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Let's get down to business though, shall we? The birth story, before I forget what actually happened and get a raging case of momnesia. I'm actually going to do this in parts, so this will be Birth Story Part I (yes, it is THAT long, and I just cannot go that long without a Lucy snuggle, hence the need to break it up into parts, and I like to keep you all coming back for more. I promise it won't be three weeks until Part II).
PART I: Early Labor
Although Lucy was so worth it and I would honestly do it again and again just to have her, labor was kind of a rough ride for awhile. Also, anyone who knows me personally, and possibly professionally, please be warned I'm not going to write the Disney version of Lucy's birth story so there may be some details that are very, er, personal...just know, you've been warned. If you don't want to know about vaginal tearing and hemorrhoids, I'd just stop right here and wait until the Birth Story posts are done in their entirety.
From beginning to end I'd say my labor (including early labor that I spent at home) clocked in at just over 30 hours. Yes, that's right, THIRTY HOURS. I can be one of those people that when Lucy is a bratty 14 year old (which I sooooo hope doesn't happen) I can say "Look here little girl, I was in labor with you for over THIRTY HOURS".
I had a bad stomachache when I woke up on the Thursday morning, which initially I wrote off as a side effect of all the junk food and entirely too many glasses of sparkling apply cider from New Years Eve the night before. Then, when I got into the shower the pain would go away, and then come back, and go away, and then come back. Hmmm... that isn't like any stomachache that I've ever had before. Also, it was in my lower back as well as my stomach, which was weird.
Rob and I had plans to go to my mom's house for New Year's Day lunch with my family that day and on our way over to the house I told him that I definitely thought that these were contractions. We decided that we wouldn't say anything to the family, especially my mother who would probably insist that we rush to the hospital immediately as soon as she heard the word "Contraction". So all throughout lunch I was very quiet as I would have contractions ever ten minutes or so, and they were pretty uncomfortable, though not unbearable. By the time my aunt and uncle left my mom's house at 4:00 we decided we better tell my mom, who immediately asked if we needed to leave, like right then. No, we told her, we were going to go get a movie and wait it out at home until they were 5 minutes apart, like out birthing class teacher had told us.
We left my (insanely excited) mother, and headed to Blockbuster to rent a movie. I had a pretty strong contraction in the car, but nothing I couldn't breath through. We rented Eagle Eye and settled down at home to enjoy our last night of just the two of us. Unfortunately, Lucy had other ideas for us. As soon as we put the movie on my contractions started getting stronger and more regular. They were ever 5-7 minutes and every time I would have one I would have to get up and pace the floor, trying to breathe like we were taught in birthing class. Rob was so amazing, he was really calm and could time the contractions on his cell phone (which strangely enough has a timer on it) and would walk with me and help me breathe through the strong ones. So, needless to say, I really didn't pay much attention to the movie! Two hours later it was about 8:00 and the contractions were now 5 minutes apart so we decided it was time to head out. We drove back over to my mother's house to pick her up. Of course, when we got there I realized I had forgotten my purse, so once we picked up my mom we had to drive back to our house to get it because I was sure I needed my insurance card (I didn't). So after returning to the house and getting my purse, we were off to the hospital. Let's go have this baby!!!
Part II to come soon, along with more pictures of our Lucy!
"Before you were born I carried you under my heart. From the moment you arrived in this world until the moment I leave it, I will always carry you in my heart."
-Mandy Harrison
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