7TH
12:00 am – Realized I probably won’t be getting any sleep tonight. Contractions are continuing, but still not in a regular pattern yet.
2:30 am – Contractions are every 1-2 minutes now. I called my OBGYN and he told me it’s time to go into the hospital!
3:00 am – David and I got into the car and drove to the hospital. My pain was still tolerable, and thankfully the hospital is only 10 minutes away.
3:30 am – Admitted to the hospital! I was told I was 4 cm dilated, and fully effaced! My doula arrived into our room at this time. Pain is there, but still very tolerable in comparison to my periods.
7:30 am – Early labor becomes active labor. My pain goes from tolerable to nearly unbearable! Contractions intensify and my doula helps apply counter-pressure and uses aromatherapy to keep me grounded. Because of Haven’s positioning, I was having back labor.
9:30 am – Got my epidural. The needle was nothing compared to my contractions. I felt a strong pressure when he released the drug, but it took effect very quickly. Thank goodness for epidurals!
11:30 am – My OBGYN broke my waters. The amniotic sac had actually bulged down into my cervix and was keeping me from progressing. Now the baby’s head could actually push into my cervix and cause progression.
3:30 pm – After a good nap, I suddenly felt like there was a bowling ball sitting in my butt! My doctor, nurse, and doula told me that it was time to push!
4:30 pm – Only halfway through pushing. Even with the epidural, pushing was brutal! Haven was sitting sunny side-up, and we tried repositioning to get her to rotate, but without success. Itdidn’t feel like anything was progressing on my end. But David and my doula kept encouraging me.
5:44 pm – Haven is born! The pain of crowning was immense, but as soon as the placenta was out, I felt a ton of relief. We had immediate skin-to-skin contact. She was a total cone-head because of her positioning and because I had been 4 cm dilated for so long!
6:00 pm – My OBGYN stitched me up. With the epidural and lidocaine, I wouldn’t feel anything while he stitched me, but there was a TON of blood. I had enough bleeding to technically be considered a hemorrhage, so they kept me on IV fluids for the rest of the night. Thankfully I ended up being fine. It was a second-degree tear.
9:00 pm – Walked for the first time since the epidural and took a shower. Walking went fine, but I nearly passed out in the shower! Nurses sprayed me with cold water to bring me back, and it worked immediately!
11:00 pm – Haven was next to my bed in her bassinet. I was so exhausted from giving birth, but looking at my beautiful new daughter was so captivating. I was too excited to sleep! Every facial expression, small movement, and little noise captured my heart and I couldn’t close my eyes. I mean... I had a baby today!!
MY SUPPORT TEAM
David – He was the most amazing husband and support person I could have hoped to have. He offered me a hand to squeeze (and almost break) during the height of my pain. He encouraged me when I felt like I would never progress. He faithfully stayed by my side the entire time. He captured beautiful photos of Haven coming into the world. He immediately took on the “dad role” and began caring for our daughter with such love, patience, and dedication. He helped me figure out how to nurse, and was always there to help Haven latch correctly. He talked me through times of anxiety and never stopped encouraging me. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband.
Amanda – Our wonderful doula. She is compassionate, funny, encouraging, and really knows her stuff. She came to the birth full of ideas, from counter-pressure, to LED candles, to aromatherapy, to breath mints. She kept me grounded and encouraged me throughout the entire labor and delivery process. Not to mention, she’s got some pretty great tattoos, including a Beatles tattoo and Mr. Pizza! I will never forget Amanda’s priceless support during my birth experience. She was truly amazing.
Dr. Longbella – I have the best doctor. Period. My OBGYN is known in this community as the best of the best, for his knowledge, demeanor, and willingness to help people. He was always a phone call away, and gave me his personal cell number if I ever needed anything, regardless of time of day. He even remembered that after my delivery, I ordered a sugar cookie! He remains calm and helps me feel relaxed when I’m stressing about something. And of course, his humor and quirkiness never fails to bring a smile to our faces! He wore khaki shorts and dad sandals to the delivery!!
Tess – Our delivery RN. She came from many years of OB experience and was the most knowledgeable, kind, and encouraging nurse I could have asked for. From repositioning, to helping clean me up, to getting Haven cleaned off within seconds, Tess was absolutely amazing. She had many years of working with Dr. Longbella, too!
HAVEN ELIZABETH
My daughter. My baby. The child who came into the world on August 7th. Haven made me a mother, and she brought me on the journey of a lifetime. She arrived early, just as I had been hoping for! She came into this world on her own terms, which meant sunny side-up! It was a long labor and delivery, and was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I couldn’t be more grateful that I got to experience the immense blessing of bringing another human being into this world. From the moment I felt her blonde head emerging, to the moment she was on my chest and we locked eyes, I was completely in awe of what God was doing in our lives. My endometriosis did not win. It LOST. And my beautiful Haven will always be living proof of that truth.