It was the morning of October 23rd, 2008, and I was a nervous and uncomfortable wreck. I was about 38 weeks pregnant with our second child (gender unknown) and was growing more than *slightly* uncomfortable. Given the fact that this baby decided to rest VERY low very early one, and the fact that I had a newly turned one year old ... I was definitely uncomfortable. On 10/23/08 I had my 38 week check-up and an ultrasound scheduled. As with my first pregnancy, I started measuring very small around 35 weeks and had borderline low fluid, so that simply meant extra monitoring.
I started having Braxton-Hicks around 17 weeks, and they had continued throughout the entire pregnancy. But the previous week, I could tell my body was gearing up for more. I remember so clearly sitting with Juliana that morning, feeding her breakfast, while my mind was racing. I knew it was getting close, and I was praying that it would be today, although Chad had already requested time off around the original due date (Nov. 4).
During the ultrasound, my fluid levels were fine, but my mid-wife discovered that I was 4.5 cm dilated, almost completely effaced with a bulging bag of waters that bulged even more with each contraction. She went ahead and stripped my membranes to get me to 5 cm, although she didn't want me even going home after this. Chad was still at work and I needed to get Juliana to the sitter, so she sent me home with instructions to be very careful and to come back in the afternoon.
As expected, when we went back a few hours later, they sent me on to the hospital! We got settled in to our room, our friend Anne came and got Juliana (I cried), and got some food. Somehow things were not moving very fast, even though I was already dilated to 5 cm. Nancy broke my water and sent us walking. So we walked. And walked. And walked. No good. All that walking didn't hardly do a thing. Two other patients came in after me, weren't as far along, but somehow they got to the end faster. Even though things seemed to be taking longer than we thought, Chad and I were so happy that a House marathon was on the tv. Since I seemed to be stuck at 6 cm like last time, we decided to try a little Pitocin again. I was busy bouncing on the birthing ball, but as soon as they started that drip, things got intense. I remember Nancy coming in and stopping it after only 15-20 minutes because another patient was starting to push, and she didn't want me to get to 10 before she was available. Even when they stopped the medicine, the contractions got super intense and I was feeling some kind of major pressure. The nurse checked me and said I was 8 cm, but it was almost immediately after that I knew I had to start pushing. That feeling was incredible - feeling and knowing what my body needed me to do. I started pushing a little with the contraction just as Nancy and Noel came rushing back in. After only about 15 minutes of pushing, Chad caught our second baby ... a GIRL! Adeline Carmichael was born at 1:43 am on October 24, 2008. She weighed 6 lbs, 1 oz., and was 19 inches long ... completely perfect in every way.
