For those of you who don’t know and have been wondering where I’ve been…Surprise! I recently gave birth to our third child. We kept this baby a secret from damn near everyone and it has been so hard to not talk about it since starting this blog because I had so much I wanted to share but was not willing to share my secret before he was born. With that being said the next few posts will be probably pretty spaced out and will be probably completely revolving around our new little baby boy and the things I’ve been holding back that I’ve wanted to share with you all. But for now, I’m going to start with my birth story, which did not really come about the way we expected.
We found out we were pregnant in January of 2020, so no, this is not a quarantine baby. He was not planned, but absolutely, more than anything, he was and is very wanted. Upon finding out I was pregnant I got a confirmation ultrasound and then in May we found out that we were having a little baby boy who, despite being due October 2nd, was measuring for September 29th at the time. My experience with the OB I was going to was not great for the first several appointments, but another story for another time. I got a different doctor right at around 32 weeks who told me when I first met with him that he would order an ultrasound at 36/37 weeks to check on baby and his fluid levels.
37 weeks rolled around and I went for my ultrasound. After that ultrasound at my 38 week appointment he informed me that if I made it 39 weeks he would order another ultrasound for me because it appeared as though my amniotic fluid, while still in the normal range, was on the low side. This terrified me to think about him not having enough fluid and I had definitely anticipated making it to 39 weeks for another ultrasound since both of our kids had been late I pretty much knew that I would make it that far. So at 38 weeks and 5 days I had an OB appointment where they ordered another ultrasound for the next day at the office right next to the hospital. I immediately called my mom and told her because I couldn’t help but think in the back of my mind that getting induced after that ultrasound was a slight possibility. She came the next before my ultrasound, despite me feeling like maybe I was blowing this whole thing out of proportion.
Well I went to my ultrasound and I sat there, quietly waiting to see what they would say, as the ultrasound was performed. Then after she did the scan I nervously waited in the room texting Joe and waiting for the doctor to come in and give me the news, whether good or bad. She walked in and told me that I did in fact have low fluid and since I was 38 weeks and 6 days that he was “better out than in” and told me she was calling the hospital and sent me over there to get an induction. Like an idiot I hadn’t thought to ask Joe to come with me because I had thought I was just being paranoid.
So at about 9:15 AM, at a ripe 38 weeks and 6 days on the 24th of September, I called Joe and said “it’s go time” and he needed to get to the hospital because I was getting induced. He thought that I was joking at first, but then quickly realized I wasn’t and loaded our bags (that had been packed for a solid month) and the car seat into the car while I updated my mom and headed over to the hospital.
I went over to the hospital main entrance and told them what was happening and asked how to get to the maternity floor. They sent me over to the Emergency Room (weird but alright). This really nice ER lady put me in a wheelchair and rolled me on up to the maternity ward where everything just became a whirlwind around me for a while. I was placed in a room, changed into a gown and given a urine test in a matter of seconds. They came in and explained that I was going to get induced and the doctor would be there soon, asked me a series of questions, had me sign consent forms, and told me that I would need a COVID test (ouch). I then had my IV placed and was put on a clear liquid diet, and then Joseph showed up thank God.
When the doctor came in to check me he said I got a “1” Bishop(?) score, which made my cervix unfavorable at that time and decided on a course of action. He explained to me that they would be placing Cervidil (a string with medicine on the tip of it that’s placed against the cervix) to ripen my cervix, and it would remain there for 12 hours before they decided the next step. So at 11:15 AM I signed the rest of the consent forms and they placed the Cervidil. Within a few hours my contractions had started and were increasing in frequency and discomfort pretty quickly after that. Right around 3 or 4PM I started asking for things to help deal with the discomfort. I was given a blow up stool called a “CUB” that I highly suggest. I sat on that for about an hour and was able to bounce and move around while I was sitting on it to help wiggle little guy down.
By this point both Joe and I were getting pretty annoyed with unplugging my IV and monitors for me to go the bathroom every 20 minutes. And if I was a nurse I’d be having a panic attack at my heart rate disappearing every 20 minutes, but I’m not so here we are. The pain was progressively getting worse and more frequent to the point where only laying on my side and breathing helped the pain. The nurse gave me this awesome peanut ball, which I had read about prior, that is supposed to be a passive way to move baby down and prepare your body for labor, which was great since I was just laying down. Man that thing was pretty amazing.
By shift change at 7PM I was in a lot of pain already and just trying to breath through contractions and walk around the room a little bit to deal with the pain. The nurse suggested Joe apply some counter pressure to my lower back while experiencing contractions and it was actually super helpful. We went on like that walking around, laying with the peanut, and back and forth to the bathroom until 11:15 PM.
