It’s Birth Story week. If you’re new here, Milo was born in 2007. Spoiler alert: This is the birth story every mom dreams of — kinda — it starts with a party, includes some laughs along the way, has a happy ending with a healthy baby and a whole pie!
This time I was most nervous about childcare for my son, Holden. My mom was planning to come in the weekend before the baby’s due date so I established a complex matrix spreadsheet of who was on call if the baby came up to one month early. The on-call person would either come to my house to sleep or receive instruction on how to pick up and care for my 21 month old.
Luckily, when my mom arrived from Ohio the Saturday before my due date, there was still no baby. After a day spent wolfing down jump-start-your-labor ginger cookies and an evening enjoying the Oscars at Whitney’s house (I don’t know what I wore to the party but I left in one of Ryan’s old tee-shirts because I felt so bad), I went to bed feeling a little yucky.
Sometime in the middle of the night, around 3am, yucky turned into crampy. Hmm, I wondered, could this be labor? I hadn’t had a traditional labor the first go-round, so I wasn’t totally sure.
Just in case, I went to clip my toenails, since it looked like I would have to skip my traditional “due date pedicure” scheduled for Tuesday. That’s where Alec discovered me and started timing my waves of discomfort, probably-contractions. 2 minutes apart. Oh crap.
We called the doctor on call, and she gave us the go-ahead to head in to our local hospital. We woke my mom and bid her a nervous goodbye. During the three-mile drive to the hospital, I went from, “I can totally do this” to “God oh God, where is my epidural already?!” By the time we pulled into the emergency parking lot, all I could think was, “DRUG ME!”
I breezed through triage with my contractions being pretty close together. Being a second-time mom seemed like a fastpass through the rigmarole of the admissions process. Sweet. Alec started up the birth playlist on the iPod and I asked the nurses if I could pee before getting my epidural. They reluctantly allowed me to pee fearing that I would have a toilet bowl baby or something. The anesthesiologist gave me my epidural before checking my progress.
Some medical personnel had their hands up in my business before we remembered to re-park the car. During my first exam, they discovered I was already to nine centimeters. High fives all around.
After the epidural started to have its way with me, I felt very calm and relaxed. I offered cookies to the nurses. I elected to pause until my doctor arrived on shift at 7:30 to to continue. When she arrived, she examined me and then MY WATER BROKE IN HER FACE. I was embarrassed but what are you gonna do? Again, comfy on my epidural, we waited a little bit so she could clean up before continuing. Whatev. I probably texted Whitney again.
I was feeling so chill.
When she returned, it was time to push. In less than 15 minutes, my baby was born around 8:30am, and I was stunned. Having psyched myself up for another 44-hour labor, I was honestly in shock. See this 15 second video for proof. It’s a little icky but not graphic.
Alec’s dad said, “Are you seriously going to call him Milo?”
“If you want to complain about it, talk to your wife,” I replied to him. (Side story: I thought if you waited until the kid was born to reveal the name, nobody would challenge you about it. Wrong.)
Later in the morning, once Holden was busy with his nanny, my mom joined us at the hospital with chocolate cream pie and cold Guinness, the breakfast of champions!
A few hours later, Holden visited us at the hospital to meet his new baby brother. All of a sudden, my toddler looked like a teenager to me.
Especially in comparison to my first 44 hour labor, this four-hour labor and delivery was a breeze. Amazing! I worried that if I ever had a third child, that baby would come in about four minutes. Eek!
Congratulations! what a great story. My first labor was also very lengthy- I hope I am as lucky as you with #2!
That’s the best story ever! I hope my second labor is easier than the first (not pregnant with number two).
LOVE THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS– sounds delish right about now. lol Is there a reason for the Guiness? I think I heard it’s supposed to help bring in milk– am I remembering right?
thanks for the post!
Three reasons for the Guinness:
1 – after a pregnancy and delivery, mama deserves a beer!
