Catters
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I can't believe she's here.. at times, (even after 2 weeks), I still sit in awe and amazement... I am truly embracing EVERY moment and hoping like hell she doesn't grow up too quickly. I just wanted to jot this down, even if no one reads it, I want it to just remember, as she's the last addition to our family. I went into labor on December 1st, late in the evening.. felt different than regular BH's and lasted from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. and then nothing. At the start of it all, I still said to OH, "um... you better not head off to work .. I think she'll be here tomorrow.."
Dec 2nd -- 10 A.M..
Contractions started again... nice and intense... but never getting to the point where I couldn't talk or move.. just nice and ouchie... so I knew 'something' was happening, but wasn't sure where we were. I asked hubby to stay with our Lilah (she's 2) and that I'd go see my MW, Jennifer, ask for an internal to see if there was any progression and what could be done (maybe she'd give me a sweep, if nothing was progressing). Off I drove, was admitted, and lo' and behold, I was at a 3! I asked to go home (after an hour of monitoring) so I could continue to labor at home -- she asked if I wanted an epidural and said, "if so, it'd probably be best if you didn't go home, and just waited for them to come and get you set up with one".. I said, "Thank you, but no... I've had my others naturally, so want to continue that tradition if at all possible." She nodded and said.. "Ok.. promise me this. If you get contractions that stop you in your tracks, you get your butt back here ASAP." I promised and I happily went home.
1 P.M..
Got home, had a small snack and sat on my birthing ball.. Hubby asked if I wanted to take a nap as I was feeling so incredibly sleepy so I did nap off and on for about 30/45 minutes... contractions were every 4-5 minutes, but again.. nothing to stop me in my tracks.. just enough to make me go.. "oh.. wow..". I did doze in between them.
I got back up, sat on my birthing ball again and OH and I watched a couple of episodes of Sons of Anarchy... by the end of those shows, contractions were enough to make me get OFF the birthing ball, as it was just too painful to have pressure anywhere NEAR my hoo-hoo. I thought to myself, "Hmm.. how am I going to sit in the car to get to the hospital... guess I could lay down in the back seat"...
I took OH's hand and said.. "I think it's time we head back." By this time, it was 4 p.m.4 P.M..
Hubby grabbed our bags, said our goodbyes to my mum and Lilah and off we went to the hospital. Arrived, got checked in and in came my favorite MW and her partner in crime, Kim. Kim was the head nurse on duty and by far, the best nurse I've ever encountered during my births. She got ready to do an internal and we 'bet' on how far I had dilated... I said.."I'm going to mentally prepare myself for a 4, so I'm not disappointed.." She laughed and said.. "Ok. I'll go for a 5, then.." EEK.. I hate internals, but by the look on her face afterwards and the huge smile that spread across her face, I quickly forgot the pain.. "WHAT? WHAT????" I said.. She said.. "Well, we BOTH lost the bet.. " I said.. "oh god.. I shrunk.. what am I at? A ONE!?!?" She laughed and said.. "um no.. you're at an eight.." "WHAT? WHAT?? OMG... I love you.." I squeeled behind tears and laughter.. I was so thrilled... Madelyn would be here soon!
5 - 7 P.M.
Dear lord... not only did the contractions become more intense for the two hours before she joined us, Madelyn was also 'back to back' and my team was determined to turn her around, so that it'd be a bit better to birth her. No lie... if hubby, Kim and Jennifer were NOT there, I think I would have just curled up into a fetal position and asked someone to just shoot me.
Every contraction made my legs go numb, something not so fun to feel when you are leaning back, on all fours, trying to get a baby to turn around inside of you... of course, I was so close to a ten for almost 45 minutes but had this stubborn lip on my cervix that just didn't want to finish out that 10. The contractions, at this point felt like they were coming so close, they were on top of one another. I was constantly moving my positions and towards the end, Jennifer brought in this bar, dropped the lower part of my bed down and I was able to hang my foof off that ledge, work on making it through that contraction and hang on this bar that made me look like a biker, cruising behind some ape hangers
..... Kim decided to use her finger to hold back that lip and told me on the next contraction to push.. ARE YOU SERIOUS? REALLY? omg.. finally...7 P.M.
I think at this point, I looked at Kim and Jennifer and said.. "um.. I can't have anything for the pain ... can I? ... it's probably too late, huh?" They all just looked at me and said.. "Cat, you've gone this far, hun... you've got this... just a bit further.. a few pushes and she's here.." I looked down at Kim in between my legs, held onto that bar above me and asked, "Really? (I was so tired and wanted to just cry)" She said.. "Yes, hon... I'm sitting here, with Madelyn's head in my hand." That was all it really took to get me going... I held that bar, buried my head into hubby's chest and when the next wave hit, I pushed as hard as a I could. I felt the ring of fire.. oh god.. help me... and heard Jennifer yell out to me.. "Slowly Cat.. slow.. breath.. .. pant.. now push.. slowly... now stop.. ok.. now push.. .. ok.. stop.. .. ok.. now PUSH!" I listened, face buried, practically hanging from the bar on the bed now and out came Maddie.. face up, causing a bit of tear and crying...She was laid down on my bare chest/stomach (as per my birth plan), her cord cut after it stopped pulsating and it was love at first sight.
She arrived at 7:31 p.m., on December 2nd -- 8 lbs and 2.4 ozs, 20 inches long.
https://madelynblackford.shutterfly.com/
I'll have to watch and stalk you a bit to see how it all pans out... I have no doubt you'll do fantastically! 
