Warning: this is a long post.
Cora Madelyn Renee Jensen
Born 11/24/2010 @ 9:15 pm
Ht: 20 in
Wt: 8 lbs 1 oz
Birth Timeline
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
3:45 am- I got up to do my normal bathroom run. After returning to bed I laid there trying to go back to sleep, I'm sure my mind was running wild about the impending due date of our sweet babe and all the things I still wanted to get done before she came.
4:10 am- while laying there I felt a popping sensation, it felt like a balloon popping or something like that. I was laying perfectly still. The thought crossed my mind that it could be my water breaking but in a few short seconds I thought there was no way and pushed it from my mind. She wasn't due for another 4 days and I was sure I would pass up that date.
4:15 am- I felt a little trickle, I'm sure my mouth opened as if to say "no way!" and then a gush of fluid. OH MY GOSH, IT'S HAPPENING!! My heart racing I leaned over Spencer who was fast asleep and said "Spence, I think it's happening, I think my water just broke!!" He jumped from bed as excited as ever!! I'm not sure how much amniotic fluid surrounded our little babe but I can tell you it was A LOT! I was shaky and nervous as I kneeled on our bed. As I stood up it just kept coming. I'll just say that we washed a whole load of towels and our sheets.
Approx. 4:25 am- I called my midwife to tell her the news and get my next set of instructions. Caroline answered my call sweet as ever and asked me how I was doing. We went over what had happened and she told me to relax and try and go back to sleep. I was to call back around 8 with an update. Spencer was busy "nesting" at this point. He did dishes, laundry, packed bags, tidied up the house, and vacuumed all before we left for the hospital. He refused to lay in bed with me and enjoy this time together, just the two of us in the quiet, as my mom had instructed. I didn't sleep but I did lay in bed until about 7:45 am.
7:45 am- I got up to shower and then called to give the midwife an update. Beth was now the midwife on call at this point. She instructed me to come in by noon and continue resting until then. I was having minor contractions at this point, nothing worth stopping my prep work over. Yeah I didn't rest after that call. That's when my nesting started.
Approx. 9:30 am- Spencer's SIL, Annie, came over, she was one of the special people we wanted to have at the birth of our sweet babe. Her and Spencer packed a little lunch of turkey and cream cheese tortilla roll ups, wheat thin crackers, and granola bars. We finished putting together the final things and headed to the hospital.
10:30 am- contractions getting a little stronger but still not much of anything to get excited about. We had arrived at the hospital (Legacy Emanuel) and entered the family birth center, wrong place! They directed us to labor and delivery down the hall, duh! We were shown to our room and told our nurse would be right in. Wendy was the sweetest, best nurse I could've ever asked for. She was perfect!
I was hooked up to an IV line so they could administer my penicillin for group b strep. Then I was free to do as I please to get this baby goin. My mom and littlest sister Sadie showed up shortly after, followed by my grandma.
I was really starting to feel contractions at this point. I had no clue how dilated I was because they wanted to hold off on checking me for as long as possible due to my group b step.
My sister Sadie rubbed my feet, I walked the halls with Spencer and my mom, rocked on the birthing ball, leaned over my bed, and danced with Spencer. All of these helped with the ever growing pain. I just had to focus and breathe through each contraction as they got closer and closer together.
5 pm- My midwife, Beth, finally checked me and I was 7 cm dilated. Woohoo!! Yay for soo much progress!
A new addition to the room was my younger sister, Sammy.
At this point we decided it was time to set up the birthing tub in my room while I went down the hall and relaxed in the jacuzzi tub. I was hoping for a water-birth!
My contractions were really really strong and super painful but I was determined to deliver this little girl with no medicine. I am not against it in anyway I just felt at that time it was what was best for both baby and I.
Spencer was so great at coaching me through each contraction and keeping me calm and relaxed. He was SO tired, as was I. I continued to labor in the tub until it was unbearable. I think my nurse and everyone in the labor and delivery wing could probably hear me from behind that closed door. It hurt but I pushed forward.
Approx 7 pm- I had returned to my room and got in the birthing tub there. Beth checked me again and I was now 10 cm dilated and plus 2.
I remember telling my 16 year old cousin and sister and my twenty year old sister that they should never have sex cause this is what happens and it wouldn't be worth the pain. In the end the pain is worthy the baby.
I hurt soooo bad, I was starting to panic and my brain couldn't even think past the pain. I tried many different things from squatting to sitting on the toilet but nothing helped and I was TERRIFIED of pushing!
I had asked my aunt Sharney to join us so that she could photograph this special time and with her she brought my cousin Whitney. Are you keeping track? That's nine people including myself!
I was getting extremely overwhelmed with all the people and the pain and not being able to cope with it. I asked everyone to leave except for Spencer and my mom so I could have a moment of quiet to evaluate the situation.
At that point I was done for, I could not handle it anymore and made it very clear! Wendy and Beth were very confident in my ability to continue without any pain medication but I was not. In my birth plan I had requested that no one ask if I wanted an epidural. I wanted it on my own terms and now was the time!
Wendy offered me a double dose of Fentanyl to give me a while to rest and get a break from everything. It was a-maz-ing!!! Seriously the best thing ever!! I practically fell asleep in our dimly lit, quiet room. I started to feel contractions again after about a half hour so Wendy said I needed to make a choice between going back to no medicine or and epidural. After feeling the glorious relief I did I was not about to endure the pain again so I opted for the latter.
7:45 pm- my epidural was put in by a very nice anesthesiologist. He worked in between my contractions and was done in no time! I was no longer feeling the pain again and was happy happy happy and well rested.
8:00 pm- Beth checked me again and baby's head was about an inch in. Time to get ready for pushing.
I had let everyone come back into the room as I was feeling much better. Two more people had joined the party, my dad and his girlfriend Julie.
When I first started pushing I couldn't feel my contractions so my nurse, now Melissa as Wendy had gone home for the night, had to tell me when to push. It took awhile to get it down but I was going to get this baby out. I couldn't wait any longer to see her. Family members took turns holding my legs and helping hold my back and head up while I was pushing. I don't remember a lot from this period of time, I do remember this though.
I was really happy.
I remember our midwife, Beth Stebbins, telling everyone that this is her 1000th delivery! That's special to me.
I remember asking if she had a lot of hair over and over.
My mom saying "you are way too happy!"
When the anesthesiologist came to check in I told him if I was having a boy I might've just named the baby after him. He responded by telling me that if he was a girl his parents were going to name him Tiffany, I said "Well I'm not naming my baby that!" He laughed and I thanked him.
I remember my SIL, Annie, telling me what a great job I was doing and my grandma saying "I can't believe how good of a pusher she is!"
Grandma Jensen called during pushing so we put her on speaker phone so she got to "be" there.
Anyway, I pushed and pushed and pushed some more, never really feeling too much discomfort. Then baby's little shoulders got stuck and all I can remember is them trying to put the bed back and having to raise it because my poor aunt was smashed between the wall and head of the bed. And then the worst pain of. my. life as my midwife manually turned her so her shoulders would come out.
9:15 pm- Then there was a baby right in front of me. She laid on my chest all purple and new. I cried. Well I think everyone cried. She was perfect and beautiful and oh so special to me already. Then she peed and I laughed. What an end to a long day.
