Mode de Mommy: Roman's Birth Story

Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet boy. Wish you didn't wake up sick :(

February 18, 2013

For about three days, I had been in pretty severe pain. Lots of uterine cramping, contractions on and off. It was exhausting.

I went to the hospital on the evening of February 17 and was told that I was having prodromal labor - where labor is stretched over a few days. I went home to rest and try to relax before baby came.

The next morning, February 18, I woke up feeling refreshed. Ryan and I went out and about together for the first time in days.

Around 3pm, I knew it was happening. The contractions were getting more regular and intense, baby was dropping.

We went back to the hospital and they admitted me! We called my amazing birth photographer, Lisa Kunkel, who was two hours away in another town. She rushed right over.

Having a birth photographer was one of the best decisions I made. I will treasure these photographs forever. Lisa was absolutely amazing. So easy to have in the delivery room and she caught all the special moments. I only wish I could have had her with my older children.

I have never given birth this early before. I was 36 weeks exactly. So we were a little nervous.

I was contracting regularly and painfully for a few hours, and then got my epidural.

To date, I have had four medicated births and two unmedicated. Personally, I prefer getting the epidural. My unmedicated births were very intense, very fast, and I don't remember most of them. I don't remember holding the babies for the first time, or any of that.

Moving on...

After the epi, we got to hang out and chat with our nurses, the doctors, and our photographer for a couple hours. I can honestly say it was the best labor I've ever had. Our anesthesiologist regaled us with stories of his med school days, we were all rolling with laughter.

At one point, the nurse noticed that the baby's heart rate was dropping a little. She checked me and discovered that I was fully dilated and baby was IN the birth canal.

They whipped me up into the stirrups, I gave two pushes, and BOOM. Baby was born.

Our sweet Roman Brandon.