The Birth Story
07th
2008
Typing with baby in one arm is going to be interesting & it will probably take about three years to finish this post one-handed, but here goes…
My due date (Thanksgiving day) came and went and there was no sign of my little turkey girl.
Okay, so I sort of thought I was going into labor that day and managed to turn my parents’ house upside down with excitement, but it turned out to be a false alarm (read: gas mixed with a little over-anxiousness). I was incredibly disappointed, but everyone says that a due date is really just an estimate. I know, I know… but that day I was not in the mood for all the “Madeline will come when she’s ready” comments that everyone was giving me. I wanted her OUT and was willing to try anything to make it happen.
Let’s see, the wives tales I fell for were eating spicy food, eating chinese food, eating pineapple, eating Olive Garden’s soup/salad/breadsticks, going for loooooooong walks, doing squats (which actually sort of toned my thighs, haha), doing the thing married people do, and pretty much everything short of reaching up there and trying to pull her out myself. Nothing worked and I was totally bummed out. After reading about the horrors of castor oil and how it caused so many women to do the ONE thing I was absolutely terrified of (pooping on the delivery table), I swore I would never, EVER do it. Seriously, my friends know how scared I was of that happening, and I wasn’t going to risk it.
Okay, so on Saturday the 29th, my family had a nice afternoon. We went to see Four Christmases (hilarious) ate some Mexican, and went back to my parents’ house for a while. Madeline was doing her usual painful kicking and rolling around in my belly and I just said, “Okay. Castor oil. Where do I get some?” My mom said, “Umm… you know what that does, right?” and I didn’t even care. Off to Walgreens I went.
An hour later I was standing in the kitchen, staring at the little bottle sitting on my counter and trying to muster up the courage to down it. The stuff smelled DISGUSTING, oh my gosh. I sent a few messages back and forth with Jimaie, who had told me a while ago that castor oil mixed with orange juice worked for her. I had all the details on how much to drink, what it does, and all that. A few minutes later I was stirring up a nice big glass of globby oil with some orange juice and gagging it down. Justin and I started up a movie and waited for the tummy rumbles to start.
Nothing.
I climbed into bed around midnight and was just so disappointed. I mean, what the heck? It had been 5 hours since I drank that SIIIIICK stuff (almost the full bottle, by the way…) and I hadn’t felt anything out of the ordinary. I drifted off to sleep, angry at the world.
12:30am. THAT didn’t take long. Tummy rumbles galore… but nothing else. I got up and sat on the couch with a book for a while, and the cramps in my stomach slowly got more and more intense. I was convinced it was just gas, but when I started feeling them in my lower back, I knew something was up. I laid on the floor in the living room until about 4:00 as these cramps came, still just waiting for #2 to kick in. By that point Justin had been asleep for a few hours, all warm and snuggly in our big comfy bed, and I had had it. Poor guy, he didn’t do anything, but the PAIN. UGH. I went in our room and woke him up. I told him I wasn’t sure if it was gas or labor, but we needed to go to the hospital so I could get checked out. NOW, man.
4:30am. We were checked into the hospital and I had my gown on. The cramps were still coming and going, about every 5 minutes, but the nurse said I was only dilated to a 2. NOOOOOOO!! All this pain and nothing was happening?! You have to be kidding me. The nurse came back at 5:00 and checked me again, and I was dilated to a 3. They said I could stay, thankfully, but they weren’t all that sure this was the real thing until they checked me again a little while later and I was a 4. JESUS LOVES ME.
7:00am. Helloooo, Mr. Castor Oil! Relief… sweet, sweet relief (in more ways than one, let me tell you). One less thing to worry about!
8:30am. Family starts to trickle in. The contractions, which by this point I was sure were real, were absolutely AWFUL! Girls, some of you are wanting babies… please please pleaaase take my advice: EPIDURAL. Don’t try to be a hero. Seriously. The doctor who was on call was sort of a hippie (no offense to anyone who has been a stud and given birth without one, but she really was) and was guilt-tripping me when I told her I wanted one. After a bit of fake-crying and some pleading, I got my way, but she was on my nerves, man. Don’t tell me how much pain I can handle!
10:45am. Epidural! The needle wasn’t bad at all, especially in comparison the the contractions that were coming 2 minutes apart and making me want to rip my own face off. It kicked in immediately, as did the loopiness (or so I’m told). My nurse was taking my fingerprint a few minutes later, and I guess I said something about being wanted for murder. I don’t know.
Noon. Everyone left my room to go to the cafeteria for lunch. They figured it was safe because I was about a 5. It was nice to have a few minutes to get some sleep since I had been up for about 30 hours. The nurse came in about 20 minutes later and checked me, and I was an 8. Don’t know how that happened! I called someone (my mom? Justin? I can’t remember…) and told them to come back soon…
1:30pm. Fully dilated and ready to push. I didn’t know how in the world I was going to feel anything with the epidural (I couldn’t even lift my own legs, they were so numb), but I was ready!
