Makaila's Birth Story

If I had known that my pregnancy and delivery was going to be such a positive one, I wouldn’t have worried so much! Being pregnant was the most difficult part of the whole process for me. I gained 55 pounds and ate everything in sight! I hated the swollen feet and huge belly, but in the end it was all worth it.

I had Makaila one week early. A couple of weeks before she came, I kept saying to myself, “I’m going to get her out soon because I don’t know how much longer I can take this.” Her estimated due date was July 15 and I was tired of being drenched in sweat by noon. On the Friday before she was born, my doctor asked me if I would like my membranes stripped as it would help the process along. Being that this was my first birth I said, “Sure, why not?” WOW! It lasted only about 10 seconds but that is the one thing I remember being really painful.

That Saturday I did everything that was recommended to expedite the process. Spicy foods, castor oil, long walks, sex… anything you can think of, my husband and I did it. On Sunday at 3 AM, I woke to use the bathroom like usual and I noticed something dripping. I was thinking at first that I was peeing myself so I was a little embarrassed, but after a moment, I realized that it had no odor and had no color… FINALLY, it was happening! I woke my husband and let him know, but I told him to go back to sleep because it was too early to get all worked up about it. I grabbed my pregnancy bible, What to Expect When You Are Expecting, and started reading. At 7 AM, I had my husband call the hospital even though I wasn’t feeling any contractions, and they said to come in. I took a quick shower and we arrived at the hospital at 9 AM. After they ran a few tests it was confirmed that my water broke. I changed into a gown, had all the necessary hook-ups, then I waited. Around noon, I still wasn’t feeling any contractions so my nurse gave me Pitocin. My contractions came very soon after that.

I have a huge amount of respect for women who have children without an epidural because those contractions were so painful that it brought tears to my eyes. There was no breathing through the process because about 30 minutes after I started feeling contractions, I wanted my epidural. I was thinking to myself, “My goodness, I am the biggest wuss out there!” I didn’t even last half an hour, but right after the epidural kicked in, my nurse checked me and I had jumped from four centimeters to nine in a matter of an hour! Let’s just say I didn’t feel so stupid after I heard that.

At 4 PM I started pushing, and at 6 PM, on the dot, my daughter was born. She was gorgeous and, surprisingly, I wasn’t that tired. The pushing didn’t hurt at all, and the doctor let me pull her out during the last push. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I was overcome with emotion. She was eight pounds, three ounces, and healthy as can be! For all those moms-to-be who are terrified about the big day, I hope that my story put their minds at ease a little bit. Being that this was my first baby, she was going to be the deciding factor on whether or not she would have any siblings. Since everything went so well, I think it’s safe to say she will definitely have some brothers or sisters!