Braelyn's Birth Story

First I must back up a bit because I realize that I didn't post during any of my 37th week.

On Wednesday, October 15th I had my last doctors appointment before being induced the next Tuesday which would have been October 21st. My doctor checked me and my cervix was closed completely shut. I was a little bummed, but my doctor said that because I was pretty swollen, my blood pressure was a tad bit on the high side, and I was measuring really big that it would be fine to induce on Tuesday but she wanted me to come in on Friday, October 17th for a sonogram just to make sure Braelyn was not too big to make it out.

Friday October 17th was my last day at work. I left a little early because of my sonogram. My Mom came with me and we decided to make a night of it. I had my sonogram which was great. The technician said she was in perfect position and that she measured around 7lbs. 14oz. so I was set to be induced the next Tuesday. After my sonogram, Mom took me to get a pedicure which was GREAT, and then I told her I wanted to eat eggplant because I heard it could help start labor...anywho, we went to a small Italian place and had eggplant...it was great and boy was I garlicky... we then went to Quizno's to get Mike something to eat and headed home...I suppose I got home around 7ish. Around 8pm I noticed that Dixie was not acting right and was obviously having some stomach issues. Being the "momma" I am I was stressing a little because she was acting really weird. After I got her settled down and into her bed I took a shower. Around 9pm Mike came into the bedroom so we could watch Friday Night Lights together. We were kinda talking a just laying there and all of the sudden I felt a gush of warm water/fluid. For a split second I thought I had peed on myself but quickly the reality set in. I looked up at Mike and said My water just broke he replied Megan, that is not something to joke about to which I replied uhh, I am not joking. I quickly got up to indeed show him the huge wet spot under me. I looked at the clock and it was 9:30. Needless to say, we started to get ready to head to the hospital....really pretty calmly. I was still leaking so I had towels stuffed in my pants and I was a sight to see... I immediately called my Mom and Dad to tell them and ask my Mom to please come sit with Dixie because her stomach was still upset. She made it over before we left and gave me a hug and kiss and told me to call her when I knew more.

On the ride to the hospital I could feel increasing amounts of pressure which was I suppose the start of contractions. We got to the hospital around 10:15-10:30 and because it was so late I had to go in through the ER. I was suppose to be pre-registered (I did this during my 7th month) but of course they could not find my name and I was still leaking and well it got Mike's blood boiling that they were making me wait. I had to wait about 10 minutes and they took me to Labor and Delivery. They checked me out and got me hooked up and said that I would be there until she came. YAY! I was still only a tight 1cm dilated though so I figured my labor would be long. I told my nurse I didn't want to feel pain AT ALL. She told me that they could not give me and epidural until I was further along because it would slow me down. She did say that they could give me some pain medicine though, so I took it because the pressure was increasing. By this time it was around 12am. From 12am until about 2:15am I was in total agony. Pain so bad I thought surely I would go insane or die. This pain is SO bad that I have mentally blocked it. At 1:30 my nurse checked me again and said I was only 2cm...I said I didn't care I wanted the epidural NOW...quite frankly I didn't care if it slowed me down as long as I didn't have the pain anymore...I was ready to call the anesthesiologist myself.

While I was in the most pain I have EVER experienced I waited for what seemed like an eternity for the anesthesiologist to get to the hospital. I remember constantly staring at the clock like time was my enemy. FINALLY after literally "hell on earth" he came strolling in around 2:15. Everyone seems to be scared of getting their epidural but let me tell ya...I was in SO much pain that I would have gone through just about anything to get rid of the pain. Mike kept telling me to stay still and I remember telling him not to worry I would do anything to get the epidural in, and to get it in ASAP. After the epidural I felt SO SO much better. I even sent Mike to his Granny's to get some sleep (she only lives 2 miles from the hospital) I fell asleep for about an hour and a half trying to forget the horrible pain I was just in. Around 3:30 I started to feel pressure in my left side again. It was not nearly as bad as what I had just gone through but I was confused because I thought I was not suppose to be feeling anything and I was feeling something. The pressure continued to build slowly but surely. Around 4:30 I paged the nurse to tell her I was feeling some pain again. She came in and said I was probably laying wrong and therefore my epidural was cut off and not giving the full effects. She said that she would check me though. So spread eagle I went. She looked at me and said you are fully dilated and ready to push...I was like...DO WHAT?!? I had gone from 2cm dilated at 1:30 to 10cm dilated in only 3 short hours. I thought it would be much longer, but Miss Braelyn had different plans. (I didn't know I would feel the contractions after the epidural, but I could, they were not painful but I could tell when to push) I promptly called Mike and told him to get to the hospital it was time and I called my Mom. Both were on their way. It took awhile for them to get set up and for me to start pushing. I think I started around 5:30. I pushed and pushed and pushed for a hour and a half. Finally around 7am it was time to call in the doctor (she was not my doctor and I didn't like her, but o-well) at 7:10 my precious angel was born. It was rather traumatic because she got her shoulder stuck in my pelvis and the doctor thought she broke her clavicle. When you hear that right after your child is born it is a little nerve racking then the doctor almost dropped her. It was not the "movie scene" delivery. It was down-right scary there for a few minutes. The doctor didn't even explain what happened the nurse had to after the fact. Anywho, all was fine. Mike got to hold her for like 30 seconds and he showed her to me before they took her to the nursery to get checked out. They wanted to make sure her shoulder was ok. For the next like 4 hours I had to wait and wait and wait to see and hold my baby. Everyone else got to see her through the nursery window, everyone but me. I was a bit bummed. I had my Mom take photos of her and she brought them to me but I wanted her. Finally around 11am I got moved into a room and they brought me my precious little girl. I was so so excited to finally meet her and hold her. Shortly after that, I was able to take a shower which was the most amazing shower I have ever had. We stayed in the hospital for 2 more nights which was Saturday night and Sunday night. We got to come home on Monday.

Overall, the experience was amazing. The pain is intense but worth every second. I am thankful she decided to come on Saturday morning because I was the only one in labor and delivery on Friday night until early Saturday morning and then I was only one of two patients on the entire floor. It was great. I was told on Sunday night that the following day (Monday) they had 6 surgeries scheduled. I know for sure I would not have got near the attention that I had from my nurses if I had to be induced on that Tuesday. It just proves again how God works in mysterious ways. I am so thankful for a healthy beautiful baby!