Baby Talk: My Birth Story.....

(Photo was taken in Sienna's nursery as part of our maternity shoot by Strokes Photography)

I've been meaning to share my birth story but baby Sienna has been keeping me busy so it's been a bit delayed but here it is....

Late October at 38 weeks I went in for what would be my final Dr's appointment where I was told that I would be getting induced the following week. After checking my Dr's schedule we decided on Tuesday November 6th for the induction but I was told that I would need to go in on Monday to have the induction gel put in.

Monday I arrived at the hospital at 10am for my first dose of gel at 1cm dilated. I was monitored for about 30mins and sent home but told to come back around 4-5pm for another dose. I went about my day not feeling any different so I assumed it didn't work and I'd need the second dose for sure. Well I was right! I went back to the hospital and was reassessed at 5pm at still 1-2cm so they gave me the second dose and sent me home with instructions to come back at 8am the next morning for my scheduled induction.

We went home made sure our hospital bags were ready and then went to bed. Well I could hardly sleep because I started getting mild contractions. Nothing too unbearable, more like mild cramps which lasted all night. At 5:30am I was again woken up by a contraction but this time it hurt way more than the other ones so we called the hospital and they told us to come in.

When we arrived at 6:30am they agreed to keep me only because I was scheduled that morning anyways. I later found out that I got the last birthing room and all other ladies coming in after me would be sent to another hospital (I got lucky!). I was 4cm at this point and in a lot of pain so even though my birth plan was to go without an epidural I couldn't take it anymore and asked for one.

Around 9am the anesthesiologist came in and administered the epidural which hurt but not as much as I thought it would, probably because the contractions hurt more. After 20 minutes I could still feel intense pain and it was determined that the epidural would have to be reset. Lucky me! So I had the first epidural removed and another one put in. Thank god this one worked and I was feeling a lot better however this is when I started feeling nauseous... My poor husband, mom and doula Kristin really took care of me.

Around 4:45pm I began feeling a lot of pressure that began to get painful so I asked to be checked. The nurses words were "no wonder it's hurting the head is right there!" it was time to push.  Any thoughts of wanting just the Dr and my husband in the room went out the window as I didn't care at that point. I had my OB, the resident DR, my midwife, my doula, my husband and a few NICU nurses on standby in the corner.

I began pushing and felt the "ring of fire" (google it) for pretty much the entire time it was so painful and the worse part was the nurses couldn't tell me when I was having a contraction because the monitor wasn't picking them up so I had to tell them when they were coming. Anyway after 1 hour and 45 mins of pushing my baby was born!

She let out 1 yelp and was placed on my chest for me to see. I bawled like never before and was instantly in love. They cleaned her up and as I talked she stared up at me so awake and alert with her big grey eyes as if she knew my voice. It was such a surreal moment to go from feeling her in my tummy to seeing and feeling her.

(At the hospital)

Nothing can ever prepare a woman for what childbirth feels like. Since everyone's experience is so different there is no normal and though I felt prepared having heard stories from all my friends and having taken the prenatal classes I felt like that all went out the window once my labour started.

(Wide awake with daddy)

Looking back I wouldn't say my experience was horrible or even bad. Was it painful? Hell yes! Did it go as planned? No, but how can you really plan childbirth?! Would I do things differently? nope, I have no regrets!

(In daddy's arms)

My baby girl Sienna is now 5 weeks old, changing and growing every day into her own little cute personality. Ive had the same challenges as any new mom but we are getting through them together day by day.

(Happy 1 month to me!!)

It doesn't hurt that my mom helped out for 4 weeks though! Plus my husband has been really great with her and in helping to give me a break when I need it. I feel so very blessed :)