Hello Everyone!!
Today is a special post. The birth of Miss Rory James! I wanted to share as I love reading birth stories especially when I was pregnant I would search out all the stories I could find and read them. It is always interesting how different pregnancies and labor and delivery stories can be amongst women but also a lot of similarities! So in today's very personal post I will be sharing everything....the nitty gritty...so if you don't like TMI....you might want to skip this post :) Heres Rory's story

So let's just start with the week of November 12th. It was a very rough week for me. I had a very swollen and uncomfortable pregnancy. I grew big fast. That last week before she was born, I was in a lot of discomfort....had a lot of contractions that would come and go....and a lot of sleepless nights. 

I was really hoping on my Tuesdays doctor's appointment I made progress and I did which I shared in my Pregnancy Update of 38 weeks. I was about at 4cm at that point. My doctor looked at me and said ya I might not be seeing you next appointment and I'm not sure you will make it through the week or weekend. Soooo with this hope I was praying and hoping she would come soon. By Friday, I was so uncomfortable but I WAS DETERMINED to get a good night sleep whatever that meant. I napped when Eli was napping and went to bed when he did. 

A little back story of Eli's birth, It was a very long rough labor and delivery (about 21 hours) with absolutely no sleep going into it and obviously no sleep coming out of it. It was really rough transition especially because I didn't know what the heck was going on. 


This time I was prepared. I knew the exhaustion I would feel. I knew it was going to be intense and rough and I mentally prepared myself for that. 

Saturday November 18th came and that morning I starting having contractions. By mid-morning, I was like wow they haven't left so maybe I should time them. They were about 10-15 minutes apart. Nothing super intense but they were there. I pretty much in my mind decided that because I was having contractions weeks ahead that they would eventually fade off as they had been. By around 3pm, I was still having them and now they were about 7-10 minutes apart. I kind of thought 'Wow maybe I am getting closer?' We decided to go to Target with Eli and walk around to possibly speed up the process. We had a really chill day just hanging out with Eli because we know it was our last days with him as an only child. 

After our walk around Target, I was feeling them pretty intensely and I was time 3-5 minutes apart. I was like ehh they will fade off and even considered trying to get through the night and try to sleep. By 7pm I was like ok I think this is it, but the crazy emotional mom in me was like I HAVE to put Eli to bed for the last time. So I waited until 8pm put Eli down and bawled my eyes out leaving his room after I put him down. I don't know why it all hit me that it wasn't going to be just him anymore. 

We got settled into the hospital around 9pm and I was checked at 7cm! The nurses were like 'um your going to have this baby like asap'. I got my IV and wanted the epidural before it was too late. I was so nervous for the epidural. I had a tough time with Eli with the epidural and yet again had a tough time this time. I was much more aware of what was going on though because I wasn't having back labor like I had with Eli. He said it could be because I have scoliosis that he was having trouble with the epidural so he made me extra numb. 


After I got the epidural at around 1030-11, We just rested a bit before they wanted to check me again.  I actually had a quick scare with my heart rate dropping majorly they think it was from the epidural. I felt really sick but never got sick. They gave me something I have no idea what but I was fine within a half hour again. By midnight I was checked at 10cm but they wanted the baby to drop a little more because they knew I had a long pushing time with Eli (about 4 hours). So they have me lay on my side for a little bit and then rotate me on back. When they rotated me to my back, I never felt SO MUCH pain through my spine in my life. I am not a whiner or a screamer but I am pretty sure I screamed out. The nurse seemed frantic so she called the doctor and got us set up to start pushing. Within 15 minutes of pushing, Baby Girl was here!!!! I did end up tearing again and had to get stitches which I was so numb I didn't feel anything and got to hold baby girl right away! It was pure heaven. Its crazy how relieved you feel and how amazingly happy and great you feel when baby is in your arms for the first time. It is something that can't even be explained until you go through it. For some reason, I thought I would only feel that way with my first baby but it was that same amazing overfilling joy and unconditional love. Right as she was out they handed me her and I literally grabbed her away from the nurses arms and held her tight haha :)


Rory James is the new love of my life. I have a daughter which I never thought I would have. My little family is complete. It truly is the best! Thanks for letting my share my story!!

Always, 
Erin