Most women say their multiple pregnancies are totally different from one another. I on the other hand, felt like my pregnancies were so similar it was difficult to tell them apart. Same hemorrhoids, same heartburn that came in the same month of pregnancy, same sore rib cage from tiny feet making themselves at home, same 2 cm's dilated for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy, same size belly bulge and almost identical weight gain.

So when I realized that I had a doctor's appointment the day before my due date I began to wonder if this baby would be among the 5% actually born on their due date.

"Hey Steve...I bet Dr. Godwin will strip my membranes at the appointment, like she did last time, and there's a chance I'll go into labor and deliver this baby on the due date...."

"...I guess there's always a chance so we should plan on it."

Weird. Knowing I would probably go into labor January 6th I cleaned the house, got the baby things ready, packed our bags and I even gave myself a pedicure so I could feel somewhat pretty. I was nervous the whole morning of the 6th..."I might be having a baby today."

As suspected when I got to my appointment my doctor said "Still 2 cm dilated. Do you want me to strip your membranes and we'll see if we can get things going?" I hesitated. Last time she did it without warning...now I was choosing if I wanted to go into labor or not.

"Ummmm...ssssssuuuuuure."

Exactly as Kickyboots described the procedure was violating and I'm pretty sure I felt her fingernails scrape the back of my eyeballs. She sent me on my merry way feeling rather battered, and excited and nervous that today would be the day I'd be preparing to meet my baby.

By 4 pm I was having mild contractions. This was almost to the minute how my labor began with Eva. By 7 pm they were 3 minutes apart so we packed up the car and drove Eva to our friends place...unfortunately the huge dump of snow we had just had made the roads almost undriveable and a few blocks from our destination we were stuck in huge ruts and crevices of snow. Steve bolted from the car to get help while I sat with Eva breathing through contractions and watching people leer out their window at the poor saps stuck in the middle of the street. It wasn't long before the boys were back and we were pushed out. We made it to the hospital only to discover I was still only 2 cm and they thought we should go home. Awesome.

We tried watching episodes of The Office, but when the back labor I was having became too much to concentrate I went and sat in a hot bath. We went back to the hospital around 10 pm and I had dilated a measly 1 cm. I told them I wanted the epidural now because I knew that NOW meant a couple hours from now. While in the shower waiting for my epidural and feeling like I was going to lose it from the pain, I suddenly remembered my prenatal class from a year and a half ago where the instructor said to envision every muscle in your body relaxing with each contraction. I began employing this little technique and to my surprise I was much more in control. I told my nurse this, and she said "oh yeah, if you tense up your cervix will stay tense and closed as well. You definitely have to relax." Thanks. Why did nobody tell me this as they saw me have a contraction and I was white-knuckled squeezing Steve's hand so hard he was in pain? Why did nobody tell me that I was just in labor for 8 hours with no dilation because of this?!

Around midnight my saviour arrived with the drugs. I scurried over to the bed and awaited my relief. Never was I so happy to see a man with a 6 inch needle.

Within 10 minutes I began to feel the glorious effects of being numbed. The nurse said she would check me again in a couple hours to see how I was progressing. Steve and I began to watch Pushing Daisies and not long into our show I told my nurse "I think I have to poop" (you're welcome).

"Oh well then let me check your cervix because maybe you are ready."

"No no" I said. "This isn't like 'bearing down'....I just have to poop."

"Well we'll see" she said.

In an hour I had dilated from 4 to 10 centimeters. "Yep, you are definitely ready!" she exclaimed. "Time to deliver this baby!"

What?! What do you mean I'm ready?!. I barely had time to recoup my energies from all those contractions...I was going to have a nap...I was going to relax...I was going to find out what happened to Ned and Chuck...I don't know if I'm ready for this yet!

My doctor had arrived and my bed was inclined so I was sitting almost straight up with my knees at my chest. "Okay Kindra, with the next contraction you push real hard." I had been a little too trigger happy with my epidural and I could barely feel my contractions let alone have the sensation to bear down. I decided to go for it when I thought I might be having a contraction....I pushed so hard I could immediately feel that "ring of fire" burning sensation. Everyone exclaimed what a good push that had been. I opened my eyes and looked down; I could see my baby's head had crowned!

"Oh my gosh I can see it!" I exclaimed.

"That's pretty impressive" my doctor said. "Most women need a mirror to witness this."

With the next contraction I gave another hefty push....only to have my baby's head come out.

"Are you kidding me?!" I screamed. "I can't believe I can SEE this!!"

The next couple minutes were the most excrutiating. I wasn't having a contraction so I couldn't push yet...I could only stare down at the human head that was hanging from my body and say "This burns! This really burns!" Finally I could feel the next contraction coming on and with one more hefty push I could feel the release of pressure. My nurse yelled "open your eyes!" and just as I did I watched my baby girl's body squeeze out of my own. She was immediately thrust into my arms and I was washed with such a feeling of relief and awe. She was such a little miracle. I couldn't take my eyes off of her.


After she was whisked away to be weighed and cleaned up, I was relieved to find out I had barely tore delivering her. My recovery had been so long and painful last time since Eva kind of ripped my womanlies apart but I only needed two measly stitches this time.

We spent the next couple of hours trying to get some sleep and staring at our new little girl to see what she should be named. We had the names Copelyn, Amelie and Isabella picked out but I needed to spend some time with her to figure out who she was. Without talking about it, a few hours later Steve and I both looked at each other and knew..."it's Isabella."


We weren't immediately moved from the delivery suite since they didn't have any rooms available on the baby ward. I was exhausted but wasn't able to sleep much from the commotion of the nurses coming in and out of the room. After a few hours they had to transfer us out since another woman was about to give birth....where did they transfer us? Oh you know...the PRE-ASSESSMENT ROOM.

A busy, noisy room with no privacy where women who are in the beginning stages of labor come to be monitored and checked to see how far along they are. We had nothing but a meager curtain separating us from the hustle and bustle of the people going in and out. Needless to say still no sleep for me. I was beginning to feel grumpy and haggard from the exhaustion. The nurses informed us there were still no rooms available on the baby ward and there didn't seem to be any that were going to open up any time soon. "Can we just go home?" I asked. "I feel fine and we know what we are doing."


By 2 pm, a mere 12 hours after giving birth, we were going home with our little Bella Bean.


I am astounded by what an amazing little girl I have been blessed with. She is peaceful, content, happy and absolutely pleasureful to be around which has made my job as her mom so easy. Her beauty amazes me. I can't believe God has given me two beautiful girls to raise up and call my own.

I'm pretty smitten with her.

Welcome to the world little Bella. You are loved.