Maddox {Birth Story}

Introducing our sweetest new addition:

Maddox Eric Carpenter

Born April 12, 2016 at 9:48pm.  7 lbs 14 oz. and 20 1/2" long (my due date baby!)

Let me recap this beautiful day as best I can:

3:30am: Woke up to pee, mainly because I was uncomfortable and couldn't sleep.  I had had dreams the past 2 nights of going into labor-- so I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or if I was uncomfortable because the process was starting.  

I jumped back in bed and told myself-- wake up, you're definitely having contractions.  With Jacoby, my contractions started right away being about 5 minutes apart and so with baby #2 (who usually comes quicker...we'll get to that!), I wanted to be prepared.  I started timing them and they were about 5-7 minutes apart. 

4:00am: Nate woke up and asked me why the bathroom light was on.  I told him "because I'm having contractions and I left the light on so I could see better while timing them." I'm pretty sure my answer shocked him.  He looked at me and said-- so is it go time?  We decided we should start getting things around and packed up.  Nate called his mom and dad (who would meet us at the hospital to get Jacoby), and I texted my mom to let her know that we were on the way to the hospital. 

5:15am: We arrived at the hospital, said goodbye to Jacoby one last time before he became a big brother (...I almost cried...).

6:00am: They check me and I was 2-3cm dilated and the contractions were still about 5 minutes apart and lasting right around 1 minute. 

9:00/10:00am: All checked in, in the room, IVs running and I got my epidural. I don't mess around :) The nurse kindly asked earlier when she was checking me in: "Did you have an epidural last time and do you want one this time?" I kindly replied "Yes, I loved it and I'll take it as soon as you can give it to me :)".

So it was a waiting game. One that took longer than I planned.  Considering it was baby #2, we all kind of assumed he'd come by lunch time or early afternoon.  I felt STARVING the entire time and the nurse told me "well, you'll probably be able to get lunch".  Let me remind you that he was born at 9:48pm. So I didn't get lunch...or dinner...but rather a midnight snack. He's lucky he's cute! 

1:00pm: My dr came in and checked me, and said I was about 6 cm dilated but that baby was sitting really high.  He wasn't down in the birth canal yet, but he was head down.  She did an ultrasound to make sure that his positioning was ok, that he didn't have his head tilted backwards, and no cord was wrapped around his neck.  Everything checked out just fine--he was just having trouble getting straight into the birth canal -- his head was coming in at an angle.

5:00pm: Dr. did another ultrasound, and Maddox was in a very similar position.  This is where I give LOTS of credit to my doctor for knowing how to handle the situation.  My water still hadn't broke and she didn't want to necessarily break it because she was afraid that it might cause the cord to come down, but before baby-- which is not what we want.  So she decided to try something they've done in the past but rarely do anymore, which is take a tiny needle type thing (I know my nursing friends are proud of my medical language...), and instead of breaking my water entirely, she just poked a teeny hole into the water sack.  The goal was for the water to trickle out slowly, so that it would help get baby to start moving down more, and so that the cord would stay right where it needed to.  

When she did this, she could tell right away that it worked to at least have the water trickle slowly out.  The next goal was for Maddox to move down properly. 

6:00pm: Dr checked me again and with a smile on her face she looked at me and said "baby has dropped.  This is EXACTLY what we wanted".  

It was then a waiting game...waiting for the urge to push.  I remember that feeling so vividly (it was only 18 months ago haha) and yet I didn't feel it.  I kept telling them that I could feel a little bit of my contractions, but that there was no "urge to push" feeling.  So we waited...

9:15pm: Dr came in and said, "alright, I have a new plan.  Let's just see what you can do.  I'm gonna have you try to push twice, and we will see what kind of progress we can make with baby.  If he moves enough, we'll deliver.  If not, we'll wait some more."  I thought, alright...I like this idea. 

I pushed twice and the dr said "alright...we're delivering this baby!"

After 24 minutes of pushing, at 9:48pm, our beautiful baby boy was born. The cord was wrapped around his neck once but didn't cause an issue at all.

What I would give to relive the moment he was put on my chest. It's literally the best feeling in the world- I remember so vividly that moment with Jacoby as well.  It's as if the entire world stops for just a few moments. Stops in complete and utter perfection as our baby boy lays on my chest and Nate is right there with us.

I can't express the joy. No words will do. 

xox,

Naomi