Alex & Abby: bumpdate: Margo's birth story

I had every intention of writing a 36 week bumpdate but then Margo decided that she was ready to be more than just a bump. She arrived unexpectedly on Saturday, February 27th at 2:10pm, a smidge over 3 weeks early.

Before we went to bed on Friday night, I listed all the tasks I wanted to accomplish on Saturday and Alex was game for everything except laundry. We were going to make a quick trip to Ikea, install the carseat, go for a walk, catch up on laundry and enjoy a beautiful Saturday. However, Margo had other plans...at around 5am I woke up with some contractions, but fell back asleep. At 5:30 I woke up and the contractions were a little stronger so I started timing them. Three contractions in, my water broke and I hopped out of bed and told Alex that "it was time to go." I have never seen him move so quickly in my life. He was dressed and collecting our things to go to the hospital at lighting speed. I texted our midwife to let her know that we were on the way to the hospital and then made our bed, much to Alex's chagrin.

Once we got to the hospital (around 6: 15am) and were admitted, they tested to verify that my water had truly broken and checked to see how far along I was...one whole centimeter. That wasn't the most encouraging news, but they got me all set up in a birthing suite and left me to labor. I bounced on the birthing ball, we walked the halls and my contractions continued to get stronger and stronger, mainly in my back.

My midwife arrived at the hospital at noon to check my progress and I was at 4cm! That was the number we had to get to before I could get in the birthing tub, hallelujah! The (world's best) nurses started getting everything set up to bring the tub in the room and fill it, which took about half an hour. In that time I went from a 4 to a 7 and was progressing very quickly. Sliding into the tub was the biggest pain relief I could imagine. I continued to labor in the tub for maybe an hour before being fully dilated and ready to push. It took about 20 minutes of pushing, but then she was here!! She was 5lbs 15 oz and 18.5 inches long, perfectly pink and screaming, we immediately fell in love. Alex was so encouraging and supportive the entire time, he was amazing.

Our birth plan (I didn't write it down...if that makes it less crunchy) was to have a natural, unmedicated water birth. Having a birth plan sounds pretty OCD and honestly- unrealistic to me, but everything that we had talked about and hoped for went according to our "plan", which I know is very rare. It was truly an answered prayer and we are so thankful. It has been such an emotional (in a good way) and wonderful few days and I cannot begin to articulate how blessed we feel and how thankful we are. God is so, so good.

Psalm 139: 13-14
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul know it very well.