2:00-4:06pm. Pushing. And lots of it. I won’t give too many details, but I will say that there was a mirror. I would advise against this. Strongly. Eww.
4:07pm. Madeline’s little cone head popped out. Then an arm, Michael Jackson style. They put her on my belly and I cried. I looked up at Justin and he had the sweetest expression I had ever seen. We were both thinking the same thing — Parents! And to a gorgeous little girl.
Her eyes were open from the start, and she looked right up at me. As mushy and new mom-ish as this sounds, I knew my life would never be the same.
That mirror was still at the foot of my bed, and I caught a glimpse of myself holding my new baby. I looked like complete crap, and for the first time, I didn’t care.
Okay, maybe a little.
They finished getting the baby and I all cleaned up and the — ugh — placenta delivered, and told me I didn’t need stitches. SCORE! Those close to me also know that tearing during delivery was a close second to pooping on the table, so that was good news. How I was so lucky, I’ll never know.
The hospital stay was short and sweet. We left the next day around 1:00pm and drove — very slooooowly — home, with me in the back seat, holding her head steady the whole way, haha.
The past week has been a whirlwind of visitors, poopy diapers, painfully massive mama boobies, and a whole lot of sweet-smelling baby. Our Madeline is a week old, and getting sweeter and more adorable all the time.
I just love this girl.
Oh my goodness that first picture is so cute!! And it wouldn’t be Morgan without her powder compact :)
on December 7th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
This was so sweet. My overly hormonal self is tearing up!
on December 7th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
ah, that last picture!! she’s so precious! thank you for sharing your story with us, it makes me um… sort of excited to be a mommy one day? kidding. it was so sweet. congrats again morgan!! xo
on December 7th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
great story morgan! all that walking and squats helped you not to tear :) I walked tons with my 2nd and 3rd and got no stitches. I’m so happy for you!
I’m already missing the new baby thing :(
on December 7th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
This was such a beautiful story…I loved reading it! And how interesting about the castor oil; I guess it’s not an old wive’s tale after all! She is such a gorgeous baby girl :)
on December 7th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
ok..so…now I kinda feel better about this whole thing..LOL! She is just precious, seriously!
on December 7th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
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on December 7th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
What a beautiful story, thank you for sharing it. She is perfect!
on December 7th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
hey!!!!!! she is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! i love that last pic..
on December 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
ohhhh how beautiful! thank you for sharing! she is beautiful (just like her mommy).
on December 7th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I love hearing birth stories. Thanks for telling us yours.
And she is such a cute lil girl! You are so lucky. I have 3 boys myself, maybe I should try for a girl? LOL
***Monica
on December 7th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
beautiful beautiful beautiful! The whole thing, the story, the mama, and especially the gorgeous little Madeline
on December 7th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I WANT ONE!!!!!!!
I’m so happy for you two! SHE’S AMAZING!
on December 7th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Oh you did SUCH a good job on this story! SUCH a good job- and now I have to know which Dr delivered- Dr B? Dr L? Ahhhhh we could be having the same delivery dr! Maddie is gorgeous and so are you.
on December 7th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
haha-too funny- I ate at Olive Garden the evening before my daughter was born. Maybe that’s what spurred the labor.
What a beautiful girl. Enjoy her newborn-ness. I was too tired to enjoy mine.
on December 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
as someone who is very close to getting pregnant, i will say that this post both scared me AND made me feel a little better about the whole “birthing” thing.
i’m not sure exactly where that leaves me.
but your baby is gorgeous, and i am so happy for you guys. yay!
on December 7th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
LOVE this story, Morgan!! You are a champ– you did it!! Contractions and labor are hard, but you’ve got your sweet reward in your beautiful new daughter.
The pictures to go with it are perfect too– especially that first one. I just love imagining you in that moment when you saw your child for the first time. I remember how surreal and awesome and amazing and simply BEAUTIFUL it was. There is nothing like it. Ahhh, reading this makes me so excited for my own little girl’s arrival. And it makes me EXTREMELY happy for you. :)
oh I”m dying over Maddie in that last picture. SO tiny! I want to cuddle her.
ps. I didn’t get to have an epidural either time… We’ll see how this next one goes, I would like to try it!
on December 8th, 2008 at 12:10 am
I tried not to but I totally cried, lol. you look FAB for just giving birth, girl!
how adorable and little she is. This is getting me so excited and I still have a ways to go!
on December 8th, 2008 at 8:09 am
So I guess castor oil really does do the trick!!! And… ok… did I read that right? You were pushing for 2 HOURS?? Poor you! But that is so awesome that you didn’t need stitches.
