Andrew and I had just about tried everything to induce labor, including taking evening primrose oil multiple times a day. Supposedly, it softens the cervix. I think after a few days of taking them, it did the trick because on Sunday, February 3 at 1:30 AM I woke up having horrible back pain. I wasn’t 100% sure I was in labor, but the thought did cross my mind. The back pain was pretty persistent at first and that’s why I wasn’t sure if they were true contractions. I woke Andrew up, not long after I woke up and he stayed up with me. After about an hour of only back pain I started to feel a cramp like feeling, but only on my right side. I still wasn’t sure if these were contractions, but I was starting to be more convinced. We started timing these “possible contractions” and thought they were about 6 minutes apart, but we weren’t positive because the back pain never went away so we weren’t sure when to stop and start the timer. After a couple of hours the back pain started to fade after each contraction and that’s when I was sure I was in labor. The contractions were consistently happening about every 5 minutes for over an hour so we called the doctor (not my doctor because he was still on Vacation for two more days at this point). Dr. England said not to come in until contractions were 3 minutes apart. We stayed home and continued timing contractions and trying to breathe through them as they grew more intense.
A few days before the super bowl, I let Andrew convince me to have a super bowl party at the house. He didn’t really have to convince me, but I did remind him that there is a chance that we would have a newborn baby by that time and if there was a baby there would be no party. After having contractions for about 10 hours we started thinking about this party and what we should do. We had texted Tevita (the guy who would be taking over the house when we move and had also committed to staying at the house when Madden came) and told him that I was in labor so he headed over to hang out with the girls in case we needed to leave. We told him we had planned a super bowl party and asked what he thought. Tevita was okay with still having the party as long as he could invite a few of his family members. Around 3 pm, an hour before kick off, my contractions had been about 3 minutes apart for an hour so we decided to head to the hospital. They checked me and I was only dilated to a two. The monitored Madden for an hour and checked me again. I had progressed to 3 cm and was 100% effaced. They said I could stay, but we requested that they let me go home and come back when I felt I was further along. We got home and the game was started and our house was FULL of people, over 20 (I felt a little guilty that I wasn't more hospitable, but I think that our guests understood). I went straight to the bedroom and spent my time trying to get through contraction and watching the game in between. Andrew went out and said hi to all of our guests, grabbed some food (wings, pizza and lots of other football food, It was torture watching him eat it since I hadn’t eaten anything, but maybe 5 crackers in the last 24 hour) and came back to the bedroom to be with me. At the beginning of the fourth quarter the contractions were getting super intense and I told Andrew it was time to get to the hospital. When they got there they checked me and I was dilated to 6 cm.
I won't go into detail on everything after this, but 12 days past his due date and after 30 hours of labor Madden was born at 6:48 am on February 4. He was 20 inches long and 7 lbs 10 oz of perfection.
I always wondered what it would feel like to hold my baby for the first time. I thought maybe I would cry, but I didn’t. I think I was too amazed…. And maybe a little too tired. All I know is that I thought Madden was amazing and I couldn’t stop looking at him. I am absolutely loving being a mom. It's crazy to me how a baby can completely turn your world around and in such a perfect way.
Here are a few pics of our little man. Hopefully there will be more soon.
Andrew's Hospital Kit. I stole the idea from my friend Rika.
Andrew was quite fond of the hospital bed.
Heading home from the hospital
Madden Andrew Vera
3 weeks old. Watching tv with Dad.
