Everly's birth story

So statistics say that only 10% of women will actually have their water break before contractions start during labor.

I am the 10%. It happened with Dexter and it happened on the second go around. These are the highlights from Everly's birth story.

Before the hospital:

I went to the doctor the Friday before she arrived. He checked me and said "You're a two.  Hmmm, and you were a two last week?" Yup. And then he offered to strip my membrane. Have you heard of this? Read about it here. It sounds unpleasant and I knew there was plenty of unpleasantness coming down the pipe sooner or later so why rush? I politely said no thank you. Keep your hands to yourself, good sir.

Considering I had stalled out, I left the doctors office feeling fairly confident that I would be back the following week to discuss being induced. Blech.

But then Sunday rolled around and wouldn't you know it, my water broke and no contractions. Deja vu. I knew better this time around though. I was not about to rush to the hospital just to get dosed with pitocin and to lie on my back writhing in pain. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. So instead I spent a few more hours at home and tried to get a little more sleep, showered, packed my bag (yeah, I hadn't done that yet), ate a pop tart and read a few more chapters of Mindy Kaling's book. Still stalled out.

We got Dexter up and took him to my dad's before we headed to the hospital. This is the last photo of Dexter without a sibling.

At the hospital:

And now, two things that I said I wanted to go differently from my last labor:

1. I would have contractions first and then my water would break.  Obviously DENIED.
2. I did not want pitocin. DENIED.

And now, six things that did go differently from my last labor:

1. I didn't lie flat on my back writhing in pain after the pitocin. I rocked in the rocking chair and squirmed in pain instead-ha!
2. I received a hot tip from my friend that the epidural is not the only drug for pain management. There's a little dose of heaven that they can put in your IV drip that's pretty gosh darn effective too. I was counting on this to tide me over until I was ready to call in the big guns. Thanks, Kelly!
3. Big money, big money, no whammys, no whammys. BAM! During that reprieve, I went from a 3 to a 7. Jackpot! Epidural time! I pulled the trigger too early on the epidural last time and felt every little thing during the latter part of the labor. So not fun.
4. What the what? Time to push already? That took like half the time of Dexter's birth! Say whaaat?
5. Push, push, push. And we're done? That's all? That was amazing. I'm going to tell everyone who's on their first kid that they have to have a second just so that they can feel like a rock star at this labor thing.
6. I can't feel my legs. I have no legs! This is awesome. Do what you gotta do, Doc. We're good here.

Everly came into this world quickly and quietly. She has since found her lungs but for those first hours she was so quiet and just taking it all in.

And now, one thing that changed our world.