The Birth Story

I've been wanting to write out our birth story with baby Scarlett and put it up for a while now, but am finally just finding the time! So here it is! I know it is so long, so won't hurt my feelings one bit if you want to skip over. But I know I love reading other people's birth stories so I thought I'd share mine for anyone interested. Here goes....

On Friday the 18th of June I woke up totally discouraged and frustrated that I was now a day past my due date. I just felt emotional and tired and so ready for the baby to come. That night I had slept horribly. I was grumpy and exhausted and had tried going to sleep around 10:30 or 11 but laid awake until after midnight when I decided to get up and fold laundry and iron til 3 am. So I had gotten a total of about 3 or 4 hours sleep that night. Not cool. So I got out some good pregnant tears and went on with my day. Dan came home from work that night and we decided to go on another walk just to try yet again (for about the 100th time) to get things moving. I had been having consistent contractions (5-10 minutes apart) all afternoon and had had them in spurts over the last couple days too, but I just knew they weren't the Contractions I really needed that meant labor. They just weren't painful enough and weren't changing. So I didn't let myself get my hopes up. But we still decided to walk just to try and help things if we could. When we got home we put Cal to bed and sat down to relax and watch Avatar together. Around 10 pm the contractions seemed to pick up a bit in regularity but they were still mild and since I have strings of braxton hicks all the time that go on for hours and can be 3-5 minutes apart, I didn't really believe that this could be it. But around 11 or 11:30 I noticed I was feeling a little more wet than normal (sorry to be graphic) and wondered if maybe my water had a pinhole leak in it. But there was never any gush or major leak and so I wasn't very sure. However, shortly after that wet sensation I started feeling like the contractions were taking on a new edge to them and it got my attention. They started gaining strength quicker and quicker and with that combined with the water leakage and the fact that they had now been consistently coming 2-5 minutes apart for awhile we determined that this was most likely "it". We both got excited and a rush of "oh boy, is this really happening?!" So we called my mother-in-law who came and stayed with Cal and we got our stuff ready and started to head to the hospital. I was suddenly full of adrenalin just with all the excitement but also totally nervous and knew I was in for a wild and long night. I could feel my contractions increasing all the time in intensity and really knew this was the real thing. Just as we were on our way out I walked by Cal's room and suddenly felt sad to leave him. I was going to miss him so much and it felt so strange to know that I would be coming home the next time with 2 babies instead of one. So I snuck in and gave my darling sleeping boy a kiss and a snuggle and snuck back out. We snapped a couple pictures on our way out the door and were off.

L: Last Pregnant picture as we were unloading the car at the hospital. R: Getting checked in and ready to go!

Contractions were strong on the car ride and I was working on breathing through them for practice. When we first got to the hospital, they were strong but very manageable and I could definitely breathe through no problem. They checked us in at 1:40 am and we immediately loved our cute nurse, Heather. She was young and really sweet. At the time she determined my water had started leaking and that I was dilated to a 3 about 90% effaced. I was a little disappointed because I'd been at a 2 or 2.5 for a couple weeks, so I thought we had a ways to go. Heather noticed on our chart that we were hoping to have a natural birth, and while she was really sweet about it, I could tell she'd heard it before from other women and was a bit skeptical--but she tried not to let it on too much. :) We got settled in our labor room and the baby looked great on the monitor so Heather let me off for about 40 minutes and said we could do whatever during that time. So we got all set up in our room with our music, aromatherapy, birth ball, snacks, you name it. We labored a little in the room but walking sounded great so we strolled around the halls for awhile and just paused during contractions. The contractions were getting pretty strong, but we were working through them and I still felt in control. I felt my water start breaking a little more so we headed back to the room to change and it was about time for the monitor again. The contractions were feeling intense and I admittedly was getting pretty nervous about whether or not I'd really be able to handle it. Dan was so encouraging though and told me to hang in there and that we could do it. He knew it was what I wanted to do so badly and we'd been practicing and preparing for so long. He was with me every step of the way. But I was scared that I still had so far to go and it would get so much worse and sometimes pain can make me really afraid after all we've been through. 

Then came the clincher. The nurse came in and told us that it was our last chance for an epidural, if we were rethinking the natural thing, because the anesthesiologist was going into a c-section and would be gone for over an hour. Whoa...talk about pressure. I was waffling. Big time. So we decided to have the nurse check me so we could see where I was and try and make the best judgment call we could. This was around 3:20 am--an hour and a half after we checked in. I was so sure I was going to be at like a 4 and totally just give in and take the drugs. I was getting into some seriously intense pain and thought if I was hurting this much, there was no way I could make it til transition. But when Heather did check, she was totally shocked because I was at an 8 and 100% effaced. She all of a sudden just lit up and said, "oh my gosh, you are almost there. You can DO this! You've come so far! So many people never get this far. You are so close!" She said we had maybe 2 hours tops before it would be over. (BTW: She was such an amazing nurse and seriously made a huge difference in how our labor turned out. She was so supportive, positive, encouraging and having that coming from both her and Dan just was the best thing.) Her unexpected and completely encouraging and enthusiastic response gave me so much renewed hope. I couldn't believe after only an hour and half I was already at transition. This was supposed to be the worst and if I could just make it, I knew it'd be over before too long. With Dan reinforcing, cheering me on, and saying that we really could make it the rest of the way, I hesitantly but motivated, decided to keep going. But I was nervous and honestly still very unsure of myself. And saying goodbye to those drugs and just knowing there was no way I could get them, was seriously hard. But I knew what I had to do and just hoped I could do it.

