The Story

Monday at 8:50 we had an appointment to meet with a pediatrician as we had not decided on one yet. Shortly after our appointment with him we headed over to our weekly OB appointment with Dr McDonald at 9:15. While waiting very uncomfortably and for longer than normal Dr McDonald finally came in and began the weekly routine of asking how I felt. I explained to her that we had spent 12 hours sitting on bleachers Saturday, as Colby’s little brother, Riley, and his dad were in town for a volleyball tournament. Needless to say, it was a horrible experience and my back was definitely reminding me to never do that again. After I vented about my pain and how uncomfortable I was she checked my cervix. Now, mind you for the past couple weeks I had already been dilated to a 4 and 80% effaced (thinned out). As she proceeded to check my cervix with a sigh and a little chuckle she said,

“You are dilated to a 5-6, if my fingernails were any sharper I could break your water. It is just right there and so is her head.”

She then said in so many words,

“You are 38 1/2 weeks and dilated to a 5-6 and she is just right there. I am not going to make you wait till 39 weeks. I could call the hospital and we could have this baby by tonight.”

Well, the night before Colby was rubbing my ankles and we had tried other things people suggested kicking my body into labor. But when the doctor actually came out and said, “Let’s do it,” kind of caught of both off guard. We looked at each other like, are you serious? What do you we do?

So we went home and packed are things, not really knowing what to take, and called our families to let them know what was going on. At this point it hit me that I couldn’t eat anything from here on out. Dah! Colby knows that if I don’t get food every couple of hours I turn into the great hulk. So this was going to be tough. Anyway, we drove back to the hospital and checked in at 11:30. We got a Jacuzzi room, which I never ended up using because I progressed so fast. They were already ready and waiting for us when we got there. They began hooking me up to the IV and blood pressure cuff, and all the other monitors.

Shortly thereafter, my labor nurse, Marcy, checked my cervix now I was about a 7. I had also tested positive for some bacteria that they found so they had to give me an antibiotic, then they had to wait two hours later to break my water. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart, and it was all in my back. I went in with the intent to go natural. Colby and I had been reading up on the Bradley Method. Through the contractions I just really concentrated on breathing and relaxing my entire body. I must say that I hardly felt a thing.

At 3:34 the doctor came in and broke my water. Can I just say that was one of the weirdest feelings I have ever experienced. I could elaborate but I will spare the details.

So we waited.......

And watched one of my favorite movies to make the time pass. Any guesses??

Well some time passed and there was probably only one contraction that I found unbearable. I was changing positions to see if it would let up a little on my back, well, we didn’t notice that a contraction was coming and I wasn’t paying attention to my breathing and it hurt like the dickens. I cried my way through it. Immediately after, I called for my nurse and asked for the epidural. She came in and said,

“Tara, you have gone this far (now dilated to a 8-9) you can make it all the way.”

Fine, I thought. They call my OB and shortly thereafter she arrived. Then around 4:45 I began pushing. Every time I pushed they kept saying,

“She’s coming! She’s right there!”

It was so frustrating because they said that the past 8 times that I pushed. Don’t tell me that unless she is really about to come out. Colby stood right by my side encouraging me and holding my hand. Well, only one time did he let me hold his hand because apparently when someone squeezes your hand while wearing a ring it really hurts. So he switched to his wrist.

As her head started to crown they kept asking me if I wanted to touch it and I kept saying no because I just wanted to keep on pushing and get her out. But at one point I did, It is so amazing to think this tiny little person was created inside of you. But all that was going through my mind was that she had to come out somehow.

After about 54 minutes of pushing that seemed like an eternity, my doctor said,

“Tara, look down!”

I looked and saw my little baby girl. Then the doctor told me to grab her and pull her out the rest of the way. So I reached down and pulled this beautiful little girl up on my chest.

She was here! We did it. I cannot believe we finally have our little girl. From over 2 years ago when we started trying to get pregnant and loosing all hope, her in my arms I was holding our miracle.



Colby was the greatest. He helped me out so much and I could have not gotten through it without him

She was beautiful and she was finally here. I looked up and Colby as my eyes were swelling up with tears and said,

“We did it.”

He kissed my forehead and there we stared at this incredible baby girl.