The day after my due date was a very slow day. David was at work, but my office was closed for the holidays, and I was not sure how to pass the time. I continued to wonder if the highlight of my day would be a walk around the neighborhood or the birth of our first child.
The sun was setting by around 4pm at that time of year, and for the last few weeks, once the sun set, I felt this wave of anxiety about the birthing experience. I did my best to stay distracted and not think about it too much, but that is easier said than done!
I also seemed to be “peeing my pants” more frequently that day, which I found strange, because I had not had issues with that the entire pregnancy (a common issue!). After dinner, when David and I were deciding what to do for the rest of the evening and my anxiety had crept up on me, I decided to text my doctor about coming in the following day to make sure everything was okay. I received a response that my doctor was on vacation for the week and I should go to the hospital for a test if I felt like I should. So we decided to head to the hospital.
David wanted to pack up the car with our hospital bags and essentials for birth, but I told him I did not think that was necessary.
There we had a few tests run and they noticed my amniotic fluid was extremely low. The doctor told us if we did not induce labor right away, she would be very concerned about the baby. Therefore, I was induced to begin labor around 9:30pm that evening.
As I was getting set up in our labor and delivery room, David had to run back home and pick up our hospital bags and the car seat. Oops, sorry, David, but you were right — we should have packed the car before leaving!
Labor was such a different experience than I imagined. I envisioned a nurse and a doctor with me the entire time, cheering me on, and helping me get through each contraction. This was far from the case. I was checked on by the nurse every few hours up until it was time to push.
As you may recall, my doctor was on vacation, however. Throughout the entire labor, a different OB was staying in touch on my progress. This doctor was not available when I was ready to push, and so a third doctor was called to deliver our baby. As we were waiting the 45 minutes for a doctor to arrive, the nurse asked what name we had chosen for the baby. We recently had been loving the name Leah, but wanted to keep our options open. Then David responded to the nurse saying, her name is Leah!
When the doctor arrived, it was time to push! I was excited there was a mirror in the room and I got to watch the entire process, which really energized me. I think I was living off of adrenaline the following day or two. Perhaps this adrenaline rush was a result of getting to watch the entire birth as I was going through it!
Leah was born on Thursday morning, December 30, before 9am, and two days after her due date. As soon as she was placed on my chest, waves of relief, joy, and that feeling of “is this real life?” came over me.
I would not say I immediately felt the feeling of “oh, it’s you!”
I did feel an all-consuming love for her and a drive to protect and care for this child like I never imagined was inside of me.
The name Leah also immediately felt perfect for her, and we could not imagine her as one with any other name.
Happy Birth Day, Leah! We love you.
