Tuesday, February 6, 2007

abigail marie

Because Derrick was born at 38 weeks, once I hit that point with Abigail I felt overdue. I had been blessed with a relatively easy labor and delivery the first time around, but was worried that lightning wouldn't strike twice or that if it did, I wouldn't be aware of what was happening. You think that once you have been through the process it becomes easier to tell when it is happening the next time. Not with me. At 38 weeks I was only 2 cm dilated. I was not feeling any pain or contractions at that time, but worried that even if I was I wouldn't know it, given my first birth experience. At our 39 week appointment, I was still a 2. I determined that I would be pregnant forever. Within a day or so, I began to think that I might be having contractions, so we decided to go to the hospital to be checked instead of risking it. I was a 2 and they sent me home. Several days later, I thought again that we'd better go get checked, just to be safe. Same result, 2 cm and come back when it is for real. It was embarrassing. I'd done this before, I should know. We went home pretty discouraged and the day proceeded normally. I went to bed that night feeling nothing out of the ordinary. Then, around 3:30 am I woke up with mild crampiness and so I decided to take a bath. Around 4:30 am I figured that I should probably wake Jon up and have him call his sister to come watch Derrick, again. She arrived around 5:00 am and we took off in hopes that this wouldn't be false alarm number 3. I wasn't sure that we needed to be going until about half way to the hospital, when I made Jon start running red lights. When we got there, he pulled up to the door and I got out. I had to double over for a contraction after a few steps and then made my way inside. They got me situated in a room and then checked me, I was 8 cm. Keep in mind that less than 2 hours earlier I was sleeping comfortably thinking I was never going to have this baby. A little more than 1 hour after arriving at the hospital, Abigail made her grand entrance. The hospital was very busy that day and I was the last person to get a room to deliver in. If I had been 1 person behind me, Abbie would have been born in the hallway. It's funny how Abbie's birth reflects her personality. She wasn't going to come before she was good and ready, but when she decided it was time, she didn't waste any time! That stubborn streak has been quite a challenge over the last four and a half years, but I wouldn't trade her for anything.

9 comments:

Mandy said...

Your birth stories are great! How exciting to be so close to having your next one! I get so excited for women when they are pregnant. I loved being pregnant even though I was sick the whole flipping time. I miss feeling the little flutters and kicks in my stomach.

My Rags to Riches said...

I don't envy you right now. I just barely went through the whole thing. Although, I loved feeling Ethan kick and move around, there wasn't much else that I loved about being pregnant. I wasn't sick like Mandy, but I got blog clots and sciatica so bad that I was on bed rest for most of my pregnancy (starting around 4 months). I can relate to your pains, the last few weeks I felt like I was going to die. I was induced too.

annalisa said...

I was induced for high blood pressure when I wasn't even 1 cm. So if I did have a another child, I wouldn't know how contractions felt either, which sounds kind of silly.
Sounds like those baths are working for you. Keep taking them!

Amy said...

I love that you shared these stories, definitely ones that need to be recorded for posterity. They did make me think back to my own stories as well. Here's to hoping for a new baby very soon...

Sierra said...

Thanks for the good stories. I will have to publish Kaia's sometime. I hope that things go well with the last delivery and I look forward to the new story and pix of the new kiddo. Hang in there, you KNOW this won't last forever.

Anonymous said...

What a cute little bundle! These were fun to read -- only a few more days until #3. So exciting!

Emily said...

Kimmy...are you in labor!?!

Mandy said...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Amy said...

a Valentine's baby perhaps?!