Molly Anne's Birth Story

I want to remember all of these details so here goes the birth story!  I sort of feel like some parts are tmi but I also want to know in 3 years how it all went down.  

First, my parents decided to come down on Wednesday, July 1st. They didn't want to miss anything!  I felt better when they were here because I was stressed about their long drive and them possibly missing the big event.  

Okay Thursday, July 2nd.  We went to my doctors appointment that afternoon and as expected, I wasn't very far along - only 1cm.  Doc told me to go home and run.  I asked her if she was kidding because I really would and she said to go for it.  The next day was my due date so baby was perfect to come anytime in case the running really worked.  I literally went home and changed and ran mills down the street.  We probably only did a mile or a little less.  It was really hot and honestly who runs at 39 weeks and 6 days pregnant.  I'm sure that I looked like a horse running down the street ha. Well no dice, the next morning (my due date) I still felt fine so I went and ran again, this time a little less because I could tell something was going to happen soon.  Kevin was on his way back from his workout so he, mills and I finished the rest of the way back to our house then the three of us raced up our steep driveway. They beat me but I think this little sprint got things going.  

Friday night we went with our friends to their club for the annual July 4th celebration.  It's always on the 3rd and we went last year too.  Last year she went into labor while we were there.  This year maybe I would?  Funny timing right?!  Well no, I felt fine the whole time.   We got home and went to bed around 11pm.

1am came on July 4th and I got up to go to the bathroom.  I thought my stomach was upset from eating too much but evidently that was not the case.  It felt different.  Someone told me that a contraction would be this tightening all across my stomach.  This just felt like the worst period cramps plus feeling like you have to go number two.  I write this because I know I'd want to know if I was pregnant now and never felt labor before. It didnt feel like anything across my whole stomach.  So I went back to sleep after googling "what is labor?" and "what does a contraction feel like?"  I still just thought my stomach was upset.  Well I was up at 2am again and I called the on call nurse to run it by her.  She said to start timing what I felt to see if there was any pattern to it.  I used the app Full Term to time them.  They were every 15 minutes and lasted a minute each.  I couldn't believe it...this really may have been the real thing.   By 3:45am I called them back as they requested and told them they were 8-10 minutes apart now. Doc said to come on in but know they could send me home if I hadn't gotten further along.   

We left the house at 4:15am and told my parents we were heading up there.  They stayed home until we told them we were staying.  The contractions were 5 minutes apart on the way to the hospital.  It was a 25/30 minute drive.  They don't have valet in the middle of the night so Kevin dropped me off then I hung with the front desk people until he got the car parked.  We went up to the triage in labor and delivery.  They hooked me up to the monitors and checked me.  I was still only 1cm.   Ahhhh. They said if I didn't get to 2 or 3cm by 8am the would send me home.  The nurse said drink this cold water because it will help.  I CHUGGED that water because I wasn't going home.  I couldn't have functioned at home the way I felt.  It hurt so badly.  Well by 6:45am they were doing my admission paper work because they were convinced I was staying.  And we were too.  I was in SO much pain, I wasn't going home.  The contractions were very close together so there wasn't much time for relief in between. By 8am I was telling the nurse (Kim) that I couldn't do this. She just kept saying yes you can.  Kevin kept watching the screen to warn me of one coming and when it should feel better.  I liked knowing. Those hours from around 7:15am - 9:15am were some of the most miserable of my life.  The pain was insane and I just hated being in triage because I felt like I couldn't cry or be upset because there are others right next to you...and you're sharing a nasty bathroom with tons of fluids running through you.  It was just time to have my own room.  I was hurting badly.  Finally at 9:15 they moved me and thankfully they listened when I asked for the anesthesiologist to meet us in our room.  By 9:30, I was a new person thanks to the epidural.  They checked me again at this point and I was 4cm.  Thank goodness.

My parents got there at 9:30 and I was so glad they were there.  Dad kinda hung in the waiting room while Kevin and Mom kept me sane.   I had the major shakes which they said is very common in labor. My legs and body wouldn't stop shaking.  At 12:30pm they checked me and I was 9cm.  The nurses couldn't believe it.  They said it usually never happens that fast. Maybe that's why I was so miserable before the epidural?  At 1:30 I felt super weird and ended up getting sick but then felt a lot better after getting that crud out of me.  Around 2:00 Kevin's parents arrived.  At 2:30 they checked me again and I was 10cm.   They wanted baby to "labor down" on her own because she was still high.   Doc came in at 2:45 and said I could start pushing. 2:55pm I started pushing.  It was just Crystal (the most amazing nurse ever), Kevin and I in the room.  The pushing wasn't bad at all. It was especially exciting when Kevin asked Crystal if he could put some music on....and he did.  Salt and Peppa - Push It.  I'm not kidding. Crystal was dancing and we were all laughing. Leave it to Kevin.  Anyone that knows Kevin knows this is such a Kevin thing to do!  Crystal said no one had ever done that before haha.  Anyway, Doctor came in around 3:10/3:15 and Molly Anne was born at 3:30!  They said, "it's a girl" and we could not believe it.  Doc checked again to be sure!!  Kevin cut the cord and they put her on my chest right away and I got to hold her for a couple of minutes before they took her across the room to be checked out.  She was perfect!!!  We were in love!  Kevin held her then I did skin to skin for an hour. 

My one request was that we got to tell our parents together boy or girl. I didn't want Kevin to go get them from the waiting room and tell them without me.  So Crystal went and got the four of them and they walked in.  We said, "meet Molly Anne!"  They were all so surprised too except Dad who has thought girl all along.  

We took lots of pictures and videos. We called family to tell them the good news.  It was just all so special.  And Molly Anne was worth all of that rib pain, false alarms, nausea and everything else that happened over the last 9 months!  Kevin and I expected the pushing part of labor to be the worst and the beginning would be easier. For us, it was opposite.  But that's ok.  Our little girl is here and she's healthy so that's all we can ask for!  We couldn't be happier having her with us!  I love seeing Kevin with her....it's the cutest thing!  

They moved us to our new room and we could see the Charlotte fireworks from our window.  We told people we were expecting by saying we would be watching fireworks from the hospital and here we were!  Crazy!

On Sunday, we got to celebrate with lots of special family and friends who stopped by to meet our girl. It was full of the sweetest moments getting watching our people love on Molly Anne both in person and on FaceTime!  

Monday mid morning we headed home and Mills greeted her outside!  He's been so sweet with her.  

And now, we are a family of 3 plus our best furry buddy.  We are excited and still in awe that Molly Anne is ours!