Happy Birthday!

As I promised, here is Eden’s birth story. I will warn you that there will be quite a few details but nothing gruesome.

Let me start from the very beginning…Monday morning I woke up and was having contractions that were five minutes apart but felt like mild cramping. I decided I would go to work and if they got worse I would go to the hospital but figured that they were probably just Braxton Hicks. Once I got to work the contractions stopped for like an hour, which kind of disappointed me. I decided to take a half-day since I had a chiropractor appointment and a prenatal appointment.

Garrett came and picked me up from work and we went looking at houses. I was still having contractions but they were very mild and were between 5 to 45 minutes apart. We decided to cancel my chiropractor appointment because we were still looking at houses.

Now comes the next 2 ½ hours – I still remember every detail. We went to my 39 week appointment as usual and this was my first cervical check since I was a first time mom with no risk. I was hoping to hear that I was dilated at least a cm and effaced or something. The doctor checks me and has this funny look on his face and then says, “Well, I think you need to head over to labor and delivery because you are already five cm dilated and you have a bulging bag of water.” This was a little before 5pm and we called our parents and told them what was going on and that it would probably be a little while.

By the time we got out of the office and got over to the hospital (maybe 20 minutes later) we were put in a triage room – they check to make sure you are actually are in labor. My doctor followed us over since we were the last appointment for the day and he comes into the triage room and tells the nurse that I need to be in a labor and delivery room. He actually walked us to our room and wanted to check me again (5:30ish pm). He checked me one more time and said, “You are 7 cm dilated and I think I want to break your water.” He breaks my water and I ask if Garrett can run home and get our bags and the camera. The doctor says sure and then leaves to go somewhere.

Garrett was gone and my nurse had left to get something that wasn’t in my room and I had the worst contraction ever that left me breathing through it by myself clutching to the bed. The nurse comes in and I ask for an epidural. She starts scrambling around because she knew Eden was coming fast. The next thing I know she is trying to start an IV and ask a few questions for the epidural. I had like maybe 6 contractions and was feeling pressure in my behind (6:15pm). The nurse checks me and tells me that I am fully dilated and that the baby’s head was right there. She tells me that there is no time for an epidural and I ask her to get my purse because I needed to let Garrett know that he needed to get here ASAP (later he told me he was speeding and running around). Garrett was right outside the room when I called and the nurse kept paging my doctor – I think she thought he wasn’t going to make it.

At 6:30, the doctor came running in (my parents said he was running through the hall to get to my room) and I was starting to push. Pushing was the hardest thing I ever had to do. The contractions hurt and made me want to push and it did help but it was by no means a great feeling. People were running in and out of my room because she was coming so fast and nothing was set up. I pushed for 30 minutes and joked around between contractions and smiled for pictures and then Eden Grace Hufford was born at 7:02! One thing that is amazing is that as soon as the doctor handed me Eden I felt no more pain and can only remember that it hurt but not how bad. After she was born my nurse asked me all the questions that are usually asked before the baby comes and I got to hold her and kiss her and feed her.

I am so thankful to have a wonderful husband who supported and encouraged me the whole way! He was amazing and I am tearing up just thinking about what a wonderful man God blessed me with. I can’t stop thanking God for the support He provided through Garrett. I am also amazed at my little girl who is the most beautiful little baby I have ever seen (I may be a little biased). I can’t believe she is here and couldn’t have asked for a better birthing experience (everything from my wonderful doctor to the great nurses and even the fact that I had no epidural)!

I can’t believe how fast she came – most first babies take over 12 hours but my labor was only about 2 hours. We joke around that it was because of all the squats I did! LOL Anyway, the only thing that scares me about having a fast delivery is that your second child is supposed to come in half the time…

I am now at home with my wonderful daughter and am healing nicely. She is a wonderful eater and pooper and sleeper. She is absolutely precious! Below are some pictures!