2 – beer is good for milk production, Guinness is high in iron (or so I’ve heard)
3 – after my first pregnancy, Guinness became the only beer I like, after loathing it before.
This sounds like my first (and only, so far) labor (esp the part about “is this really it?”). I am scared #2 will be even faster!
Oh man! I can relate, except for the part about the epidural. When the doc checked for the first time and I was at 9 cm, she said I could get an epidural, but at that point it might or might not have any effect and I’d still feel pain for about an hour…or she could break my water and I’d have the baby in 20 mins. I chose the second option. Man! I wish my mom would have brought a pie and some beer! I got chicken soup and oatmeal.
Love that story, especially the breakfast! I delivered my “Miles” on 1/18 exactly 6 years ago (also my second and he came along in much the same fashion!)
Cheers!
That second baby doesn’t mess around! They come so quick. And you’d think after having one you’d know when it’s really coming. Nope. My contractions were 2 minutes apart and I was eating a big steak dinner, quietly writing down my contraction times. When dinner was over, my mom, dad and husband looked at the sheet with wide eyes. It was definitely time to go. I was levitating with pain by the time I reached the hospital, and my son was born within an hour of getting there…The second baby comes so easily, it *almost* makes you want a third (gulp.)
I can’t believe your water broke in your doctor’s face– that’s too funny! Probably not funny to your doctor, though
about to give birth any day now. i want that birth story! congrats!
Hmmm… Guinness and chocolate pie. So totally including that in my birth plan for baby #2.
How funny – my 16-month-old son’s name is Holden and our name-on-deck was Milo! Though we debated about the pronunciation (MY-low or MEE-low)…which one did you pick?
@KatieB, he’s MY-low but the pediatrician’s office is split between the two pronunciations so he gets both sometimes.
[...] of my most recent childbirth that was four hours long (including the waiting and relaxing associated with an epidural), I expect this next little guy to [...]
[...] they won’t go your way. I really hope you have exactly the birth you want. Certainly my own second childbirth was nothing like this first one; it was fast and easy and ended with chocolate cream [...]
“All of a sudden, my toddler looked like a teenager to me.”
That is so true! Our second child was born three weeks ago. When my mom brought my oldest to the hospital it was like someone had artificially aged him the six hours(plannned cesarean) we had been appart.
@Kat, Milo’s birth was the first time my husband and I had been away from Holden overnight. How did he get so old without our notice?
I am loving reading all the birth stories:)
I’m commenting on this one since it most reminds me of giving birth to Brooklyn.
My water broke and contractions were immediately less than 3 minutes apart.
I apparently breathed too well because over the phone my midwife guessed I was at 1 cm.
Then all hell broke loose and I knew enough to know I was transitioning and that if we didn’t get to the hospital ASAP I would be giving birth at home…not the plan.
Again at the hospital they took their sweet time, as apparently my breathing made them think I was in early labor — they asked if I was going to do an epidural and I looked to my husband to answer, since the answer was “no” but I knew if I opened my mouth I very well might answer “Yes, please!”:)
They finally checked me when the contractions just kept coming one after the other, discovered I was fully dilated, raced me down the hall, paging the on-call doctor and said “Well, sweetie, no epidural! You did it!”
Then I pushed for 2.5 hours, because Brooklyn was face-up and instead of coming down when I pushed she was just trying to flip over every time.
Then she was here! 6 hours after my water broke.
I’m under strict orders to come to the hospital the instant any contractions happen or my water breaks this time, since they anticipate an even faster labor — this is also why I was bugging my doctor so much when I started having pre-term contractions at 26 weeks this time: “I had my first baby in 6 hours, so I want to get over there now for you to stop these things before they progress any farther.” They replied “Yeah, uh, come now!” and thankfully got them stopped.
@Cara,
I’m definitely thinking of you. After having Milo super speedy, I worried about an emergency home birth. A LOT. I have more than one friend who had one and she lived to tell the tale. Be well.