Madeline's Birth Story

I have always said that I did not want to be induced, but I also believe that everything happens the way you should when you put it in God's hands.

Monday night (May 18) I woke up shivering and body aching. I was shivering so much that I woke Geoff up! Then the cramps stared. At first they were constant and I thought it was just because of the membrane sweep that Dr. Gautreau had performed earlier that day. Then the cramps turned into contractions. Geoff told me to call my mom who told me to call the doctor. Dr. Lawler, the doctor on call, told me he could hear in my voice that I was in pain and to come up the hospital.

I called Kelsey and told her up come over to stay with Ellery. I was positive that this was a false alarm so I was already apologizing for wasting her time. We got to the hospital around 5:40am. It felt like déjà vu since it has been less than 2 years since we were there for Ellery! I was hooked up to the monitors to see if I was contracting. I was contracting, but not enough to be considered in active labor. However, my temperature was at 99 degrees and baby's heart rate was high so the doctor decided to keep me to monitor me. By 7am the doctors talked and suspected that I could have Chorioamnionitis. They decided that it would be safer for the baby to be out rather than in, so the plan was to induce and have the baby that day! Once the doctor left I cried because I wanted Madeline to pick her birthday. I was also upset that Dr. Gautreau would not be delivering her because she was off on Tuesdays. But Geoff told me that this was God's doing - he was picking her birthday just as he would if she had come in her due date. After he said that I saw it no other way. It was go time! 

I was wheeled to our delivery room and my iv was hooked up. I managed without an epidural until 3cm. Once the contractions hurt so bad that I had to ask people to stop talking I knew it was time for the meds! In my opinion, the worst part about an epidural is that you can't walk, therefore you can't walk to the bathroom to pee and the nurse has to administer a catheter every hour to empty your bladder. Plus I have phantom leg itches. But it sure does make the labor much more enjoyable as a whole! I was able to be on the phone giving the maid service that I got for mother's day a priority list!

I was stuck at 5cm for a few hours until the nurse brought a peanut ball to prop my leg up. It is shaped like a peanut and made out of the same material as an exercise ball. I went from 5cm to 8cm in 30 minutes. Geoff left to run home and change his shirt. I had to call him and say hurry up and get back it's almost time! He showed up 15 minutes later sweating and out of breath! I felt some pressure in my pelvis around 5pm. The nurse came back in, examined me, and said lets start pushing! Once Dr. Whitaker arrived, I pushed a total of 3 contractions, 3 pushes each contraction. After 9 pushes, Madeline Alice Morthland arrived at 5:18pm! 8lbs 5oz and 20 inches long. No one could believe how big she was! She had dark brown hair and the sweetest little dinosaur cry :) Watching Ellery meet her little sister for the first time was something I will never forget. I am so excited to watch them grow as sisters and friends, and so thankful to be a family of FOUR! I have also realized that I will forever be correcting people with her name - It is pronounced "line" not "lynn".

Check out Madeline's birth story in pictures here! The pictures are difficult to organize but hopefully I will get to that soon :)