Audra Marie

The day my daughter was born was the most hectic, traumatic, ecstatic day of my life. Saturday, May 22nd my husband and I decide to head to the commissary to do a little bit of grocery shopping before my mom arrived that afternoon (she was picking my brother up from military school about 40 minutes away).

While walking around the commissary I could feel my braxton hicks contractions getting more intense, I was fine until dinner when I felt my first very real contraction. I realized somewhere inside of me that this baby was coming and soon. It was soon thereafter that I started pretty active contractions. They ranged from 5 to 10 minutes apart at 1 minute lengths. However, I was determined not to go into the hospital until they were either 3 minutes apart or my water broke- whichever came first!

My mom and husband watched me pace and do exercises on my birth ball, so I decided to take a hot bath and try to get some sleep (like our birthing class instructor had instructed us to do since labor can be long and exhausting process). I relaxed a little and tried to use the breathing techniques we'd learned... Joe and my mom were so supportive and helpful throughout the entire thing.

I woke up seriously uncomfortable around 6am on Sunday morning. I tried to take another bath and changed into some comfy clothes. I woke Joe up and told him we were going to have to leave soon because I was feeling more and more anxious, I knew I was getting into active labor.

We got to the hospital around 9am and they checked me in, I don't think the nurses thought I was in active labor because of how calm and collected I was. I gave them my information and they put us into a room... and here's where I started to unravel mentally a little bit. I realized when they put us into our room that is was room 3403, and it was Sunday May 23rd. I HATE odd numbers. I despise them. For this reason, I had talked my husband into getting married a whole two days later than we had planned. For this reason, I don't turn the volume up to an odd number on the tv. And the whole time I was pregnant I begged God not to have her born on an odd day. But here we were, May 23, 9am, in room 3403. PERFECT.

Our nurse, a woman named Jackie who was apparently the spokesperson for epidurals (UGH), checked my cervix and said I was 4 cm. We were going to wait and see if I got to 5 cm before they admitted me and decided I was really going to have a baby that day. I knew I was, I just had to wait for them to hop on board.

Joe kept everyone updated on the phone and I can't remember when but my mom came in to see me at some point. Joe fed me ice chips and gave me chapstick when I needed it, as I went through all the breathing I had to to get through contractions. To be honest they weren't all that bad, I have no idea why women use pain medication for this. It's how I knew she was coming, it's how I knew things were ok. It's not a bad pain it's like your body is preparing for something, like growing pains. Not bad at all, just uncomfortable.

At 11am she checked me again and I was 5 cm, I was admitted and started on IV fluids. She called the Dr. on call, which happened to NOT be my Dr. so I started to freak again mentally. But Joe got me back on track, we were gonna do this. Pain med free, and naturally. I could feel Audra moving and her heart rate was a wonderfully healthy 140 bpm the entire time.

Things went on business as usual, except for the occasional nurse trying to push pain meds down my throat. It was so annoying, I about lost my cool but I was focused elswhere and in retrospect, I should've been a jerk about it because they never left me alone.

Sometime in the afternoon, after mowing his lawn (yes I'm being serious), Dr._____ came in to check on me. He checked my cervix and got this look on his face. He said I was only 5 1/2 cm and he was worried that I hadn't progressed in all that time. My mom was furious I could tell, as he started to explain that Audra hadn't dropped at all. She was no where near my pelvis and he was concerned that if he broke my water it could endanger me or the baby. It made way for a prolapsed cord or worse, distress my heart or Audra's.

Joe and I were in panic mode at that point and my labor slowed. For those who don't know, stress can actually stop your labor and that is where the term False Labor comes from. Women get to the hospital, get stressed, and go home.

Anyways, as the conversation got more and more in depth I looked to Joe for help. I could tell he was frightened by all this. We had planned so hard and looked forward to a natural birth, but we had always said that anything happened to endanger either me or Audra and we could negotiate.

The Dr. recommended an emergency c-section in order to prevent any complications. Joe and I agreed reluctantly because we just decided on a healthy baby instead of a "good birthing experience". It was really hard for me to let go of, and still is sensitive for me. But I have a healthy baby girl and that's all that matters.

After we agreed on the C section, millions of people it seemed like rolled into our room. A nurse anesthetist, an Anesthesiologist, more nurses, and the Dr. at different times. I got some meds and extra fluids. The meds were to stop my contractions and I had to sign some paperwork. The meds made me shake quite a bit and then on top of that I was nervous as all get out. I was crying a little bit and Joe tried to soothe me as much as he could, but I was scared. I've never had any surgery let alone major surgery and I was terrified.

They got me set up and then wheeled me down the hall. Joe had to change and get prepped before coming in so I was alone while they put me on the table and the spinal was administered to me. I was shaking like a leaf and my pulse was running away with me. When they finally brought Joe in they told him he needed to calm me down asap before I went into shock or something. I really was kind of losing it, I was crying and so frightened without anyone to help me focus. When Joe sat down next to my head and looked me in the eye, I calmed down immediately.

He talked to me while they began cutting... what an eerie thought right? Being awake while they cut into your abdomen to retrieve your baby. Every bit of that sentence sounds backwards and just plain wrong. It took about 5 minutes and then I heard the most beautiful sound in the entire world...

My baby crying.



Up until that point I was selfish and afraid and just losing my mind. But when I heard her cry I snapped out of it. I was a mama.

I heard them remarking on how big she was, and then I heard her apgar scores being said and written down- 8 at 1 minute, 9 at 5 minutes.

Joe had left my side at this point to take pictures and to walk over and see her. They brought her to me, to hear my heartbeat and so that I could kiss her. She was bleating like a little lamb, a sort of lazy cry. Kind of like she had cried so hard when she came out that now she was tired.

Joe went with them to weigh her and clean her up. It was a torturous 30 minutes before they wheeled me back into the room. I was able to feed her right off when I got to hold her, within the first hour of her birth. I just couldn't stop staring at her. She is, to this day, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Being that I don't want to ever re-live that hospital stay experience, I'll just say the first few nights were rough because I couldn't get any sleep and was confined to a bed for 24 hours (Joe is a saint and changed all of her diapers!). But Joe couldn't get any sleep because they have no bed for the dads and the pull out couch was horrid and bent in the middle. I ended up leaving the hospital a day early telling the nurse practitioner if she didn't clear me I would leave AMA because my marriage was suffering (lol).

Finally, I made it home by Tuesday afternoon and all was well with the world because my mom was here to help the first few days. Thank God for my mama and that amazing man I'm married to.

All in all, I have a beautiful healthy baby girl and a wonderful husband, our little family has finally begun and I couldn't feel more blessed!