Jack' Birth Story- Part 1

After the not so great news I posted about Friday I really wanted to focus on the happiest and most positive moments of my life on the day leading up to Jack's birth. It was the most amazing experience of my life. I am still in awe of what my body was able to do. 

The day before Jack was born I woke up feeling a bit strange plus the little man in my tummy was super active. My entire pregnancy Jack was a night owl. There was very little movement during the morning and afternoon from the very first time I felt movement. I felt overly exhausted so I rested for most of the morning while watching episodes on One Tree Hill on Netflix. I took down a few Christmas decorations and felt the overwhelming need to get to Walmart for baby safe drier sheets. I also had an urge to get the rest of our baby laundry done.

My husband was working a few extra hours and thought it would be fun to finally go out for our last romantic dinner. We had been planning this dinner for months. I finally felt good enough to dress up so I drove down to meet him at our favorite Italian restaurant.  The food was nothing short of amazing. We indulged on calamari salad as an appetizer. For dinner we had homemade pasta. Mine was topped with a creamy garlic sauce, porchini mushrooms, asparagus and shrimp. I topped it off with a cannoli chocolate cake. Remember this is a birth story... I would regret that meal. Just being at dinner with Brian and chatting about the start of our new life was such a great time.

Here it is! Our very last belly bump picture. 

Week 39! Our little man arrived less than 24 hours later. 

Our our drive back home I got a call from my best friend to meet her and her husband out to listen to a band and celebrate her birthday. While we sat at the bar, yep 9 months prego sitting at a bar chugging down seltzer! The entire time we were at the bar she rubbed and spoke to my tummy begging little baby g to make an appearance the next day for her birthday.

When we got home Brian and I cuddled up on the couch to watch the movie "End Of Watch".  We still haven't finished it but it will always remind me of that night. I started feeling a little yucky. I tried laying down, sitting up and walking. I couldn't find a comfortable position. At first I thought it was just the enormous amount of heavy food I ate for dinner. I went to the kitchen for some water and as I sat back on the couch my water broke at 12:26am. I did for a second think I peed myself. I looked over at Brian with a "OH!!!" He knew immediately. I went to the bathroom and realized it was my water. I sat in the bathroom and called our doctor. He instructed us to stay put until my contractions were 7 minutes apart. I hadn't had any contractions yet. He also suggested if contractions didn't start to lay down and come to the hospital at 8am. My water proceeded to "leak" another few times and as soon as I hung up the phone my contractions began. They weren't terrible but they were exactly how my mommy friends described, really back menstrual cramps. The next contraction was exactly 7 minutes later. Panic mode began. Brian started packing a bag, although I had already packed a bag for him weeks ago. I put on my "hospital clothes" and my water then exploded again. I changed my clothes, went down to the laundry to pull out a few things we needed for baby and Brian ran out to the car to check the car seat was secured to my car. The contractions kept coming and I waddled out the car yelling to Brian we needed to go! Our hospital is 40 minutes from our house so I knew it was go time.

The car ride to the hospital was actually pretty relaxing although my contractions were staying put at 7 minutes apart. I did catch my husband speeding a few times. We called both our moms. I texted my best friend who begged baby for baby to come. We talked about girls names because we still hadn't decided.  Because it was about 1:00 am we had to enter through the ER. The ER on Saturday nights aren't the nicest places to be. There were no wheelchairs available at the time I arrived so with the help of security guard he sat me on a stool while we waited for my labor nurse to come and get me. At this time my contractions were 5 minutes apart. We pre registered so we were able to go right up to our labor suite. I will highly suggest pre registering if you are expecting. When I got up to my room my water broke again while I was in the bathroom. I accidentally and unknowingly pulled the emergency cord while trying to change into my gown. While I was half changed 3 nurses stormed in to the bathroom. Embarrassing to say the least. Little did I know things were going to get real embarrassing in the next several hours. About 30 minutes later my mom arrived. By this time my contractions ranged from 2-5 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds. They were painful but nothing I couldn't handle. I was not progressing even though the contractions were coming so fast. I was 1 centimeter dilated and had been for several weeks. My mom and I went to walk the halls and instructed my husband to take a nap. As we walked the halls my mother in law arrived. She was so excited she couldn't sleep. It was around 2:30 and the real labor was about to go down.

Check back soon for the second part of Jack's birth story.