My Birth Story - Part I

Here is the first installment of a six part series, on MY story of Hadley's birth:

Sunday, November 25, 2007

7:30am - Having made it through Thanksgiving and DGs surprise 40th birthday celebration the night before, I was officially ready to give birth. I had been 80% effaced and 4cm dilated for about two weeks so while eating breakfast in the morning, when I found that my pjs became slightly damp, I was convinced that my water had broken. I giggled with delight and I remember feeling so excited. DG can still remember the look on my face. I was ecstatic. We called the doctor, packed the car, dropped the dogs off, and headed to the hospital. Right before we left, I put on some pretty pink stripped socks thinking about when Cynthia had told me that her biggest pet peeve was the thought of giving birth in ugly black socks.

Two hours later, after being hooked up to monitors and having a few tests, we were told that my water had not broken and we were sent home. I felt like the girl that cried wolf. I was devastated and embarrassed. Total downer. Thank goodness Hotcakes was across the street so that I could go drown my misery in a plate full of pancakes. But not even the stack full of pumpkin scrumptiousness lifted my mood.

Monday, November 26, 2007

4:45pm – I was driving home from my weekly doctor's appointment and was on the phone giving my mother an update. I was 5cm dilated, 80% effaced and super crampy. For the second week in a row, my doctor had stripped my membranes. He was convinced that once I started, I was going to go fast.

5:00pm - By the time I got home, I was crossing my legs together because a little precious someone was sitting on my bladder. When I walked in the door, I bolted (ok, it was more like a fast waddle) upstairs to use the bathroom. Suddenly, I knew I wasn't going to make it. *crap* So much for all those kegels. However this time, something was different. Liquid kept flowing out of me. Because of the awfulness of the day before, I thought maybe I was just incontinent. So I cleaned up, put on clean underwear, and lay on my left side in bed.

I called my mom again, and told her not to get too excited, but I thought maybe this time my water really had broken. But what did I know? I was so confused. After 10 minutes, I got up again and soaked through my panties, but I still wasn't sure. I needed a sign. Over the next few minutes of walking back and forth to the bathroom, I noticed pools of water all over the floor. It had to be the real thing.

5:15pm - I heard the garage door open and met DG at the door without any pants on. “I think this is it, for real", I said.