Ed, Shalayne, & Sweet P

Wednesday we packed our car and made the two hour drive to the hospital. Yes, two hours. I would check into the hospital that evening to begin the inducing process. I will make the labor story as short and sweet as possible:

The entire pregnancy I chose to remain cautiously oblivious to the expected gestation stages and the labor and delivery process. I wanted to take everything in as it came and not rely on what others have experienced. I did research medical terms and pregnancy jargon so I would know what the terminology meant. I wasn't going to fly through this totally blind.

I decided before hand to rely on my running background to see me through the labor process. I was the runner in the biggest race of my life, and ECM and the hospital staff my coaches who would see me through the finish line. One thing I know about running is when the body wants to fail and give up with exhaustion, the mind and heart will overcome to see you through.

The night before the induction I was implanted with a medicine to soften my cervix. Two hours later the nurses removed the medicine because Sweet P's heart rate was dropping. The remainder of the night was spent with nurses coming in to roll me into different positions to alleviate the lowered heart rate. During this time my blood pressure became a concern, too. At this point, a C-section was not out of the question.

After the medicine was removed, I began contracting on my own. Later that morning, the doctor broke my water. As soon as she did, I felt REAL labor pains! As bad as it hurt, I wanted to experience the pain. I needed to know what this rite of passage felt like. Ok. Enough passage for me. After the epidural, I felt AMAZING and was able to rest before the pushing began.

For the first 30 minutes of pushing, I thought I was only practicing. I missed the conversation with the nurses that this was "for reals". In between pushes, Ed, the nurses, doctor, and I exchanged pleasant conversation about vacationing in Maine and iphone photos. I can't believe how laid back and calm the whole pushing processes was.

Finally, Sweet P arrived. I was concerned because I heard the doctor tell Ed that she could not let him cut the cord after all. The cord was wrapped around the baby's neck three times and tightened like a noose as soon as she came out. My doctor quickly removed the cord and the nurses placed my baby on my chest.

My Baby. She looked at me. I knew she knew she was mine and that we belonged together because she grabbed my finger and looked right at me. This made her daddy and I both cry in delight. I was completely drunk with love for this tiny 5 pound baby girl.

Overall, giving birth was the most amazing experience of my life, even if it was punctuated with scary concerns, everything played out perfectly!

Yes, I have a ton of photos and will upload them soon. I'm a little slow adjusting to this new life, so give me time! More to come, soon!

*Shalayne