Orla's Birth Story

This story really starts Friday night. I went out with my previous coworkers for a pre-baby celebration. I asked them that night to please hope that I have this little girl before Arwen starts preschool. I get home and Andrew and I go to bed pretty late for us - around midnight. Turns out that was a terrible idea because Arwen wakes up EVERY HOUR until 6am. She has never in her life done that, not even as an infant. 

At the Melting Pot the night before

I wake up at 8am and I don't feel the best. I am having some pains, but I was 39 weeks pregnant. Pain is to be expected. Arwen wakes up shortly after me and we go downstairs for maybe 30 minutes before I suggest waking daddy up because I do not feel good. 

We go upstairs and I say I may be having some contractions. At this point, they are getting more regular and I notice that they are probably 10-12 minutes apart. I tell Andrew to call his parents and tell them to come here because I'm pretty sure we are going to be admitted to the hospital. He calls them and tells them to come over when they can. Soon after, I make him call them back and ask to get here ASAP because this really hurts and I really want to go get my epidural. My contractions are getting stronger now and I make him call the hospital because I can't talk and have started throwing up. We call and I basically say we are going in. See you soon. 

I did manage to snag this one photo while having contractions

Andrew's parents get to our house around 10am, I think. I am still upstairs and Andrew is packing my hospital bag because I NEVER DID THAT (I'm shaking my head right now). Arwen was downstairs watching TV because I didn't want her to see how much pain I was in. I walk down the stairs and I remember having a contraction in the kitchen with Andrew's mother and Arwen near me and I had to hold it together. I remember just wishing I could be at the hospital right now. 

Andrew and I leave for the hospital around 10:15am. Again, I didn't really pay attention to timing. I called my mom and let her know. I had several contractions in the car (of course) and I would clench my fist, yell, and hit the car door very hard. It was the worst pain and to this day, I get queasy thinking about it. As we were coming off the highway, there is a sign that points to the hospital and all I could think was we are almost there. I can almost have that epidural. I'm assuming you can see where this is going...

We get to the hospital. We have to sign something or fill something out? Not sure what happened but I remember having to pause and just clench before I could sign. They asked if I wanted a wheelchair, but I was in denial, so I said no. We get to the nurse's station and I have a contraction and I think they saw just how in labor I was because they got me a room and hooked up super duper fast. 

They checked me and said I was a 9.5/10. I asked about an epidural (😂 LOL) and they were so, so nice and polite about it; basically saying by the time he got there, it wouldn't be worth it. I was lying on the bed for maybe like 5 minutes before I told the nurse I needed to push. They got the doctor in while I was pushing. Did you know that you have to wait for contractions to push? That is hard, but waiting while the baby's head is just to be born is the worst. 

Orla was born roughly 20 minutes after the machines were hooked up to me. I don't know what would've happened if we had been any slower to the hospital and I don't really want to think about it! I didn't even have to worry about my eyes bursting blood vessels like with Arwen because there just wasn't time. Orla was born at 11:17am, August 18th. Her birthdate is actually a palindrome! How cool is that?!

My mantra for even before I knew I was pregnant was 'God's timing is perfect' and Orla really demonstrated that in my life. Getting pregnant with her, but especially her birth (day, time, hospital stay, etc.), was just perfect timing. Almost everything about her birth was opposite Arwen's and it gave me a sort of peace I didn't know I needed. Now, if she could sleep like her sister did...