I don't ever want to forget everything that occurred on March 14th and 15th, also known as Addison's birthday! So here it goes....the long story.
I was originally due on March 8th, my birthday. The days leading up to my due date, I did everything any 10 month pregnant person would do, mostly out of desperation to get my body back. I walked and walked and walked. I ate spicy food. I drank raspberry tea. I did what caused me to get pregnant in the first place. You name it, I tried. And no such luck.
Starting two weeks before my due date, I had progressed to 1cm. Each week I went back to the doctor, still only 1cm dilated. Frustration set in but I was patient. I knew my little angel would make her presence when she was good and ready. At my appointment a day before my due date, my doctor talked about induction. I was hooked up to the non stress monitor and baby and I were looking great. Doctor did not want to induce if it wasn't 100% necessary for fear of my labor resulting in a c-section. So, I left, discouraged, still ready to get this baby out of me and scheduled my next appointment, 6 days after my due date. A few days before my next appointment, the doctor called and asked that I come in on Saturday just to check me again. So, Saturday morning came, I went in, and still NOTHING! Not a single change, are you kidding me? So, I left again, discouraged but with the knowledge that at my next appointment, Monday, March 14th, we would be setting up the induction date, most likely the evening of March 16th so that we could plan to have her on St. Patrick's Day.
Monday morning, March 14th came and off CJ and I go to the doctor, fully prepared to come home, finished cleaning and getting things ready therefore I chose not to eat breakfast (my appointment was at 9am). I get all hooked up to the non stress test machine to be monitored. (by the way, how the non-stress test machine works is that you have a heart monitor and a movement monitor, both external positioned on your belly and you are given a device that you click everytime you feel movement). Well, after 15-20 minutes I felt no movement. Clearly Addison was sleeping. Doctor came in and "shocked" my belly which he said would wake her little butt up and sure enough, she started kicking and moving and going crazy. A few minutes later, doctor came in, said everything looked good and told me to get undressed to examine me and we would schedule the induction date.
Now, I must mention here before I go any further. On our way to the doctor's office I casually asked CJ if he thought anyone's water had ever broken at the doctor's office and how weird that would be to happen. We both agreed it was probably slim to none, end of conversation. Okay, now I am undressed sitting on the exam table talking to CJ waiting for the doctor. I felt what I can only explain as a little pop and mild gush feeling. I felt like I was "leaking" or having some extreme discharge (TMI, I know). I said to CJ, I think my water might have broke and we both look at each other, panic in our eyes, and CJ quickly asked if I was sure. No, I am not sure, I have never done this before but something doesn't feel normal. The doctor walks in and I said to him, I think my water just broke. He told me to lay down and he would examine me. Well, sure enough, my water HAD broken....I was one of those women who's water broke in the doctor's office (which, btw, I asked the doctor and he said yes, women's water had broken in the office, but it's not a common occurrence as typically less than 10% of pregnant women's water breaks before going into labor anyway). This was the only time CJ and I had any feelings of panic. Once we knew for sure that we were off to the hospital, we were both calm and cucumbers, and excited more than our words could express. No nerves on my end, CJ on the other hand....well he will have to share those feelings as things started to progress.
I was given a pad (heavy duty I must mention) and told to go to the hospital. They were going to call and tell them I was on my way....it's D-day! Now remember, I chose not to have breakfast and I was already starving at this point as it was close to 10:30am. I had been warned to eat before hand because once you are admitted, no food is given, just ice chips. Not knowing how long I was going to be in labor, I force CJ to take me to McDonald's to get something to eat. Fear quickly set in....I can't eat too much because I don't want to throw up so I opted for a Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. I gobbled it down, we parked at the hospital and I got settled in for what I knew was going to be a long day/night.
By 11am, I was all set and I was given and IV and Pitocin almost immediately, which is a medicine that helps start contractions. I would say by 1-2pm I could feel the beginnings of contractions, all mild and manageable. Fast forward several hours, around 6-7pm and I had progressed to about 2-3cm dilated and was ready for my epidural (the contractions were beginning to be painful and unbearable). They called for the epidural and by 8pm, I had my epidural and shortly thereafter I was in far less pain. Now, the epidural is AWESOME for relieving contractions but HORRIBLE for other things. I could not feel my right leg/foot to save my life and I had the worst tingling pain ever. I constantly had to have CJ massage my foot because it felt like there are pins and needles shooting in my foot and up my right leg. My left side was fine. I had to have the nurse reposition me several times because there was nothing I could do to get comfortable. Lucky for me though, I never got sick from the epidural, my greatest fear.
Because my water broke earlier in the day, and typically once your water breaks they like to deliver the baby within 10-12 hours, this time had passed so they were not checking my progress as frequently as they normally would have in order to reduce the risk of infection. At about 10pm my epidural started to wear off...PAIN PAIN PAIN. They came in and gave me another dosage and I was ready to get some sleep. 1am rolls around and once again, the epidural wore off AGAIN and the pain set in. Yet again, they came in and topped me off and I was good to go. An hour later, at 2am they checked me and I was 5cm....progress! We are now just over 15 hours into labor. While I was sleeping, the internal monitor to check the intensity of my contractions must have picked up because at 3am the nurse came in to check my progress again and I was at 10cm dilated, it was go time (please note, I was told that most women progress 1cm per hour once they reach 5 cm so I was fully prepared for several more hours).
The nurse called the doctor and came back in and said we were going to practice pushing. She got me all set up on the stirrups, gave CJ his position which was holding my left leg and the practice pushing began. I practiced through one contractions and the nurse told me to stop, I was too good of a pusher and I was ready to deliver right then and there. What? OMG? the doctor isn't even here. I was given strict instructions to not push, no matter how much pressure I felt, which up to this point, I felt no pressure or anything different for that matter. At 3:30am, the doctor arrived and it was pushing time.
Are you ready for it.....(don't hate), I pushed a total of 6 times through only 2 contractions (3 pushes per contractions). Addison was born at 3:46am. She was SO beautiful. Tears came rolling down my face. The doctor asked if CJ wanted to cut the umbilical cord and I think everything was a little too overwhelming for him that he couldn't do it. I was given the opportunity and of course, I took it. AMAZING!!!
I had the opportunity to hold my precious baby for quite some time while the doctor finished things down below. I practiced breastfeeding and Addison latched on quickly. Score! so I thought. After about 30 minutes, the nurse took her and weighted her, 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long and gave her her first bath. She was back in our arms, peaceful as can be. Daddy was SO proud and in love immediately. I don't think I could have ever imaged he would have loved her as much as he did so quickly. We all bonded, as a family, immediately. We became the Hoadley's in a matter of seconds. XOXOX!
So, that is her birthday story....an AMAZING one at that! Love you Addibug!!
Let me tell you, that ball is the devil. We did a variety of exercises, everything from squats, lunges, sit-ups, push-up, step-ups and running around it. It was 45 minutes of pure hell but I made it through it, even though I felt like I was going to pass out and die. My legs were SO wobbly by the time I left the gym that I couldn't wait to sit in my car to rest. I knew I was going to be sore, but I didn't prepare for not even being able to sit on the toilet seat. By Friday evening, my muscles felt semi-normal and I didn't cringe every time I got up off the couch, bent down to pick Addison up or even think about moving.
