Joanna's Birth Story

I thought Vivian's birth story was interesting since I dilated so quickly, but Joanna's was insane.

At 40 weeks, my due date 5/24/15, I thought for sure I would go another week.  I was 2 cm dilated on Monday the 18th, but haven't had any contractions other than the occasional Braxton Hicks and the sometimes menstrual cramping.

With it being Memorial Day weekend and my Mom being here, we've been on the go.  Friday night, her and I walked the loop at Wrightsville Beach.  FYI, that was the most uncomfortable walk being almost 40 weeks.  I wanted things to progress. Then Saturday we took Vivian to the beach.

On Sunday, d-day, we took Vivian to the playground, walked around downtown and went to Mayfaire for ice cream.  We decided to grill out low country shrimp boil kabobs for dinner.  Very good by the way.  We finished up dinner and I put Vivian to bed at 6:30pm because she didn't nap much that day.  Afterwards, we sat outside talking and Joanna was moving like crazy.  My lower back started hurting on and off.  I figured it was how she was positioned...didn't think too much of it. After about 30 or so minutes we went inside into the living room hanging out, with B on the internet looking up largest vaginal births.  Great thing to discuss while I was 40 weeks. 

My back was still bothering me and figured I would take a shower to see if it would help.  It did, some, until I got out of the shower. All I could do was stand motionless over the sink because of the pain in my back. That pain started coming closer together.  Brian took a shower "just in case" I needed to go to the hospital.  I went ahead and started getting my things together all the while stopping in between excruciating back pain.  I also started having the "I have to use the bathroom feeling."  My Mom was rubbing my back telling me we should go to the hospital.  I could barely talk at this point.  Between the quick second of pain relief I went to the bathroom and started spotting.  I slowly made my way outside to the car while Brian was still getting his things together. We left the house around 9:10pm.

It hurt so bad to sit in the car.  I gripped onto the handle above the door as hard as I could breathing the best way I could, meaning fast.  Brian kept telling me to calm down and slow my breathing.  I really wish a man could feel and understand the intense of labor pain.  Once we got onto MLK heading to the airport exit, I felt the need to push and started to feel her crown.  We still had several miles to the hospital at this point along with several traffic lights to drive thru.  Brian started freaking out telling me not to push, there was no way I was having a baby in the car!  We were back and forth at one another.  I think both of us were terrified.  I kept telling him to turn the emergency lights on, but wouldn't.  He said that would do no good, he wasn't an ambulance. 

Once we pulled into the hospital parking lot, he was asking me were to go frantically.  I told him to just park in front of the door and get a wheelchair.   

Got up to triage and I told the nurse I have the urge to poop.  If you've gone through labor, you know the feeling.  She got me into a room and I told her I feel the baby crowning.  She took my shirt off and Brian my bottoms.  She checked me and sure enough, I was crowning.  All I wanted to do was push.  Of course she kept telling me not to push.  Impossible.  They wheeled me in the delivery room, got my legs up, got the resident doctor.  Told me to push and Joanna shot out along with my water.  I was incomplete shock!  

Joanna was born at 9:56 pm weighing 7 lbs 3 oz and 18-1/2 inches long. I called my Mom and told her she was born within 10 minutes arriving at the hospital.  Insane!  The on call Dr arrived not long after Joanna was born and she said this was her first birth in 5 years she's missed.    She stitched me up, which I only had a 1 degree tear and cuddled with Joanna.  

What a wild delivery!  I told Brian I was done with kids. I'm happy with having two beautiful girls.