Mackenzie Sarah Smith
July 22, 2011
8 lb, 10 oz – 19 inches
Mackenzie’s birth story starts with my 41-week OB appointment. It was scheduled for Friday (40w6d) because my OB wanted to do a Non-Stress Test before the weekend to make sure the baby was doing okay since my due date had passed. The NST went great – I had 2 contractions and our sweet girl was doing great. Dr. Greenwald checked me and I was still 3cm dilated. She scheduled me to be induced the following Thursday, at 41w5d, which was the last possible day I could schedule it. Since I really didn’t want to be induced, I agreed to have my membranes stripped to see if that would help jump start labor.
We left the OB’s office and on the way home, I started having contractions that were about 7 minutes apart. They weren’t painful so I didn’t really think much of it. Around 1:30 they were 3 minutes apart but still not uncomfortable. I called my doula, Heather, to let her know. She said since I was laughing and talking normally with her that it wasn’t time to worry yet, so I went back to working and kept an eye on them. They came and went at 3-5 minute intervals for a while longer and around 3:45 I started to feel them more. Shortly after, I had some bloody show but the contractions stayed at 4 minute intervals and weren’t bad. For a while, I thought they were slowing down and it had been a false alarm.
My parents came over around 5pm because Adam was cooking dinner for all of us, my mom and I were playing with B in the living room and the contractions were so mild that she couldn’t even tell when I was having them, I really thought I had been experiencing false labor and that it was over. At 6pm, I had several contractions right on top of each other that were painful. I started timing them and they were a minute and a half apart. Adam called Heather (who was already on her way) and she said she would meet us at the hospital.
The ride to the hospital was awful. I was on my hands and knees in the back seat and the contractions were really strong and really close together. I barely had time to catch my breath before another started. We got there around 7:10pm and had no clue where to go. First Adam pulled up to the main entrance and went to get help, but there was nobody there. He came back and decided to go to the emergency room, except it was under construction and he couldn’t find the entrance. I yelled at him that he just drove past it, it was the door with “Emergency” in big red letters above it. He was not amused he went in and got a wheelchair, but I couldn’t make myself move to get out of the car, so he ran back in to get someone to help. Right after he left me, my water broke and I started having the uncontrollable urge to push.
Heather arrived just in time to see Adam bolt back into the hospital, she convinced me to get out of the car and into the wheelchair between contractions. I couldn’t sit, so I got in backwards on my knees and rested my head on Adam’s chest. I’m pretty sure I got a few stares, but it was what worked. We went in and Adam told the admissions lady we were headed to labor & delivery, she didn’t want to let us by without admitting me, but she was taking her dear, sweet time and I finally told her after about a minute that I was pushing, so she let us go up.
We arrived in labor & delivery and the nurses tried to take me to the triage room.. Again, I let them know I was pushing and they quickly switched gears and got me into a room. They wanted me to sit in the bed to check me, but I physically couldn’t, so they lifted the back of the bed up and I got in it backwards on my knees with my arms draped over the back. They checked me and I was fully dilated.
The nurses called for Dr. Greenwald and just a few minutes later she arrived. She prepped for the delivery as I continued to push. Not long after, I felt Mackenzie’s head engage and told them I could feel it and she was coming. We didn’t have time to sign consent forms, I remember Dr. Greenwald asking if she had my consent to deliver my baby and I replied “Yes, please!” She got into position and with the next push or two, our sweet girl was out. It was the most surreal moment, I felt every bit of her coming out. So amazing! They laid her on the bed under me and everyone told me to pick up my baby, I looked down and saw her, I couldn’t believe she was there. I pulled her up to my chest and was finally able to turn around and sit down.
I still can’t believe how fast it all happened, it was so amazing and I can’t believe that we have this perfect, sweet little addition to our family. We are so very blessed.
A lot of people have asked about her name. Mackenzie is the name we had chosen for Braden, if he had been a girl. Adam came up with it and although I suggested a TON of other names, he really loved it so we stuck with it. Mackenzie’s middle name is Sarah, after my grandmother.
AWE!!! I am in tears! What an amazing experience and blessing for you and your precious family! Congrats honey and Mackenzie Sarah is a beautiful name!
Ok, so you look amazing right after having birth! And, how funny that your not even in a hospital gown!Congrats to you all! She's adorable!!