Birth Story - Henley Grace Hopkins

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016 

The day was spent like most days. I got up, did all our laundry, put Krew down for a nap, and cleaned up. I felt kind of crampy (I also lost my mucus plug in the afternoon gross I know) and had felt this way since my appointment on Tuesday when the doctor stripped my membrane. I had heard that it can just hurt and not do much so I was hoping that wasn't the case for me. After Krew got up from his nap we headed to the store to get a treat then to the pool, we played for quite a few hours too. When you are that pregnant being in the pool feels great, it is cool and your body feels weightless which is much needed at that point. Plus we needed that alone time together, just him and I one on one playing and enjoying our time together before he became a big brother. While we were at the pool I was feeling weird (keep in mind with Krew I was induced so I didn't know what to expect as far as going into labor, and the only contractions I felt with him was on Pitocin and they are nearly unbearable). Rob worked all day and went golfing around 4. When he told me he was going golfing I told him to make sure he keeps his phone with him because I just felt different. After we went swimming we took a bath, got dressed and went to Target to walk around and get some last minute things. After we got home, Rob arrived shortly after us from golfing and we put Krew to bed. We headed into our room to relax in bed and watch a funny movie! We had been told to do this because laughing might put me into labor. 

                                                  WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016 - 9:30PM

About halfway through our movie I started getting contractions that seemed to be pretty painful. They continued to get worse and worse. I texted my mom who was about an hour and a half away finishing up doing hair appointments (she is a cosmetologist) and told her my contractions were painful and pretty close together. Every time I would have a contraction I would feel like I was going to pee my pants ha ha lovely I know. So I would go upstairs and go to the bathroom and every time my underwear would be a little wet. At the time I was thinking "geez I keep peeing my pants" but later on when they went to break my water I realized that, that was my water that had broke and sometimes it just trickles out instead of being a big gush! These contractions continued on for a good while. Most the time I was just sitting in bed not doing anything so I had a feeling that this was the real deal. My biggest fear was going to the hospital and having them send me home so I wanted to make sure I was really in labor. My other fear was having my baby at home since my first came in 4 hours and I was induced. 

THURSDAY JUNE 2, 2016 - 2:45AM

After trying to rest at home and timing painful contractions we decided we better go to the hospital. We checked in at just after 2:45AM. Since I was checking in at exactly 39 weeks, they checked me (I was at a 2) and they they would monitor my contractions for an hour and see if I progressed. If I didn't they would send me home. They told me they would come check me at about 4:15AM. So I sat there for an hour having contractions, at home they were about 3 minutes apart and at the hospital they were like 8 minutes apart. As I sat there feeling these contractions, all I could think is they better not send me home. I was so ready and what I was feeling was so painful, there is no way they could send me home. The nurse came in to check me at 4:15AM and I was at a 3. She said she was going to go call the doctor to see if I could stay. At about 4:45AM she came in with an IV and said they were on my way to give me my epidural. It was go time and I was so ready! I got my epidural and had my water broken around 5:30 and at that point I was at a 4. When my doctor went to break my water there was like nothing there which means when I was "peeing my pants" it was actually my water. 

THURSDAY JUNE 2, 2016 - 7:39AM

I progressed really fast just like I did with Krew. I went from a 6 to a 10 in about 20 minutes and the baby was coming. With 2 contractions a few pushes Henley Grace Hopkins was here. She as petite, she was beautiful. With a little bit of dark hair, a round face, long fingers, and a dimple on her right cheek. They cleaned her up, weighed her and measured her then they brought her over to me. She weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long (funny story, they told us she was 19 1/2 inches long but they actually measured her wrong). My mom and Rob were in the room when she was born, it was perfect. Every thing was perfect. I held her for a little while, she latched and nursed right away. I was so happy, Krew couldn't latch and I exclusively pumped with him and I wanted so badly to nurse. After everything was settled we headed to our room. That day we were visited my many people including aunts and uncles, grandma, and great grandma but my favorite visitor was Krew. What an emotion moment when he walked in the door with balloons and a pink bear in his hand. Just like we all did when we saw Henley, he fell in love. He wanted to hold her and was always looking for "baby". What a perfect moment! He is such a good brother and absolutely loves his sister, he is constantly showering her with kisses and sits down right by her and says "him". Which means he wants to hold her! It is so sweet and I would not have it any other way!

We left the hospital as soon as they would let us, which was about a day and a half after she was born. We are so blessed to have such a sweet baby girl join our family. She sleeps great (6 - 7 hours at night), eats great and has been smiling since birth. No joke! She is a calm baby and brings so much joy to our home.