Thanks for sharing the birth story. :-) I loved reading it. She is just a precious, beautiful baby girl!
on December 8th, 2008 at 11:32 am
What a great story! Thanks for sharing :) Your little girl is beautiful!
on December 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Holy Cow that is a long time for pushing! I hated the pushing! That was the worst part!
But you did a good job and she’s beautiful. Pictures with the post are priceless. Hehe.
on December 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
She is absolutely the cutest newborn baby I’ve ever seen. Congratulations once again, and thanks for sharing your story with all of us!
on December 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Wow! Congratulations! I am a new blogger, and expecting mother of a baby gir, and I came across your blog and story. It is great makes me really excited for my baby!
on December 8th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Oh my goodness she is the sweetest little thing ever. Don’t tell anyone this, but I think I decided I might want to have a baby someday. If possible I’d like to go with out any of the horrible pain and yuckyness, but I know that isn’t very likely. hehe Congratulations to you and your hubby. You have the sweetest little family.
on December 8th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
congratulations!
on December 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Ahh she is soo freaking adorable! And you looked great for having just delivered a baby!!
Congratulations.
on December 8th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
She is absolutely precious! She looks just so tiny and comfy in her daddy’s arms! So glad your delivery went smoothly, once it got underway! HAHA! The castor oil…that’s funny! I’ve never heard about that before. I’m so happy for you. She really is too cute for words!
on December 8th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Oh my goodness – I don’t normally find babies all that cute, but boy is she ever adorable, wow! I just love love love that last photo of her on her stomach… And your birth story was such an interesting read.
Congratulations on the new addition to the family. :)
on December 9th, 2008 at 1:15 am
CONGRATULATIONS!! She is way too cute. Sounds like everything went well….. so happy you didn’t have to have stitches!!! They are the worst.
on December 9th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I am absolutely smitten over your beautiful baby girl! Congratulations!!!!
on December 9th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Baby girl pictures always look so cozy and sweet. I want one!
on December 9th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I’m almost on the verge of tears how sweet your story is…I mean, not the whole gory detail stuff (which I actually enjoyed, btw)…but everything all together. Your baby is beautiful, and your family is gorgeous. You must feel so overwhelmed with joy.
I truly enjoyed reading all throughout your pregnancy. I loved your honesty and all the details you’ve filled in. None of my close friends have gone through a pregnancy yet, so I’ve always been curious as to what exactly it’s like.
Thank you for sharing. Best of luck to you and your family. I look forward to reading about baby’s first solid foods, first steps, first words, and more!
on December 10th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Agghhh, I am so glad I finally get to read your post…4 days later! Oh well.
You make it sound relatively painless, I think you should add some more grueling details ;) Pity party, haha. I am glad it all went so well and you didn’t have to experience a poopy mess! I can’t wait to see the little one!!!!!!
PS, a MIRROR? YUCK…no thanks!!!
on December 11th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Wow! After all of that I don’t think I would have been able to write it all down! SO crazy the castor oil did the trick! And OMG what was up with the crazy hippie doctor?! Well, it was all worth it in the end! Maddie is so perfect! Yay!!! Oh, and I love the picture of you doing your makeup! Awesome. I bet that would be me. haha. Congrats again, Maddie is just lovely.
on December 12th, 2008 at 1:17 am
What an awesome birth story. It’s been so fun to follow your pregnancy. I’m 12 weeks pregnant so it’s fun to have others to relate to. I can’t wait till I get to hold my little baby too! Take care of yourselves and keep posting such awesomeness! :)
on December 12th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
omygoodness, that last picture MELTED MY HEART! her darling little booty in the air, her sweet perfect face! MELT!! she really is so Precious!! That was so fun to read your birth story, i felt like i was there almost! well, without all the gory grossness of ACTUALLY having to be there ;) kidding! sort of. :D
i love the picture of you checking your makeup, it made me giggle! too cute. i’m so glad you guys are doing well, give that little one snuggles for me, i miss that sweet newborn smell :)
on December 12th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
oh you were so lucky! I mean, no, I have no idea the pain you were in but you left the next day! What a great story. She is precious. Yay for baby M. She’s so tiny …just like her mama! Congrats to the new parents.
on December 13th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Congratulations on your new baby girl. Beautiful, just like her mom!
on December 13th, 2008 at 10:02 am
So sweet!!
And I’m with you on the epidural front, if they didn’t have them I don’t think I would be considering having children!
on December 15th, 2008 at 8:08 am
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on December 21st, 2008 at 9:33 am
[...] have the lingering tummy issues as close at hand in my memory. I asked Morgan a few details about her experience and whether the juice actually helped with the taste and all that just before [...]
on December 30th, 2009 at 7:19 pm