Second time around: The birth of Isabel

Isabel was born on Black Friday, just five days before my due date! (My firstborn, Daniel, was eight days early.)

I had tons of belly ligamentous pain from 38 weeks and onward. I slept and lay in bed for forever! But, it’s definitely true about the “burst of energy” before labor—I experienced that on Thanksgiving Day. No pain at all from the ligaments getting pulled by my humongous belly. No Braxton Hicks! Nada! I totally thought I would carry baby No. 2 to her due date.

Yet, labor pains started early the next morning. Thanks to my trusty iPhone labor app, I was able to track my contraction intervals minute by minute. I was even chitchatting on the phone with my friend, Dr. HS, while having contractions around 11 a.m. (She later said I totally impressed her by talking on the phone just five hours before I finally delivered!)

Around 1 p.m. I had to ask Derrick to take me to the hospital because, yes, we were having a baby—I just knew it. Even though the contractions were irregular and inconsistent, only five to six minutes apart, some three to four minutes, I knew that baby No. 2 was coming.

By 2 p.m., we were all checked in at the hospital, and I had changed into a glamorous gown. This time it was just me and Derrick. Instead of being there to support me during labor, my mother volunteered to babysit Daniel (baby No. 1) … I think it must have been the stress of seeing me in so much pain without meds the first time around.

Around 2:30 p.m. an IV was started and placed on gravity mode without a pump. I got a bolus of fluid as if I were a trauma patient. You know what that means … I had trips to the throne several times because of all the fluid my body just received.

In between contractions, my husband offered to play my “Bones” DVD on the TV. It only played for 10 minutes because I had to stop the movie. Who can concentrate on the plot when there are contractions every few minutes? Even warrior Isis cannot do that.

At 3 p.m. I rated my pain as a 7 out of 10. Then, just before the OB had to rupture the membranes, I rated it as an 8 out of 10. Heck, I was trying to be brave! Little did I know, I was already fully dilated and still with intact membranes.

I really don’t have anything else exciting to say besides the fact that it was probably more painful the second time around than it was with my first delivery.

So before 4 p.m. I was already pushing. All I could say was, “It hurts; it hurts.” (I think the RN might have said, “Of course, honey, you’re having a baby!”)

Then at 4:06 p.m. baby Isabel Francesca was born!

My hubby, who did not cry when Daniel was born, shed tears this time. When I asked him why, he said that they were tears of joy for Isabel’s arrival—but also tears of relief that my suffering was over. (How sweet!)

Again, the medical staff and my hubby said I made this delivery look so easy. At two to three minutes postpartum, even two days postpartum, I was convinced they were lying. It was not easy. But now, 13 months later, I have forgotten all about the pain, and I am ready to welcome another baby into this world (maybe after this last year of residency).

Read more about Sarah’s adventures as a new mom at disisd.com.

Send us your birth story! Whether you had a home birth, hospital birth, 37-hour labor or emergency C-section, we’d love to read the tale of your little one’s grand entrance. Write up your birth story (click here for tips on getting started) and email it, along with a few photos, to birthstory@pnmag.com. We’ll share it on our Birth Day blog and may even print it in an upcoming issue!