A Birth Story: Quin Elizabeth

From the very start of the pregnancy (although I was a little sick right at the beginning) things were very easy! I sailed right through the weeks and felt fantastic the whole time. We went at fourteen weeks to find out the sex of our baby and I should have known right then and there this was a difficult child! The baby would NOT cooperate, therefore they couldn't determine the sex. I was incredibly disappointed. Needless to say a week later I made another appointment at a different ultrasound place. When they told me it was a girl, I didn't believe them one little bit. I was convinced because of how easy the pregnancy was going that it was definitely a boy. I was shocked and beyond excited because it had always been my dream to have two girls. I have a sister and I always wanted that for Ruby.

This time around our delivery plan was quite different than Ruby's. We decided to avoid the hospital and have our little one at a birthing center. I found one I liked and felt comfortable with and so we started our journey with this entire experience being a completely different one. Without really even knowing where the time went It was already May. My due date was set for May 20th, but I knew that was off because when I calculated myself I figured I was due on May 14th/15th. We began to prepare things around the house, spring cleaning, some painting that needed to be done.....

On May 8th I felt sick. I decided to do my nails that evening and as soon as I was done I told Adam "I feel completely AWFUL! I'm going to bed." I felt the exact same way right before I went into labor with Ruby so I thought that was strange. I was really nauseated and it took me a long time to fall asleep. I finally went to sleep around 10pm and then at 1pm I was jolted awake but I didn't know why. I lay there in the dark for a few minutes and then felt a really strong contraction. I just kept thinking "There is no way this is really happening to me right now!" Yet the contractions kept coming, and coming, and coming. Eight minutes apart at first, then six. I woke Adam up and told him what was going on and then told him to go back to sleep and I'd wake him up when things started really rolling. I knew this was it so at 2am I text my sister because it takes her over an hour to get to my house and I was petrified I would have this baby to quickly and she wouldn't make it. Of course that's a big leap of faith to drive that far in the middle of the night with the chance that this was a false alarm. She said if I didn't have the baby we would get breakfast. I also called my midwife who told me to get into a warm bath for at least thirty minutes and see if labor would stop or speed up. The bath intensified my contractions and after my bath I called my midwife back and let her know these contractions weren't going anywhere. After I got myself ready I woke Adam up and told him we needed to start loading up and preparing things. I called my brother and sister in law because Zac was going to drive over and stay with Ruby while the rest of us went to the birthing center. I couldn't get either of them on the phone so I left Zac a voicemail. Thank the Lord I did because apparently the vibrating from the voicemail woke him up!! They called me back and started heading over. Meanwhile my contractions were getting really strong. My sister arrived and I was on the couch having a really intense contraction. She asked me "How are things going?" And I just remember replying "I'm DYING!" And she said "Yipeee! I'm so glad." She was afraid she would get to my house and I wouldn't really be in labor and we would have to eat pancakes instead of having a baby. We left Ashley at the house with Ruby who promised to follow with Katie as soon as Zac got there to stay with Rubes. My parent's were meeting us there and so were the Andersons and Amy, so all Adam and I had to do was go! I don't know why it's so awful, but the car ride is just the worst part! I HATE being in the car during labor. The drive took about 20 minutes from our house and I thought I was going to throw up the entire time. We finally arrived at the birthing center and I loved how quiet and peaceful it was there. Nobody rushing around, nobody asking questions, just me and my family and friends, my midwife and a nice homey room to labor in. My contractions were pretty consistently six minutes apart and for the next couple of hours I stayed on the Pilate's ball and worked through them. At around 5:15am I got into the tub to labor in there for a while. I stayed in for an hour and my contractions were about four minutes apart and then moved to 2-3 minutes apart. I was at a point of sheer exhaustion and ALL I wanted was to just get the baby out. I had been laboring all night long and my body was tired. I got out of the tub and had my midwife check me to see where my progress was. She said I was starting to crown so I could go ahead and push if I wanted. I was going to see if I wanted to do a water birth, but once I was in the tub I HATED it and decided that was not the route for me. I laid down on the bed and in between contractions I was literally falling asleep. My midwife broke my water for me since it never broke on it's own and I started pushing. I did NOT remember pushing hurting so insanely with Ruby! I realized later that it was because they gave me a shot of local anesthetic with Ruby because of my episiotomy. I pushed for maybe twenty or thirty minutes before the little one came out. I had Adam,  my sister in law Katie, my sister Ashley, my best friend Amy, my mom, dad and Nancy in there with me. When the baby came out and they laid her on my stomach I just remember hearing such an audible gasp in the room as everyone around me saw her for the first time. The feeling of seeing her there and being so aware of everything that just happened was the most amazing thing. She was BEAUTIFUL! That was the first thing I remember saying when I saw her. Born May 9th 2011 at 7:07am, Quin Elizabeth weighing in at 7lbs 2oz, 19 1/2 inches long. The relief that flooded my body when it was over was indescribable.

I didn't know this at the time, but my best friend Amy almost passed out watching Quin be born. She fled the room white as a sheet, but only after she had slid down my sister like she was a pole all the way to the floor where she sat for a few moments. We found out a few weeks later that Amy was pregnant as well! She didn't even know that herself but I think it contributed to her weak stomach :)

They wrapped up little Quin and we were able to just rest on the bed for a couple of hours before we headed home. I LOVED just going straight home and not having to sleep somewhere else! I went straight into my house and up to my bed where I slept for a couple of hours. Ruby was asleep when we got home so it worked out well. I was able to rest a little bit and then when everyone was a bit more refreshed we got to introduce Ruby and Quin. Oh the sweetness of those moments. Watching my little baby turn into the big sister as she met little Quin. It was a really beautiful day and such a wonderful experience for our family.