Madeline's Birth Story

Well it is only 6 months late but I figured before I forgot half of the details I should record Madeline's birth story. So if you don't want the details don't keep reading.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

7:00 Wake-up to a normal day, or so I thought. Put on Curious George for James and hang out on the couch for some cuddle time with my boy/grab a few more minutes of sleep. Feel my first real contraction. (James was induced and I had an epidural so I really didn't know what was going on.) Contractions continued about 7 minutes apart all morning.

By the time Aaron was leaving for school around 9 they had been consistent all morning. I told him not to worry and it was probably Braxton Hicks seeing as she wasn't due until October 13th.

9:30 Go on a walk with a neighbor to the park. Nothing changes. Chase James around all morning (nothing changes). Joke with my neighbor about being in labor.

12:00 James goes down for a nap and I lay down thinking it will change something. Still 7 minutes apart. Aaron comes home for lunch asks if he needs to worry about going back up to his lab. I tell him everything is fine and to go to his lab and I would call if I was concerned.

1:00 Call my sister and ask if I could actually be in labor. She says it is a good possibility seeing as how it had already been 6 hours.

1:15 Kick it into high gear and start to freak out about everything I need to do. 1:30-5:00 Clean fridge, do 5 loads of laundry, go grocery shopping, clean the bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Serious Energy boost here. It was awesome!

5:30- Contractions move to 4 to 5 minutes apart. I call my mom and warn her she may need to be on her way to Logan soon. I also refused to put any effort into making dinner and put in a frozen pizza instead. James was very happy with my dinner choice.

6:30 Aaron wants to go to the hospital. I tell him I don't want to go too early and wait forever and I still had things on my to do list to do.

7:00 Go visiting teaching. Yes, I really did go. Aaron thought I was crazy and told me to drop the cookies I had made (Oh yes I made cookies too), and get home ASAP!!!

8:00 Get back from visiting teaching... I really was gone an hour however, the entire time I was gone I only had 3 contractions the entire time. I figured Heavenly Father knew that either someone we saw needed us or knew how much I wanted to get it done. Walk back in the house the contractions started at 1 to 2 minutes apart!

8:30 get James to bed finally and start freaking out! I still had to take a shower it was the one thing on my to do list that I hadn't done yet and I really, really needed one. I was not going to hospital without a shower first.

8:35 Call our neighbors and ask if they can come stay the night with James while we got to the hospital.

8:40 Take a shower, dry my hair, do make-up (Yes I really did do my make-up). I did all of this in about 15 minutes. Contractions were getting unbearable at this point and I think I asked Aaron about 10 times if had put the camera in the hospital bag yet. Aaron spent the time telling me he was never letting me decided when to go to the hospital again and I better not have the baby in the car!

9:00 Babysitters show up. We give a few instructions and I don't say anything because I am trying to pretend I am just fine.

9:07 Leave the parking lot on the way to the hospital. In the 5 minute drive I have 3 contractions.

9:13 Aaron drops me off at the hospital entrance and goes and parks the car.

9:15 Check into Labor and Delivery. The Nurses keep asking question after question and finally ask me if I just want to go ahead to the room while Aaron registers. I think, not say "What do you think? Why didn't you ask me that 5 minutes ago!" Instead I say "Yes, please."

9:20 Get changed and hooked up to monitors. I am 8 centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. Aaron and I were both really surprised I was was that far. The nurse asked me if I want an epidural because I would have to have one now. I am thinking in my head that if I can't make it through the next few contractions I would do it. My lack of answer basically closes my very small window of opportunity. I start singing 'You Are My Sunshine' in my head every time I feel a contraction.

9:25 The contractions changed and I knew I could do it.

9:30 Nurses start bringing in the equipment for deliver. I asked them "Are we really there already?" The Nurse replied that I was ready when I came in they were just waiting for the doctor to show up.

9:40 Start pushing. I am laughing in between pushes and Aaron bets me I can't smile through a contraction. I do it (given I am sure it was not a pleasant smile and looked more like a grimace but I did it non the less).

9:48 Madeline Rose Jensen was born! 5 lbs 14 oz 19 inches long. She was beautiful. They cleaned her up and brought her over to me and laid her on my chest. I was so happy to see her at last.

It was an awesome experience and I loved going natural.

We had about a half hour to ourselves before our world was completely shaken with the news of her having Down Syndrome and the AV canal heart defect. From there it was pretty crazy between me going up and down to the NICU and my room, family coming in and somehow trying to figure out everything we had been told. I hope we do not have to repeat any of that with our future children. But no matter how crazy things were for those first few days, weeks, and months, Madeline's birth was one of the my wonderful experiences of my life. She is so amazing and beautiful and I wouldn't change anything about her.