Emma's Grand Entrance

Emma arrived a week before our due date.  I had heard that first time moms' babies come late, and so we had started walking a lot that week to try and provoke Emma to come on time.  

On February 1, 2013, contractions started at 1:30am and were regular.  I knew to wait, though, because I'd had these pains before in December and nothing came of them.  My water broke at 3:30am, though.  I informed Matt, "my water broke. We get to meet her today!" 

Since we were one week early, our bag was not fully packed and turned into two bags.  At 6:30am, a cab arrived and its bewildered driver was informed by my husband that "my wife is in labor, drive slow and avoid potholes."  Bug-eyed, he opened the door for me and chauffeured us to Cloud Nine (the hospital where we delivered - no joke!)

DURING EARLY LABOR AT CLOUD NINE

We had a 29 hour natural childbirth, with two medication assists: a Tylenol supository at 1am on 2/2/2013, and laughing gas for a while after 5am to help me relax and get from 8cm to 9cm so I could start pushing.  Other than these and the local anesthetic prior to my episiotomy, I was medication-free.  

EMMA'S GRAND ENTRANCE - JUST AS SHE WAS HANDED TO US

I had five significant attendants: my mother-in-law who arrived on the scene during transition and was a strength alongside and a medical sounding board for me, a precious lady friend who was pretty much a doula for us from 11am to 11pm, a nurse who checked Emma's heart rate every hour on the hour so I wouldn't have to be hooked up to machines or IV fluids, a nurse who pressed on my fundus at the peak of contractions as I was pushing, and my amazing five-star doctor

THE DAY AFTER EMMA WAS BORN 

Emma arrived completely complication-free.  I had no idea that birth could be that drama-less... though transition is pretty dramatic, pushing was not.  The assist I got from the nurse pushing on my fundus and the doctor's expert guiding of Emma's head and shoulders (knees and toes) got Emma from crowning to fully born in only one push.  From the start of pushing to her arrival into the world, 10-15 minutes transpired!  Praise the Lord!

OUR DOCTOR 

EMMA KATE

FEBRUARY 2, 2013

7LBS 3OZ, 20" 

MOM-IN-LAW, HUSBAND, AND I WITH EMMA