Allow me to introduce...

Miss Brooklyn Elisabeth

Born 2/9/2012 7lbs, 19.5 inches long

As previously stated, I was put on bedrest a couple weeks before Brooklyn's arrival. I had mild pre-eclampsia. I also had  TON of false labor. Pretty much if I walked from the couch to the refrigerator I could expect regular contractions about 5 minutes apart for the next several hours. I suppose this was good practice, but at the time it was pure misery and just made me constantly question if I was truly in labor.

Due to my pre-eclampsia, the midwife had scheduled an induction for me on 2/13. I was medically induced with Abigail & really did not want to go through that again. When I went to my checkup on 2/8, the midwife did a procedure that's called "stripping membranes". She said I was already dilated to 4cm, which is usually the point they admit you to the hospital when in labor, so she expected to see me in labor within the next 48 hours. That afternoon, contractions started picking up! Since I didn't want to be in labor around Abigail, my mom came up that afternoon and picked Abby up from daycare and Brandon & I headed to the hospital around 5pm. It was a bit early still, I knew, but I didn't feel like handling labor plus my 2 year old. 

When we got to the hospital, the monitor was picking up my regular contractions which were 4 minutes apart & lasting 1 minute each (so 4 minutes from beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next). But when they checked me, I was still dilated at 4! :( They were about to send me home & I started crying. The midwife came to speak with me. By the time the midwife came to talk to me, 45 minutes later, she said I looked "different" and decided to check me again, I had dilated to 5cm by then & they realized I really was in labor, thank the lord it wasn't another bout of false labor!!!!!

At that point, I was admitted. Some really cool things about seeing a Midwife this time, instead of an OBGYN? They do several things standard, that you would otherwise have to request/beg/plead with an OBGYN for. Such as - putting a stint in for the IV instead of a constant line. This way, I didn't have to be hooked up to an IV unless they decided I needed it at a certain point. They also don't do constant monitoring, they just check 10 minutes of monitoring once an hour or so. This was SO much nicer than with Abigail when I was on constant monitoring the entire 24 hours I was in labor with her! I also think it's because I wasn't on Pitocin (induction medicine). 

As part of my birth plan this time around, I hired a Doula. I have to say that was the best $800 I've ever spent. She was AMAZING! Check her out at www.seattledoulagirl.com. So we called Alyssa, the Doula, and she came around 8:30pm & walked me around the hospital floor. My contractions got closer together (2 minutes apart) and lasted about a minute each. After a few hours, the Midwife checked me again but I had made minimal progress dilating. This happened with Abigail as well...so  the Midwife went ahead & broke my water. 2.5 hours (and only 4 minutes of pushing) later Brooklyn Elisabeth was here. She was born at 3:45am. I did it without any pain medication, and that is 100% thanks to the Doula! If anyone is considering a drug-free birth, I cannot suggest enough that they hire a Doula. Also, the nurse made a comment that my Doula was the best one she's ever seen!!

Mom brought Abigail by that afternoon & Abigail was instantly very happy to meet her little sister. In fact, she threw a fit when my mom took her home & we weren't there yet. She kept saying, "Baby sister coming home from hospital!!" She stood in the driveway a while to wait for us to come home. Eventually I think Nana bribed her with candy & got her inside. We came home that evening.

I have no idea how we ever were a family without Brooklyn. I love her every bit as much as I love her sister.  Abigail is the best big sister, and it makes me tear up to think of how amazing and loving she is! She is going to be an amazing mother some day! Brooklyn is such a blessing! She is a great baby, and as I'll post shortly, she's been through so much in her very new life, but she takes it all in stride and is one strong little baby! I love her so very much!