Sophia's Birth Story

Sophia Marie is here! She was born on November 7th, 2011 at 9:25AM via c-section. She was 7lbs. 4.8oz. and 18 1/2" long. Here's the birth story.



My due date (11/4/11) has come and gone. I woke up on the 7th feeling "weird". I was kind of crampy and just didn't feel right. I ate breakfast and the contractions started but weren't timeable yet. I went about my day and by lunch time they were starting to get closer together and stronger. I decided to eat lunch and then walk a mile slow and steady on our treadmill in our basement. After I walked on the treadmill I just hung out on our couch and watched TV. By around 6:00PM my contractions were a steady 3-5 minutes apart lasting a minute long but was still able to talk through them.

I ate dinner and showered. I was debating on going to the hospital at that point. I really didn't want to go to L&D only to be sent home. My DH, Mom, and MIL convinced me to call my OBGYN office. I did and the on-call nurse told me to go ahead and head to L&D. I checked in at 8:30PM and was admitted. When I arrived I was a good 2 cm.

By 11:30PM I was checked for progress and still remained 2 cm. I didn't understand how I was still only 2 cm considering I was in so much pain and it was only getting worse with each contraction. I was asked if I wanted an epidural at that point. I declined because I didn't want it too early.

12:30AM rolled around and I was ready for that epidural if I had progressed or not. I was given the epidural. I was on cloud 9 and it was heaven. Moments after I had it my Mom was watching the monitor and said "Gail, you're having a contraction right now. Do you feel it?" I cracked up laughing and said "Nope. Who knew?!" 4:30AM rolled around and my OB broke my water, clear fluid.

At around 8:30AM my progress was checked again and I was only 4 cm. I was in labor for 12 hours at that point. My OB told me that LO was facing up and not dropped down where she should have been and told me I needed a c-section. I balled my eyes out. I did NOT want a c-section. I so badly wanted to deliver vaginally and felt like a failure as a woman. DH comforted me and changed into his scrubs. Shortly after I was rolled into the operating room and my c-section was performed.

The surgery was only minutes long but felt like hours. I just wanted to hear LO cry and see her. Sure enough she was born in minutes and I heard that beautiful sound...the cry. She had a full head of hair and was completely alert. DH and I shed a ton of tears. It was just an amazing feeling.