Natalie's Birth Story

I figured since Natalie is a month old now it was time to write about her birth. Let me just start out by saying that I had this "perfect" birth plan typed up and was planning a natural birth at the hospital. Well my due date came and my group of doctors that I go to apparently think it's crazy for someone to go many days past their due date. They wanted to schedule me to be induced at my 39 week appointment, but I asked to wait because I really wanted to have a natural birth. I made it to my 40 week appointment and was told I could wait a few more days, but couldn't go past 41 weeks. They went ahead and scheduled my induction to be at 40 weeks and 3 days. I prayed and prayed and prayed that she would come on her own if it was the Lord's will.

Last pregnancy pic

Tuesday night (the night before I was to be induced) they had me come in around 8pm to start Cervidil, a medicine that goes on your cervix to try to thin and dilate it. They actually got that started around 10pm and I was just to lay there (and try to sleep) and be on a monitor all night. Bryan left shortly after that to go home and sleep and so Maddox could sleep in his own bed. I started having contractions around 11:30pm and contracted on and off all night. I thought surely I had dilated and possibly in labor, but around 6am they checked me and I had not dilated any. So then they started the pitocin and I knew I'd have to have an epidural. At this point I threw my birth plan out the window (not literally). Bryan came back around 7am and my mom watched Maddox. I got the epidural, but after a few minutes I realized I wasn't getting numb, so they tried to up the amount and still nothing. They decided to redo the whole setup, so I ended up getting 2 epidurals! Thankfully that one worked because the pain was getting pretty intense. I was really numb with the second epidural.

Then they broke my water and I went from 5cm to 10cm in like 30 minutes! They were afraid my doctor wouldn't make it in time! Thankfully he rushed in just in time because in three pushes (4 minutes) she was here! They placed her on my chest and we waited until her cord stopped pulsing before Bryan cut it (the only thing that happened that was in my birth plan)! I nursed her right then and just like her brother latched on like a champ. It was all such a whirlwind that I don't remember much after that until all the family came in.

Proud Papa!

We stayed as little as we had to and left the next day. Although nothing went how I planned, I know everything went how God planned because every time I prayed about giving birth I prayed His will be done. I am just so glad she is here and a healthy baby. We can't imagine life without her!

The many faces of Natalie :)

-Hannah