Fourth of July: Brielana's birth story

She's here!!!  After two membrane strips and two cancelled inductions, our second blessing finally graced us with her presence (on her time table):

My 39th week of pregnancy was feeling like a drag. I guess I was disappointed that I didn't have another early bird and it started to make me weary. At my Tuesday appointment I got my membrane stripped hoping to jump start labor and was put down for an induction the following day.  Well I have a huge fear of Pitocin and not wanting to be in the hospital longer than necessary, I promptly cancelled. At my follow up appointment 2 days later on Thursday, I was stripped again and was scheduled for an induction the following day: Fourth of July.

{Forgive this backtrack}  When I found out I was pregnant I instinctively knew I would have an Independence day baby and as the day was approaching I was starting to get anxious it would come and go with no baby. And that made me really nervous. And fearful. Totally irrational but the feelings were there nonetheless. So, scheduling the induction even though I was against Pitocin was like my fail- safe. But everything always works out...Thank you God.

I was fine all day Thursday, no contractions just slight spotting which is normal. I went to bed late after falling asleep with Kinsey in her bed. True to form I got up 3 times to go to the restroom and was feeling uncomfortable but wasn't really thinking about contractions (because truthfully, I had forgotten what they felt like. No joke.)

At 4a I was awake and definitely having contractions (I finally remembered what they felt like!) I put myself in the shower while simultaneously timing them: 1 min long, 5-8 minutes apart. I called my doctor and he directed me to go the hospital, "to get the show on the road."

I woke up Brian at 5a and we were administered and in the delivery room by 5:30a. I was hooked up to the IV to be hydrated for my epidural and began the hour countdown until I was able to get it.

 At admittance I was 4 cm. My doctor broke my bag of waters at 6a and I ordered my epidural at 6:30a to have it by 7a (there was a 30 minute wait from ordering til receiving). My contractions were close together but only lasted 1 minute so they were manageable.  If I sat up and rocked my hips back and forth on the edge of the bed (a birthing ball would have been great for this purpose but alas.) I kept my focus by praying, rocking and breathing and was praised by the nurse for "excellent control" ;).

The epidural was a quick process this time around and I didn't feel so helpless and out of control while it was injected. I didn't have complete numbing so I still felt each contraction but it was a dull pain that was mostly concentrated in my lower back. I was checked again at 7:30a and I was already at 7 cm!

At 8a my doctor came back in and announced, "My sixth sense is telling me a baby is going to be born. Are you ready?" Because I could still feel my contractions we used them as a natural push aide and with 3 or 4 pushes, my second miracle daughter was welcomed into the world at 8:13a!

She let out a hearty wail and I was completely shocked to see her full head of dark hair!  She was everything I had hoped for and more because she was finally in my arms; breathing, healthy, beautiful. Brielana Kennedy weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and measured 19 inches long.  She immediately took to nursing.

Her big sister was the first to meet her and even helped the nurse give her a bath!  

We spent the day in relative peace and ended the day watching Peter Pan, a daughter on each side of me.  Perfection.