7 days young

Exactly one week ago at this time I was cuddling our sweet new baby girl. She wasn't quite 10 hours old yet. She still smelled of fresh birth which ask any mom can smell just as good as that new baby smell but doesn't last very long after delivery. Baby girl was settling down after a feeding and even though I knew it was my chance to sleep as well I found it hard to. My mind was racing of that day's events.

When I woke up the morning of October 5th 2012 I was 41 weeks pregnant with our 4th child. A baby girl. I didn't get much sleep the night before which wasn't a new thing. I had been sleeping horribly for weeks at that point. This morning was different though. This morning was the last morning I was going to be pregnant. It was induction day. Time for our precious girl to enter our world.
All of us were bustling about getting ready for the day. The Tabblet's were excited to be going to Riley's house a few days early (we were originally scheduled for an induction on Monday but was able to go in sooner) and we were very thankful that Jenni could watch the kids last minute.

We arrived at the hospital just after 8am. We were given our "admitted room" and we settled in while waiting for the Doctor rounds. The hospital we were at only has one ward. One ward with about 15 rooms that hold patients whom have given birth, had minor surgery and some sickness. A pregnant woman who is preparing for delivery is given her admitted room (aka post partum room) immediatly as it's the room she labors in until delivery and then recovers in until she and baby are discharged. There is a seperate room that laboring moms are taken to do have checks done or any other procedures as the patient rooms are shared and are without privacy curtains.
Around 930am the OB came in to talk about how the morning would go. I was to be taken to the exam room to determine induction procedures. Upon doing so they found me at no progress so I was given a pill sublingually (at around 1030) to promote dilation of the cervix so that the OB could break my water. We all agreed that once my water was broken that it was highly doubtable that I would need further help, ie pitocin.
So we (Josh and I) returned to our room and hung out. Any induced mom knows this is the annoying part. It's the part where you wait for things to start moving. You wait for the contractions to start, you wait for the baby to drop. You wait and wait and wait. Josh and I know this place pretty well. Just before noon Josh and I are laughing it up, I'm only experiencing mild cramping when I feel and HEAR a loud pop. Josh asked if I was ok, as he heard the pop too. I passed it off as my hip popping. Moments later my lunch arrived and as I sat upright I surprisingly realized that it was my water that broke not my hip that popped. I have never had my water break naturally so it was a new feeling for me. I was so surprised.

From there I ate my lunch (somewhat quickly as my contractions started immediatley) and was hooked up to monitors for 20 mins so that the midwife had an idea what my body was doing. It didn't surprise me that contractions started right away. Seems like that's the kicker for me. Water breaks= baby comes.

Baby's heart on the left

Contractions on the right

When the nurse came in around 1245 to take the monitors off and report the findings to the OB, I was having to breath through my contractions. I asked when I would be taken to the delivery room as "my baby is on her way quickly". She said she'd let the doctor know. A few contractions later they escorted me to the exam room so that I could be checked. At this point I know I am in full labor. Josh and I are "dancing" through the contractions and I was feeling her descent. We waited in the exam room for what seemed like ages. The doctor finally arrived and I was checked. 4cm. He asked if I wanted some pain meds or anything but that I was cleared to move to the delivery room. I knew he didn't believe me when I told him I needed to get to the delivery room quickly. He sent us back to our room to wait for the midwife to come escort us to the delivery room. Josh and I danced through more contractions waiting for the midwife. All I remember thinking at this point was "where is the midwife, this baby is coming now"I was more concerned about getting to the delivery room then I was the contractions. Once one would start I'd get through it and prepare to move as soon as it was over if she showed up. 

I didn't hear her come in but I heard her ask if I could walk or if I needed to ride (in the bed). I replied with something along the lines of "losing the baby on the floor if I walked" trying to make light of the situation. So she pushed me. It was the first time I laid down since the contractions became fierce... MAN it's so much easier to get through a contraction standing up/being able to move. 

You know that scene in a lot of those movies where they rush that screaming wild lady in labor down the hallway and you laugh at it because of the chaos and the wild screaming woman... Yeah that was totally going through my head while I was being rushed to the delivery room. I'd like to think that I wasn't so loud and wild but seriously who thinks about that kind of stuff while they are actually in the same scenario? 

A handful of mins after 1pm, we arrived into the delivery room and a contraction was ending so in a hurried shuffle I got on to the delivery bed. The midwife said she'd check me again to see if we had time to fill the tub for my hopeful water birth and to let her know when the next contraction ended. So Josh and the midwife lead me thru the 1st contraction I had in the delivery room. As it slowly let up, the midwife helped adjust my leg so that she could determine a timeline and I heard her let out a tiny little surprised "oh!" She then coached me to give into my body with the next contraction, to do what it told me to do because it was going to be my last one. So I did. The 2nd contraction in the delivery room was phenomenal. Absolutely mind blowing. I can't explain exactly how it felt, I just remember giving into the pain and breathing. I felt every part of her being born. I wasn't side tracked with being told to push or move this way or to keep going or to stop. There was no monitors binding my stomach or beeping machines at my head. No IV line to untangle. No drugs of any kind to fight with. 

It was quiet and I got to dance with my baby. 

The midwife placed baby at my side once delivered rather then on my chest due to her still being attached to the umbilical cord (placenta hadn't been delivered yet so baby was on a "short leash")  Baby stayed by my side until it quit pulsating in order to receive all those super blood cells and extra nutrients. 

Imogen Kate

9lbs 

22in 

Born 1:10pm Oct 5th

A little later after some time in the recovery room (to monitor mom and baby) we returned to our admitted room. Josh left baby and I to go pick up the other 3 Tabblets from their day with Riley. 

They returned after a little while excited to see their Mamum. 

When Aidan came into the room he immediately saw Imogen in my arms. His eyes lit up and he proclaimed "It's Imogen, mamum, she got out of your belly!!!" Then proceeded to tell us "she's so pretty" every 5 mins.

Mama and Baby Sister were discharged the next day. 

As the last 7 days have past we have fallen more and more in love with this little girl. Her voice is soft and serene. She's alert and chill. She's very easy to please. 

Her brothers and sister have already been taken to her. Teagan says she's a cute princess like her. Aidan  helps out any way he can. He also says "I love Imogen all week. She is so beautiful" 

Killian likes to poke her but that's to be expected. 

Now I am left thinking how grateful I am to have had such a wonderful birth experience as it was my last. I can thankfully and happily close this door and open the next in our life journey together. It was the perfect ending to a perfect time. And yes, unless God intervenes, Miss Imogen will be our last.  Her name is Irish (just like the other 3), it means Daughter. Last born. She completes us.

7 days young