Let me start with this, looking back through my blog I have no idea how I found so much time to post right after Rylee was born. No wonder I never got anything done those first few months, wow....
Well, after a long month I'm finally going to attempt to type up Madelyn's birth story. Let me just say that this month has been an incredible and fast one. Madelyn is a GREAT baby with little fussing, except when she's hungry (or if I'm showering). I feel so incredibly blessed! Plus, Rylee loves her little sister so much, I can't wait to watch them grow together.
OK, so the morning of January the 10th I had my 39w6d OB appointment. I had already planned to ask him to break my water, however, I didn't know if I'd have to schedule something for the next week. Dr. Rapp checked me and I had progressed to a full 5cm, almost 6. He stripped my membranes and told me he expected my water to break that day. It was a cold, rainy, bad traffic kind of day, and so I talked to him about having to drive 30 minutes home to drive back if it does, etc. Then, he said well if you want to head to the hospital we can do this today... WHAT?! Man, he read my mind :) I went straight to the hospital, after some lack of direction sense on my part, and got checked in around 10:00am. The nurse broke my water at 11 and the waiting game began.
We walked the halls...interesting thing to do after having your water broke.... and I bounced and rolled on a birthing ball in our room. Dr. Rapp came and checked me at 1pm and I was at a 6 or 7, so he ran to do some errands. Around 3pm, the contractions started to get pretty intense... hello transition... I got on my hands and knees on the hospital bed and things started really progressing. The nurse came in to see how I was doing and dropped the bottom of the bed so I could be on my knees in a more comfortable way. She gave me some encouragement then left me alone- something I loved about her and my doctor.
At 4:30-ish, honestly I lost all track of time at this point, the nurse checked me and I was at an 8. I wasn't sure I could take it much longer, but luckily I had an incredibly supportive and encouraging husband and nurse who kept pushing me. Sometimes close to 6, came the time to push, and I was pretty convinced that I wouldn't be able to do it, but at 6:15 my beautiful little girl was placed on my abdomen and it was the most wonderful release I've ever felt. Yup... I gave birth to my 8lb9oz baby all naturally, almost completely intervention free, and it's the most empowering experience of my life. And yes, it hurt like no other pain I've ever felt.
Madelyn immediately wanted to nurse and did so for about 90 minutes, which was good considering I was losing a decent amount of blood and her nursing was helping to slow it down. I never once had to have a single drug during my stay. She has continued to be a breastfeeding champ.
Now a month later she is such a calm baby weighing in at 10lb12oz. We're using cloth diapers and she's already wearing 0-3mo clothes. This month has been surreal and I feel so blessed when I look around at my messy house because it means we had a fun day and my heart is full of the love from and for my 2 beautiful little girls.
