Elise's Birth Story

***I started this post when Elise was a month old...she's now almost four months old! I'm a little late, but you could say I've been a bit busy!***

I'm FINALLY going to post Elise's birth story! I really can't believe it's been a month since she was born. Insane. Anyway, I'll get right to what went down on March 27th:

Actually, I'll start with saying that I talked to my sister in law a few weeks before my due date and she mentioned that a lot of women go into labor on full moons. So, we looked up when the next full moon was and it was March 27th. I told her that I bet Elise would wait until then to grace us with her presence, and sure enough she did! I actually looked up the exact time of the full moon and it was 5:27 a.m. so I jokingly told my mom the night before "I'll talk to you at 5:30 a.m.!"

On March 27th I woke up at about 3 a.m. with cramps and contractions. I wasn't sure if it was the "real deal", but I couldn't seem to go back to sleep, so I took a bath. The bath didn't really help and my contractions were getting stronger. I gave my mom a call and sure enough it was 5:30 a.m.! I told her that things were definitely happening, but I didn't want to go in too early. I rested on the couch trying to get a little sleep (which didn't work) until 7:15 when I called my mom to come over. The only thing that was helping the contractions was the birthing ball! I called my husband to come home from work and we headed to the hospital at about 9:00. On the way to the hospital (about 45 mins away) the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds.

We got to the hospital and they monitored me in triage. At 10:50 they checked me and I was 3 cm "soft & stretchy" and about 70% effaced. The contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and starting to be more painful. At 11:45 I was already 5 cm with a bulging bag of water, so they took me up to labor and delivery. By the time I got up to labor and delivery they checked me again and I was already 7 cm! I couldn't believe how fast it was going! I got an epidural at 12:35 (which I kind of regret doing now, because I was already 7 cm and I think I could've done without it). At about 1:30 I was 8 cm and by 2:30 I was getting ready to push!

The first push I did, we could see her hair! I pushed about 3 more times and she was out! Elise Faith Boucher was born at 2:42 p.m. It was so different from Avery's delivery where I was completely numb, but this time the epidural really didn't work on the left side too well. So, I could feel it all on that side! It all went by sooo fast! I got a small episiotomy and stitches, but it wasn't bad at all. I am so blessed that everything went so well this time! I told my husband that if it would go this well every time, I'd have 10 babies! I don't think he'd agree to that haha ;)