At 11:15 PM I got the Cervidil removed and got checked again by 2 of the nurses. They said I was dilated to 3 centimeters and my cervix was still very thick. So they called my doctor and let me know the course of action was to have a dose of Cytotec (a pill to continue ripening my cervix) at 12AM and another at 4AM. I took my 12AM dose and everything picked up even more to the point that I couldn’t talk through contractions at all anymore. At 1:25 AM I received my epidural.
I’ll tell you, I did not remember that numbing shot for the epidural. That was way more uncomfortable than any other part of the procedure. Thankfully Joe got to be in the room this time, much to his dismay. Anyway, that numbing shot. When they say it’s going to burn they are not freaking kidding. But he numbed it and then placed the epidural, which I could feel going along my spine, not great but totally worth it in the long run. It took longer this time than the last two for the epidural to totally numb me. About 30 minutes after I could still feel slight pain in my left hip during contractions, but it went away shortly after. Man the epidural really is great because after being up all day I finally got to take a nice little nap and was just all smiles.
I shut my eyes at around 2AM to get a little sleep after being up since 6AM the previous morning. But you best believe Joe and I made a deal before that he would get me Chik-fil-A breakfast if I had the baby before the hospital started serving breakfast. At 2:35 AM I was woken up from a dead sleep by the feeling of a gush of fluid and was convinced for a second that I just peed myself until I remembered I had a catheter in. I called in the nurses and they determined that it was indeed my water that had broken and wrapped me up in those hospital pad things they put on the beds. If you’ve been you probably know what I’m talking about, but they’re like doggy pee pads that they put on the bed. My water had never broken. on its own so this really threw Joe and I for a bit of a loop. The nurse called the doctor again to let him know the newest labor chronicles and he decided that I would only get my second dose of Cytotec at 4 if I wasn’t dilated past a 4 by the time I was due for the second dose. Until then, we just kept trucking on with the epidural starting to help less and less at that point.
Right around 3:20 AM I started feeling a lot of pressure so I called the nurses back in again (I’m needy). I was checked by two separate nurses again who determined I was dilated to 9.5 centimeters with a “oh yeah that’s a head”. By 3:45 there was an almost unbearable amount of pressure and I could feel my body pushing on its own. The nurses were all rushing around preparing the room for baby and I, and I was informed that the doctor was on his way. As they were preparing I heard them talking about how another woman was also about ready to deliver so they were hoping the doctor would get there soon.
The doctor arrived at around 3:55 and my body was full on pushing without me trying. He gowned up and got the bed set up and everyone got into position. He put some olive oil to help the baby slide out, which seemed weird but also genius. It was something different for me and I’m very grateful for that little bit of olive oil. After that I went off pushing with contractions. I’ll be honest my first push was super lame as I was trying to remember how to push. With two additional pushes and a little more olive oil there was a head and I felt this immense amount of relief in my belly as he made his way out. I remember them telling me not to push while his head was halfway out because I wasn’t contracting and me just yelling “I’M NOT PUSHING!”. One final push and his shoulders were out and baby Joseph entered the world as I got another huge feeling of relief in my belly and throughout my body.
They put him on my chest and my first words upon seeing him will forever be “he smells like a mushroom”. Poor kid. With him laying on my chest I felt incredibly happy and relieved to have him in my arms safe and sound. I couldn’t stop looking at him, my eyes bouncing between big Joseph and little Joseph.
The doctor stitched me up, one little stitch in what he described as “just a flesh wound”, all the while talking to Joe. Apparently Joe and him had an entire conversation about how incredible I did and how easy of a patient I was. The easiest he’s ever had. He told Joe that what I did in that delivery room just doesn’t happen and I was made for having babies. (Go me.) It was honestly really nice to hear all the nurses and the doctor say how good I was at giving brith and that I had excellent control during my labor with my contractions and during delivery.
What a wonderful feeling to hold baby boy in my arms at 39 weeks pregnant, 4:04 AM the 25th of September, weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and 20 inches long. My smallest but longest baby. And I got to hold my baby, early, with the peace of mind that I had done it once again. My tiny little peanut was here, and he was safe, thankfully.
Special shout out to my husband Joseph for being by my side. Not only that but for being so incredibly supportive. You did so much better supporting me this time and I appreciate everything you did in that delivery room. You helped me get through so much and really threw yourself into being a support person this time and I will never, ever forget that. I love you very much Joseph, I’m so thankful for you and wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by my side this time. You’re amazing.
