Fresh 48 – Welcome Baby Piper!

Meet newborn baby Piper Rye! She arrived at 41 weeks on the dot! She was “tardy for the party” but sure did make an entrance when she arrived! I went into labor at home around 6am. My water hadn’t broken, but I was having pretty intense contractions.

~ ~ ~ A whopping (almost) 10 pound baby! The moment Piper was born, she already looked like Parker did at three months old! ~ ~ ~

I texted my mom around 6:30am and told her about my contractions. She told me to wake up hubs and that she and my dad would start heading over.

I woke him up and hopped in the shower. I knew the hot water would help me with the contractions while waiting on my parents to arrive, and I was able to get cleaned up at the same time. I got out of the shower just after 7am and my parents had already arrived. Hubs had the car packed and was ready to go while Parker was still fast asleep. Big sis was only 22 months old at this point.

We got checked into labor and delivery triage a little after 8am. I was having intense contractions quite frequently at this point. I kept asking to go straight back to the room, but they had to get things situated. I believe they were getting a room ready for me. A little after 9am the triage nurse decided to check me to see how much I was dilated and to make sure I was, in fact, in labor. In doing so she broke my water and we discovered meconium.

After I was cleaned up, we headed back to the labor suite. I remember sitting down and getting my hep lock placed (the IV). I needed to empty my bladder so I went to the bathroom and felt the MOST INTENSE contraction I’ve ever had in my entire life. The nurse had to assist me back to the bed. I sat on the edge and moaned. That lasted about five minutes.

All of the sudden the nurse whipped her head around and asked me if I am feeling pressure “down there.” I said through grunts, “I don’t know what I’m feeling, but something’s happening!” She rushed out to the hallway and called in the team. They ran into the room. The doctor on call turned my legs to the end of the bed, tore apart the bottom of the bed and proceeded to check to see if I was 10 cm yet. Instead, he saw Piper’s head!

She literally came out in two good pushes and under one minute. She was almost ten pounds and born into this world looking like a three-month-old! It was the most painful and euphoric birth experience I’ve had. I had zero pain medication, so I felt absolutely everything, but the end result was that I felt amazing. I was not foggy from all the medication I had like my first birth experience. I was able to immediately walk around. Heck, I practically wanted to skip down the hall to the postpartum room!

I definitely encourage mamas to try natural if they think they’re up for it. It was awesome and I had no pain afterward.

I hope you enjoy these Fresh 48 (hospital newborn pictures, Akron Ohio) of my second daughter’s birth, taken from one of my dear friends Caralee who is also part of my photography team. 

• Jennifer M Photography | Akron Newborn Photographer