Brooke's Birth Story: Part Une

I know so many of you follow via Instagram
and I appreciate all of your comments and support!
MrsDelleFave is my username
This experience of giving birth has been such a whirlwind of emotions,
and I finally feel so empowered to write.
I have so much to say,
and so little time to type it all up now!
If you're interested in Brooke's story, continue reading...
If not, I'll be back to 'regular blogging'
{whatever that means to a mommy!}
soon enough.
I am taking each day and enjoying all that life has to offer my beautiful family.
Life is such an amazing gift and this has been the most incredible journey.
It's hard to believe that back in April 2012,
it all began with this:

*****
Fitting that the last post I wrote was prior to our last Dr visit.

Tuesday we went in to see how our baby girl was fairing,

since she was already a few days past due.

We were brought into a room and they hooked me up to a machine

that monitors baby's movements/heart rate and any contractions I may have...

and lo and behold, the 'cramps' I had been feeling early Tuesday morning,

were indeed contractions.

{I had also started losing my mucus plug this morning as well}

After being hooked up  in there,

they had us go into the room to have another ultrasound.

The tech told us baby had plenty of fluid still,

but that she was estimated to be around 9 pounds 5 ounces.

If I were to go too much longer,

baby may grow too big for a vaginal delivery.

I was checked one last time by one of my doctors,

and I was still only dilated at 1cm.

He didn't seem hopeful I'd be delivering any day soon,

and was worried about my induction date of 1.16 being too far off.

After leaving there, my husband and I went on a little ride

and stopped at Taco Bell for one of those "Grillers" 

{better looking in the commercial, than in your mouth, as always}

When we got home I begged him to go on a walk with me,

because all the while I had still been feeling these darn contractions.
I hoped that the walk would get things going and maybe baby would come!

After a little cold weather walk with our dogs,

we settled in for the night...

except my contractions started coming quicker and quicker

and becoming more and more painful.

I decided to stay on the couch,

as I just had weird feelings,

and Joe went up to bed. 

I started texting with my mother as I wasn't sure if this was "it'

and more than anything I didn't want to be "that girl" who thinks she's in labor,

when really it's a false alarm.

When my contractions got to be about 3-5 minutes apart,

I started to think it was the real deal.

They seriously hurt and I couldn't talk or walk through them.

I was deep breathing just to get through each one.

I called the hospital and they told me to come in.

I woke up Joe, he showered, we brought the bags to the truck

and off we went.

We caught every green light, as one would hope at 4 in the morning.

We checked into the hospital and they set me up in triage.

They hooked me up to the monitors again,

checking for contractions and baby's heartbeat.

This not so friendly midwife came in and checked me.

1cm dilated.

Poor Joe, still sick with a sinus infection and so tired, fell asleep in the corner.

I laid there, cold, tired, nervous, and losing faith that it was time,

as my contractions slowed right down.

I barely had any and I felt so stupid.

Had I imagined all the contractions all throughout the night?
I hadn't slept more than a half hour here and there and at this point,

was just over tired.

The midwife checked me again

and I was still at 1 cm.

She said I was not in labor, I should go home and asked if I was hungry.
I said yes, I had a few tummy grumbles in the last hour,

and she said,

"If you're hungry, you're not in labor."
*sidenote--that is a crock of shit.

As I was laboring, I thought the chicken broth and popsicle were the best thing ever.

When I was pushing my daughter out, I was STARVING!!!

I got up and got dressed. 

It was 7:30 in the morning.

I was sad and felt a little like I'd be pregnant forever.

We got home and climbed into bed...

and the contractions started up again.

I felt so bad that Joe hadn't slept at all and he wasn't feeling well,

I went into the guest bedroom.

Again the contractions came, but just one every hour.

I'd sleep about 45 minutes and the pain would wake me.

They calmed down mid-afternoon,

and I got a half an hour of sleep here or there.

My sweet husband didn't know what to do,

as he could tell I was in pain,

but it wasn't typical 'labor signs'.

He went to the store and got me some soup,

as I had no appetite once we got home.

I nibbled on items that fall into the B.R.A.T. diet

and appreciated Gatorade.

We went to sleep around 10,

and by 11 I got out of bed

for fear that I'd keep my husband up with my moaning and breathing in pain.

That night was one of the worst nights of my life.

It's scary in the middle of the dark night,

when everyone else is sleeping.

Your mind begins to taunt you,

and you worry.

I worried my baby girl would be too big and something bad would happen.
I worried that this pain meant something awful was happening to me.

This wasn't how I envisioned "labor" to be.
I began googling,

 while I lay in the guest room,

timing these horrendous contractions.

They came, like clockwork, every ten minutes.

I'd fall asleep for 8-9 minutes and BAM be awakened.

From 12 until 8:31 I wrote down every time on my phone.

It reminded me of the pain I felt when I was 10 and had E.coli and was in the hospital for a week.

Sharp pains that would.not.stop.
What I did come across while searching online was something known as
Prodromal Labor 

Joe heard my in agony at 6:30 and came in and tried to snuggle with me,
as I was starting to get worked up and really upset.

Finally I was texting my mother and my step-mother and

I explained to them, this cannot be normal.
This pain is far too great, I had virtually no sleep since Monday night

and it's now Thursday morning.

They both convinced me to just call the hospital again.

{I was thinking about waiting it out until my Dr. appointment Friday morning???}

When I spoke to the Doctor on call,
she sounded sympathetic and when I told her I had not slept since Monday,
she said, "Oh my God. Come right in, let's see what we can do for you."

I told Joe to get in the shower,

he grabbed my bag yet again,

and I just hoped and prayed that the next time I came back home,

it'd be with my daughter in my arms, not inside me...