Emilia Jane Palmer
May 28th, 2012
5:19 a.m.
7 pounds, 19 inches
Emi's birth story is pretty short and sweet...Just like her labor and just like her. I am telling you, if I were to have one job in a society where everyone has a role, I would be the pregnant cow...My pregnancies are easy and my labors are fast and without any issues at all. I was made to birth babies...Too bad I can't find a way to make money doing that. And, to think that at one time I didn't even want children.
Basically, on May 28th at 1am my water broke...Pretty much like the movies. A big gush in bed that I wasn't quite sure if it was urine or my amniotic fluid. I asked David to smell it and I am pretty sure he rolled over, looked disgusted, rolled back over, and went back to sleep. Once I got out of bed, I was 100% sure my water had broke...I was shocked...I was approximately 2 weeks away from my due date and was not showered, nor had I packed my hospital bag...I was assuming I had 2 more weeks (not to shower, but to pack). Contractions didn't start right away so I got nervous that I needed to head straight to the hospital because that is what medical personnel always say. As soon as your water breaks, you need to come in...Well, I know that contractions don't always start right away and at the hospital if your contractions don't start within a certain amount of time, doctors will help move things along with drugs, which I am completely against...So, I did some quick reresearch (because I have already researched it a million times in case this happened) and decided that I would be staying home, watching my temperature, and not taking any baths. After making that decision, I came to the realization that contractions could start at any point in time, so it might be wise to take a shower and pack. I had just made a list of my to-pack things, so at least I knew what I wanted to take. Once all that was done, I got back in bed and figured I might as well get some sleep before the next 18 years of my life starts.
As soon as I laid down at 3am, the first contraction happened. And, again just like the movies, even though my water had just broke, I wasn't sure if it was the real thing...Fast forward, an hour and yes, it was absolutely the real thing. My wild animal pacing in a small, Japanese apartment was in full force. I hopped in the tub for some relief and as soon as I did, my incredibly smart husband reminded me that I arrived at the hospital at 8 cm with Preston and wasn't sure if hanging out in the bath tub was a great idea if I didn't want to have the baby in the car. I agreed, hopped out and we were on our way. Chiyo our amazing babysitter who was basically on-call (well, actually not for another 2 weeks) came and stayed with Preston. It was pouring and windy outside and I had to give David directions to the hospital, which I was NOT happy about.
We got to the hospital (which was about 30 minutes away), ran to the labor and delivery department, and got hooked up to all the machines. The nurse was incredibly slow about getting everything done and David kept telling her that she needed to hurry. She took her sweet time and once she found that I actually arrived at the hospital complete and ready to push, she freaked out and everything became hustle and bustle within 15 minutes of us arriving. I was ready to have this baby. I again, as I did with Preston, went through transition (8-10 cm) in the car in a sitting position, which I would never, ever, ever recommend to anyone..It has to be one of the worst ways to experience the most painful part of labor. The doctor was notified and he took his sweet time coming, which was funny because I am sure the nurse told him that I was ready to push. She actually called him a couple of times to tell him to hurry up. Once the doctor arrived, I pushed 3 times in 15 minutes and baby girl, Emilia Jane was born at about 5am...YES, 5am....Contractions started at 3am and she was born at 5am....Maybe one of the quickest labors ever...Not the easiest, but the definitely the quickest. My mom and sister were still waiting for the "we are at the hospital call". Instead they got the "the baby is here and its a girl" call.
We were told it was a girl, which I knew the entire pregnancy. We didn't even have a boy name picked out.
Scary, I know..But it is exactly when Dr. Vaughn said, "It's a girl." I started crying, which is what this picture is capturing...Not a pretty crier AT.ALL.
It was a joy, a relief, and again, an overwhelming feeling of completeness. I don't feel all loving and gushy after having my kids but more of a sense that they are finally with us and were made for us. All I can describe it as is a sense of completeness...Like a piece of the puzzle we didn't know always existed is finally there. And, again, one of my proudest moments of my life (the other being Preston's birth)....A completely drug-free labor and delivery experience with no interventions at all and completely laboring at home. If we ever have another, I might just stay at home for the whole shebang.
