The Birthday and the Birth

Well, we were scheduled to be induced on my Birthday.

Ellie was 39 weeks along. I was turning 24.

I had my first baby without epidural and was induced. With the first, they started me at about 8 AM and he was born at 5:19 PM. With Ellie, they started me at about 7 AM, when 5 and 5:30 rolled around, and she wasn't here, I couldn't take it anymore. I think I was also just so stressed about her and what was going to happen when she was born, that I just couldn't relax. So about this time I got an epidural. And I'm fine with it. I do prefer natural childbirth, but I don't think that epidurals are evil, or anything like that.

Well, it was great after that. I went to sleep. When I woke up it was time to deliver. I never have to push for very long. So she was born quite soon. She was born at about 7:30 PM.

The cord was wrapped around her neck, but nothing serious.

They had put us in a delivery room with a little pass-through window into NICU. So as soon as she came out, they rushed her over to the window. I literally did not even get a glimpse of her. I sent J to check on her while they cleaned and stitched me up.

I just remember wanting to see her and hold her. I wanted to feel her breathe and know that her heart was beating. I wanted to at least hold her while she was alive.

She had a really low apgar score. But she was breathing. And she was alive!!!!

When I finally got to see her (in NICU) she had all of these cords and monitors attached to her. It wasn't very pretty, but to me she was beautiful.

I always tell people that it's a bad way to spend your birthday, but a great birthday present.