Birth Story

An obligatory blog post about the birth story.. Only read if you want to, or you can just skip it and scroll to the end for some pictures  :)

If you've seen me at any point in the last few weeks, you knew I was READY to have this baby, but what 9month pregnant lady isn't? Physically my body was uncomfortably big and emotionally the anticipation of the impending arrival was getting to be more than I could handle!

If you follow me on instagram or facebook, you know this photo
was posted about 12 hrs before going into labor.

But now he is here, and it seems I can hardly remember anything that happened in my life prior to having him. It's like life just "reset"!

Sunday went to church (those pews need to be better engineered for a preggo body- so uncomfortable!)  I think the pity stares from those women who had been in my 39 week shoes before are what really made me realize I was ready- people could tell.  But, I still hadn't "dropped" or really felt any contractions, and assumed I still had probably another week and this baby wouldn't be coming early.
Went to bed that night, like normal got up every hour or so to pee, not really sleeping well at all but just like it had been the last few weeks.
Then it happened, 2:45am.
At a moment in between awake and sleep I felt a little pop and then release and fluid drenching my Pjs and bed. My eyes opened wide, but I didn't move- that didn't just happen, did it?....
felt the bed, definitely not pee. It did! Holy crap. "Rick, wake up.. Rick... my water just broke!" I got up, he looked through sleepy eyes towards me "Are you serious" as I pointed to the puddle that was left on the bed" "ya, yes yes it did, crap... can you go put the sheets in the washer". He jumps up says "OKAY.Okay. Wow." and he goes into power mode and starts moving around the house getting things packed and put together in full calmness and order. As he did this I wandered around in a state of shock, my brain feeling like a million things should be going through it but was blank... I was confused but wasn't, I was scared but calm, I couldn't remember a single thing out of my whole 9 months of reading and studying. Thank goodness for the clear mind of my husband. "Macquel, go in the bathroom and get ready, your dripping everywhere" and I was- a trail of water was following me in my zombie walk around the house haha.
We got all packed up, Rick gave me the simplest sweetest blessing. And we were off to the hospital.
I called my mom, it was so hard to say those words "my water broke, I'm in labor, on the way to the hospital" --they seemed so foreign! Just like the words "I'm pregnant" feel in that first month of pregnancy. We checked into the hospital, and I was so calm and cheery (contractions hadn't hit yet;) You'd never guess I was in labor (despite the 9mo waddle and the trail of water that was still following me). They wheeled me up to the 2nd floor (Labor & Delivery). Where I changed, got onto the delivery bed and was checked and hooked up. Not dilated yet.. It had been about 2 hours since my water broke. I started feeling mild contractions at this point, every five minutes or so, nothing too bad.  When they checked again, I was still 0cm dilated, so they decided to put me on just a tiny bit of pitocin to get things hopefully rolling a little bit faster since my water broke. Average time for first pregnancy labor is 16+ hours, I knew I had a long day ahead of me.  1ml pitocin, and within 30 minutes my contractions were very apparent and becoming more painful each time. I do not like contractions. I knew I wanted en epidural, I just didn't know at what point I was supposed to get it. I didn't want to be a "baby" and ask for it too soon, but also didn't want to feel a whole lot of pain.  I asked the nurse and she said it would be a while before I needed it and to try and get some rest. Just me and Rick in the room, contractions were progressing, still only every 4 minutes or so, I was barely living through each one- writhing in pain wondering how people handle this. About an 45 minutes more of contractions I began to have no control over my pain and I was sure I was going to die (or at least break the hospital bed) each time, crying, moaning. The nurse came in during a contraction "oh honey, let's check"... checked and I was 4 cm dilated "Oh honey, you are so ready for an epidural why didn't you say something?"... (Because you can't talk during contractions and you expect that they just know)... But I told her to hurry up- I truly was not sure how much more I could handle. The anesthesiologist came in, it took about 15 minutes to get it done- longest 15 minutes of my life. You have to sit there on the bed, legs criss-crossed, bent over your 9mo belly and HOLD STILL completely while enduring the time of about about 4 contractions while they stick the needle in your back... crazy. But I did it. and the epidural kicked in almost immediately, I was so grateful!
**May I add Rick was my rock during all this, I have never relied on him so much for support, even though there was not much he could actually do. His presence was my comfort.

I kept apologizing to the nurses that were there those last contractions when I was in extreme pain saying, I'm so sorry you have to see me like this- I really am nice.  Haha, don't know why I felt I had to say that over and over, but I did.

Once the epidural was flowing, life was good and I was pleasant. My family showed up at this point, I couldn't believe all this was actually happening. It all just seemed to happen so smoothly. 35 minutes after the epi I was 7cm, and then about 20 min after that I was 10cm and ready to push! Blown away by the quick progression, it was like a calm little whirlwind.  We all assumed I'd be there for hours waiting for things to progress, but it had just been 6+ hours since my water broke, 1 hour since the epi, and we were ready to go. I asked to turn the epidural down a little bit, I literally couldn't feel anything and didn't think i was even going to be able to "push". At first "pushing" seemed as if I was doing nothing, all this energy pent up felt pointless.  My mom and mother-in-law and Rick,were by my side, I loved having my mother right near my head talking into my ear, and
RICK:
 right in front of me- once again my rock, counting during pushes and telling what to do (how did he know what to tell me? I'm not sure how considering we had opted out of all child labor classes, but he did. He knew exactly what to say, he was watching the monitors and telling the nurse when I was ready to push, and then telling me when and how and what. It was weird but so great. Even more surprising, most people assumed he would be in the corner avoiding everything, or passed out on the floor- he doesn't do well with blood/guts/medical/anything bodily related.  But he was a freaking rockstar, stepped up to his fears and was completely amazing.

...

If you asked me, and everyone in that room to use one word to describe the labor/delivery it would be this:

.peaceful.

Strange? I think so, not what you usually see of hear of when you think of child birth, but that labor room was the most peaceful experience I have ever been in. And it was noticed by my family and mentioned by the staff in the room as well. It was very surreal.

Just an hour of pushing and my little man squirmed his way into the world. I was overcome by emotion as I held him- an actual human being that I created, right there in my arms.

Rick cut the cord, they cleaned him up and I sat there in a teary, dream-like state with my new little family.

Having a child is one of the most spiritual experiences I’ve ever had, I truly felt that he was fresh from heaven as soon as I saw him—I’ve never felt closer to heaven than seeing and holding him for the first time.

At this point, I still am having trouble making the connection that the child I am holding is what was in me the past 9 months. It seems like such a blur- so fast to create a life (even though when I was actually preg it was the longest thing I have ever endured haha). Nonetheless, I am one happy momma and enjoy staring and cooing at my baby all day long.  I give him a million kisses and love when he scrunches his face up as I do so, i know he loves it ;)  He is so precious and I can’t help but tell him “I love you so much” a million times a day.

What a blessing.

Asher Price Martin

6lbs. 13oz.  19 in.

June 10, 2013 

11:13am

Leaving the hospital

Grandpa Martin

Papa Keich

Can you believe she's a GRANDMA?

GREAT-Grandma Karen

Aunt Kenz

Uncle Corbin

Utah State beanie from Papa Keich

Love when he's a little grumpy- it's so cute

Look at that nose

Ash loves getting his diaper changed and bath at night. 

He's a burrito!

First Father's Day!

He really does look just like his dad!

Snuggles with mom

Kiss #1,345 for the day haha

Going to his first doctor check-up.

Who doesn't love a sweet fresh baby first thing in the morning?