Lana’s birth story will always be one that is very special to me. I remember everything about that day, down to the smallest details. So with her birthday coming up I couldn’t help but reminisce the day that changed my life.
At the time, I was 35 1/2 weeks and so over being pregnant. I struggled with antepartum depression during my pregnancy which made things very difficult (I’ll save that for another blog post!) and 4 more weeks seemed like an eternity.
I remember constantly googling “Early Signs of Labor” which made me think every little thing I felt was a sign it was going to happen soon. But I was always wrong! So it’s ironic that when the time finally came and all the signs were actually happening I brushed them off like it was nothing.
I was having major back pain and my crotch area was soooo sore. Little did I know it was because her head was so low that I could barely walk or sit comfortably. That night I was starting to feel cramping in my abdomen and beginning to feel all the symptoms I usually get before I start my period.
I thought this was odd - the Friday before I went into labor I had the urge to clean out my desk at work and even gave away all the goodies from my snack drawer. I WAS NESTING EVEN AT WORK!
Our dog was unusually clingy. I couldn’t sleep and paced around the apartment the entire night; she never left my side. She even waited in the bathroom while I took a shower. They say that dogs can sense that kind of thing.
But the biggest sign of the all was - I WAS LEAKING. I was leaking so much, I soaked through a pad in a short amount of time. (Duh, Janelle… its amniotic fluid!!)
The next morning, Even though I felt like death I brushed it off and got ready for my friend’s wedding. As I was getting ready I started leaking, maybe because I was in a rush I didn’t think twice and just put a pad on.
While we were in church, waiting for the ceremony to start, I had this weird feeling that I leaked through my dress. I quietly started to ask all my friends around me if they had an extra pad and that’s when it hit me, MY WATER BROKE!!! I immediately called Bianca and told her to bring me some pads. Just as everyone else around me realized what was going on, the music starts and the bridal party starts walking in. I didn’t want to cause a scene so I decided to leave right after the bride walked down the aisle.
As soon as I got up for the bride’s entrance, I felt a gush of water. OMG, I was in complete shock! From the look on my face, everyone knew it was baby time! They say it usually never happens like in the movies, but mine sure felt like it.
Bianca and I rushed outside and by then the bottom of my grey dress was completely soaked. She started getting her keys out and I don’t know if it was the adrenaline rushing through me but I told her I was fine and could drive myself. I wasn’t having contractions and I reassured her that I could at least make it to my parents’ house. As soon as I got to the car, I called Jey and told him the news, he thought I was messing with him because the Raider Playoff game was on. I sent him a picture of the back of my dress and said “Its time!” He immediately got our bags and rushed to my parents’ house.
I still wasn’t having any contractions so I decided to jump in the shower and eat before we left for the hospital. Looking back, I’m surprised how calm I was the whole time which is so out of character for me.
We got to the hospital around 1 pm. They tested the fluid I was leaking and confirmed it was amniotic fluid. I chose to be induced since I wasn’t having any contractions and didn’t want to wait any longer.
Word spread throughout my family and by 4 pm our entire immediate family was in the waiting room. They stayed and waited 24 hours until Lana arrived. Word also spread throughout the hospital floor that I was the patient whos water broke during a wedding. I probably told the story another 20 times, whenever someone new came into the room. I wonder if it was written on my file “WATER BROKE DURING A WEDDING!” haha
Around 9 pm my contractions started kicking in so I opted to take pain medication every hour until I absolutely knew that it was time for an epidural. Through the night my contractions grew stronger and the pain meds wouldn’t be strong enough for what was happening next. I was starting to shake and throw up during every contraction as they were getting stronger, that’s when I knew ITS EPIDURAL TIME. After the epidural, I was able to rest before active labor. Why doesn’t anyone warn you about the epidural shakes?! While the epidural is settling in you start shaking uncontrollably. Preggo mamas, take notes “epidural shakes.”
Around 12 pm I felt this need to use the bathroom and push. My nurse said she was finally able to check how much I was dilated ( I was told they couldn’t check until they knew for sure it was time since my water broke and it could risk infection).
Lana Nicole 1.8.17 at 1:14 pm
Then I heard the nurse say, “ OK Janelle, Its time to push!” After being calm the entire day I finally broke down and cried, tears of excitement, fear, and relief. Months of struggling with my antepartum depression, hearing those words was the light at the end of the tunnel.
I pushed for an hour, I was focused and determined. The nurse asked if I would like to use a mirror to watch myself. Some might find it weird, but I took it as a way to check my progress. I didn’t waste any contraction and pushed through each one. I pushed on more time at 1:14 pm and all of a sudden I felt this tiny, beautiful girl on my chest. It was an unexplainable feeling, like all the sadness, emptiness, and doubt I was feeling for months finally felt like it was going to be ok like I had the solution to all my problems and she was staring back at me.
My sweet girl was the perfect baby, she never cried, slept through the night and always woke up smiling. It was like God knew that I needed her, she was my saving grace.
our first family photo