Elonah's birth story-9MINUTES

9 Minutes - Elonah's Birth Story

After Elonah was born, I looked at my husband and told him that her birth was like those stories you hear about and think to yourself that they MUST have exaggerated, except that this is OUR story, so let me tell you:

At my 37 week check up I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. Had some "false" contractions Tuesday night, otherwise just a couple here and there.

Week 38, Friday April 1st, 3cm dilated and 80% effaced.  I was a little disappointed that we weren't further along, as I was REALLY ready to meet our little girl. The doctor still joked that she was on-call that night for the hospital and that it would be really exciting if I went into labor.

That night, early morning April 2nd:

3am Started having contractions about 20-15 minutes apart for an hour, praying that this time it's 'REAL' contractions, sure feel REAL!

4am Contractions are getting closer, 10 minutes apart, wake up hubby, tell him I think we might be going to go to the hospital tonight. Start getting our things together.

4:30am Contractions 5-7minutes apart, call doctor, she tells me to take a shower and come in to the hospital if the contractions keep strengthening. 

4:50am After shower, contractions VERY painful 4-5minutes apart, tell hubby to PACK THE CAR.

5AM-Get into car to make the 22-25minute drive to the hospital.  Timing contractions by car's time display, starting at 3 minutes apart and then a couple at 1.5 minutes apart and contractions beyond intense, screaming helps a bit - poor hubby is speeding at this point.

5:20am Arrive at hospital parking lot, have contraction outside hospital and then in the lobby, must sit down, can't stand at this point.  Hubby wondering if he should drop our stuff and carry me up to the delivery unit.

5:23am Get to delivery floor, start having another contraction lying on my exercise ball, nurse gets my name and date of birth from hubby, asks me to get up and walk so that they can get me on a bed, I tell her I can't move and WANT PAIN MEDICINE NOW! She says that there is no time and I'm about to start pushing. Four other nurses come out of the woodwork (must have heard me screaming) half carry/drag me to a bed where I get checked out:  9cm and wanting to push.

5:25 Get wheeled into a delivery room, transferred to a bed and START pushing. My doctor is saying "You're doing great" and I think to myself that she must say that to EVERYONE.  I push through one contraction, they tell me to stop pushing, head's out. I think to myself "you've got to be kidding me?"

5:29am One more big push and doctor hands me Elonah, beautiful!!  The nurses and my doctor look at me to baby and back again and all they can say is "WOW." I look at baby to hubby and say "WOW" 

Official time of birth for Elonah, 5:29am - WOW, Praise God and WOW!