Bettger Living: June 2014

I know this is a little delayed, but better late then never, right? Maybe its because I've been busy being a mom, or maybe it's because reliving the day I gave birth makes me literally feel pain all over again; but I've been putting off posting my birth story and I'm so glad I finally did it! Yesterday was the 6 week mark since our daughter's birth, and since she was born, life has been a roller coaster! We adore her and she is so much fun, but it definitely took a little while to get to this point, where we can somewhat sit back and just enjoy her!

Leila Jane Bettger was born on Mother's Day, May 11th, 2014 at 12:55 pm weighing 7 lbs 8 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches. I was due May 15th and besides being told that I was dilated 2 1/2 centimeters a couple days before, I was showing no signs of giving birth anytime soon! I kept telling Adam that I felt I was probably going to go a week or so over.

All of that changed on the morning of May 11th, when I woke up a little after 7 am to go to the bathroom and on my way there, my water broke! At the time, I wasn't quite sure that that's what had exactly happened. So being my typical self, I called my mom before I called the doctor. (Because most of the time it feels like she has a better idea of what's going on than anyone else! And she also had a seven hour drive ahead of her in order to be there when the baby was born.) After talking to the doctor, we decided to go to the hospital to get checked out and know exactly what was going on. We went to the hospital and found out that my water was definitely broken and I was having some inconsistent contractions. I wasn't feeling any pain at all, just some mild cramping. Based off that information we were told that I was in very early labor and since we lived only a few minutes away, we could go back home if I wanted to be more comfortable until the real contractions kicked in which likely wouldn't be for quite a while. I liked the idea of being in the comfort of my own home as long as I could, because I would surely spend hours in that hospital room trying to push my baby out and I was a little nervous!

After getting home it didn't take very long before I was feeling extremely uncomfortable and in an intense amount of pain. We called the doctor periodically to tell her how I was doing and she reassured us that what I was feeling was completely normal and to just sit back and relax as much as possible until I was ready to go back to the hospital because I was definitely still a ways away! I reminded her that I wanted, no NEEDED an epidural once I got to the hospital and she reassured me that I would be able to get one, whenever we decided to go back. After a very short bath and some agonizing pain, Adam made the decision that we definitely needed to go to the hospital right away. With much difficulty getting out the door and a very unpleasant car ride we were at the hospital, admitted into a room and told that the baby was coming out right then. Adam told them I needed an epidural and they said it was too late and that our baby would be in our arms very soon. That was definitely NOT my plan at all. The thought of even more pain than I was already in was so scary, and mom was still a few hours away. I was not ready! Well, ready or not it was happening. After 30-45 minutes of pushing and the most excruciating pain that I have ever experienced in my life, our little Leila Jane was in my arms and it was over! I couldn't believe what had just happened and I was in shock. It took less than 6 hours from the moment my water broke to be completely done, but even more crazy was that I was only actually feeling pain for about 4 hours, and I only pushed for a short while and she was out! I went from zero to sixty in a short amount of time and I did it completely natural. Although it was the hardest and certainly the most painful experience I have ever had, I am so lucky that it happened so fast and to have had my loving husband with me physically and emotionally every step of the way. Had it not been for him I have no idea how I'd have gotten through that day. He is the best!

The shock I was in after labor lasted several days, along with lots of crying before I could really grasp the fact that I was a real live mom, and it wasn't a dream. My mom stayed in town for the first two weeks to help us adjust to our new life and we needed her so badly! We learned so much from her during that time and the support she gave us was the best gift we could have been given. After Adam going back to work and my mom going back home, I was scared to be home with Leila for an entire day by myself and I doubted my ability to care for her on my own. It didn't take long for me to realize that not only could I handle it, but that this is what I have wanted my entire life and I was actually pretty good at it!

From the moment our baby girl was born, everyone has been in shock with how healthy she is and how she is just all around a good baby. She passed all her tests at the hospital with flying colors, breastfeeds and gains weight extremely well, cries very little, and despite her weird sleep times, she often sleeps for 5-6 hours at a time. Although exhausting at times, I cannot put into words the love and joy that I feel when I get her out of bed to feed and she isn't crying or fussing, just looking at me in awe, so happy to be in my arms and to have our quiet time together. Being a mom is different than I expected, and better in every way. Adam and I cannot have imagined our daughter any more perfect than she turned out to be and how lucky are we that she is ours, and we get to keep her forever?? We often question if this is real life because she is so perfect it seems impossible that we made her, and that she truly belongs to us.