Labor in Hollywood is always pictured as quick, painful, and clean. Their makeup is always on, hair done, and baby comes out looking angelic. Any woman that has had a baby knows this is far from reality. The true reality of labor is that it takes a long time, it's progressive and it's not pretty.
Hannah had a Hollywood labor, and here's her timeline...
8:00am: Started having some contractions, nothing big.
12:00pm: Mexican food with Blair and Mia
2:00pm: Nap. Contractions have gone away by now.
6:00pm: Make dinner, contractions are back and are very mild.
8:00pm: Put Mia down for bed, contractions are a little stronger.
9:30pm: Call doctor to tell her that contractions are 8 minutes apart, but are still not very strong. Doctor tells me to drink some water, take a bath, and get some rest.
10:00pm: Take a shower, this is where it went downhill...
10:10pm: Call Blair from upstairs and tell him to pack bags and call babysitter. Contractions are strong and closer together. Blair packs his bag and grabs camera.
10:30pm: Babysitter arrives, contractions are 2 minutes apart and strong. We drive to hospital...
10:40pm: Arrive at hospital in screaming agony. Blair parks in emergency entrance. Wheelchair boy wheels me through the halls as quickly as he could to get to the fourth floor labor and delivery.
10:45pm: Check into room, nurses are hooking up chords, one asks me to get off wheelchair to check to see how dialated I was. I was 9cm. She asks me to get in the bed quickly, this baby was coming. Blair had run down to park the car.
11:00pm: Doctor arrives, water breaks...
11:33pm: After a very intense and painful 33 minutes, Hannah Grace is born!
I guess you could say I was in labor for about an hour and a half. Compared to Mia's labor, I was hoping that I could have the experience of driving to the hospital in anticipation...we certainly got our wish. I think I was in complete shock for the next 12 hours after. Now that we're home, can't believe we have the privilage of raising two precious girls. God is to good to us.