As soon as I was allowed off the monitor again, I headed for the shower--advice my sister gave me for when I was in transition and things were just getting really difficult. Contractions were getting wildly, and I mean wildly, intense and I started feeling very immobile. I finally made it to the shower though and it felt great. However, the contractions were so strong and hardly letting up at all between. I started getting overwhelmed and hyperventilating a little. But Dan and our nurse, Heather, helped calm me down and reminded me to breathe. They got me back to the bed and at this point she checked and I was a 9. I felt like I could hardly move and just leaned on Dan for support. Contractions were giving me no breaks and I almost couldn't believe how intense they were. I started asking for help and drugs and whatever else would help it go away. I think it just made me feel better to voice this and I felt like I could because I knew deep down there was no other option but to keep going. Shortly thereafter I was starting to feel more pressure down below so they checked again and sure enough I was at a 10 and ready to go. This was at approximately 4:00 or 4:15 am. So I got ready for the pushing. 

The pushing was extremely hard and exhausting and I think I was surprised at how little relief I felt from the pain, however the contractions did space out a bit so that helped some to regain a little strength in between. The baby still had a ways to come down so we kept up the pushing for a long while. I admit that I was pretty overwhelmed and wanted to give up a lot of times, but luckily Dan and our nurse were there the whole way, just keeping me motivated and yelling out encouragements. They were serious coaches in every respect of the word. When it would get so bad, Dan just held me and told me I could do it, and Heather would count for me and say things like "think about your son! Just picture his little face!" They were seriously awesome. The doctor finally came in and got prepped. I had originally just hoped to tear on my own, but as I was getting close we decided that a small episiotomy might help a little and at this point I was so overcome with the pushing and intensity I just consented and felt a good feeling about it being the best thing. Pretty much when the doctor said it would help things go a little faster I was like, "DO IT!" :) So the doctor did a small cut and shortly after baby Scarlett made her way down. Watching Dan's face as she got closer and seeing his excitement kept me so encouraged and hearing him and our sweet nurse coach and encourage through each push was such a huge strength. I knew I was working hard, but seriously, so were they. What was crazy is that without the drugs everything was just so vivid. I could see and feel my body transforming and the huge round belly that used to be up in my ribs was getting lower and lower and I could feel my body stretching and moving down. It was wild. Although painful, it was really amazing experiencing it all and witnessing everything. 

Then, after what seemed like forever, our baby girl's head was finally out and shortly after her cute little 8 pound body came flying out too with lots of exclamations from the doc and nurses about what a big healthy girl she was! 5:22 am!! It felt so amazing having her come out and to have all the pressure and contractions go away so fast. They laid her on my chest and it was just amazing see her sweet face and to hear her cry. I just couldn't stop saying how beautiful she was. The second I saw her I knew she looked exactly like her brother. Dan and I both just huddled over and stared at her. She was so alert, healthy, and perfect in every way. We were beyond thrilled. I couldn't believe it was over and that we did it.

 

Holding her for the first time

8 Pounds 3 ounces!

Our first picture together

Our sweet nurse Heather

It took another hour to get all stitched up and feeling a little back to normal. It was quite an intense thing to come out of. But after all the commotion and Dan and I were back alone in our room with our sweet new baby, it was the most peaceful and happy feeling in the world. Although we were both exhausted and dying for a little sleep after 2 practically sleepless nights, and I was definitely sore....I almost never felt better.

The recovery afterwards went really well. It felt great to be able to get up and walk to the bathroom right after giving birth and take a shower just a few hours later. After we both got a few hours of sleep I felt really good and on a new baby high (I'm still not really off it :) ). I just felt so so happy. There was no better feeling in the world than getting to see and cuddle my sweet new baby and be there together just the three of us in our peaceful little hospital room. I just love my little family so much. 

Having a natural birth was really one of the hardest things I've ever done and I'm not gonna lie---it hurt....a lot. :) But it was also an incredible experience and fabulously empowering. I'm so glad I did it. Because we had an emergency c-section with Calvin and this was a VBAC I really wasn't sure what to expect and just hoped so much that I'd at least get to have one baby the normal way. It was still just as amazing meeting our baby the first time with Calvin, but this time, just the fact that Dan and I got to see the process and do it together was wonderful and such a special, sacred experience and process. I really know I could never have done it without Dan and it just made it so great to have him right there, so involved and a part of the birth. All in all it was a beautiful, amazing experience. It was definitely intense and trying at times, but it felt so great to do it naturally and to feel so energized afterwards. I guess natural births must not be very common at the hospital we delivered at because all the hopsital staff acted amazed and nurses throughout the day would see us and say "wow, we heard about what you did! that is amazing!" haha. It was really funny. Especially considering that I felt like most of the time I just "survived" instead of actually "doing" anything. Our nurse Heather also gave Dan the hugest and most sincere compliment and said he was the most supportive husband she has ever seen in a delivery and that she was just so impressed with how we worked together. I don't know about me--since I was just groaning in pain most of the time :), but Dan really was incredible and I'm so glad he was able to be so involved.

All in all, it really was an unforgettable experience, as it always is bringing a child into the world. I will always be in awe at what a miraculous, special, amazing thing it is....and I can't wait to do it all over again! In time, that is. :)

Her first bath

Meeting Aunt Mel

Meeting Uncle Steve, Aunt Rachael, and cousin Madison

Mimi and Grandma Meier 

Calvin getting to be a big brother for the first time. He was SO excited to meet her!

The End.