Emilyn's Birth Story

Joe is going to have to read this and tell me how accurate it is because there is something about after-birth hormones that make you forget things on purpose. I feel like there would be no way I could forget anything about this amazing birth, but the details do get a little fuzzy at one point.

Our surprise baby was "due" on September 17th, 2013. After 3 weeks of doctors appointments that told me, "Oh, there's no way you'll go to your due date" and me saying, "That's what you said last time." September 17th came and went. I knew it was only a date and that given our varying date of conception and the statistics on when babies are normally born ranging from 38-42 weeks, I wasn't too surprised. Part of me was SO ready and the other part of me wanted to cry that it was almost over. I loved this pregnancy. I felt good, I wasn't depressed, I had "the glow", I loved documenting it every week, and I knew that it was going to be over soon and this might be my last...

I had an appointment at 10:45 on the 19th to see how Chubby was doing with a non-stress test, an ultrasound, and a cervical check. We knew a few things: 1. induction/augmentation was not part of our plan. Joe and I talked about it before we even went in that if the tests were good that we would not choose to induce/augment at this point. We would go home and wait for labor to start naturally. 2. If it was anything like Lincoln's delivery, we were pretty certain it would be the 19th but we just needed to get all the info first.

First, we went to have our non-stress test. Lincoln was very concerned about me being strapped to the monitors, but Chubby was "the happiest baby ever" and I was not hooked up very long - very reactive and I was even having contractions (I wasn't feeling them, but my doctor said they were distinct). Next was the ultrasound to determine how much fluid Chubby had left. The AFI was the reason Lincoln was augmented on his birth date so I expected that if there was an indication for delivery that would be it for Chubby as well. "The current recommendations are that if the amniotic fluid index decreases below 8 after 35 weeks, then delivery should be considered." I thought if it was greater than 5 I might be allowed a few more days to see if I would spontaneously go into labor. Yeah, no, 8 was our number. Not sure where I got 5 from... My doctor did two assessments. He did a subjective assessment and told me that it looked low so he was going to have objectively measure the fluid level. It came back at 4.76. End of story - today was now the day. If anyone can really tell me why my fluid levels get that low and I don't spontaneously go into labor prior to it dropping below normal despite progressive cervical dilation- please tell me.

Before we mosied our way to the hospital my doctor did a cervical check to see where I was at. I thought for sure I'd be further along than the previous week's appointment since I'd had two good nights of counting contractions where we considered going to the hosptial. NOPE. 4-5cm, 70%, -2. -2?!?!?!? I thought Chubby was lower than that. He stripped my membranes again to "get things going" and told us to head home and get our bags and meet back at the hospital around 1:30. The hospital was FULL but they would get us in a room as soon as they could. (Full moon you know. Whatever they say about full moons not being true, they're covering something up because it's SO TRUE.)

If you know me AT ALL, you know that I was in no hurry. So what did I want to do? Go out to lunch. Yes, seriously. We went to Paradise Bakery for lunch and ate our fill of food and cookies since I knew when I got to the hospital food was going to be something of the past until after birth - and who knew how long that would take.... we got home close to 1pm and by this point I'm actually feeling contractions. My next course of action was to try and get Lincoln to take a nap so that he wouldn't be a nightmare for Kristen (who was rearranging her patients and leaving work to be there for us - we know we are so lucky). Guess what nursing does? It releases oxytocin, which makes contractions stronger. I totally had ulterior motives there and it was definitely working. By the time Kristen got to our house and we got packed up I was having trouble walking through some of the contractions but I wasn't convinced it was a pattern I would maintain if I didn't keep moving.

We planted Lincoln, our little no-nap-ninja, on the couch in the "tiny room" with "red blanket" and "Beast". We kissed him good-bye and headed for the hospital. Again, if you know Joe, the best driver ever, he was driving like a crazy man taking corners too tight and it hurt. He was just trying to get there. I could tell he was really nervous - like it all just hit him that this was the moment and holy cow a lot was going to happen today. So he decided he needed some Starbucks to get him through it. Well, if he was getting coffee I was getting a cake pop. Two. After all, it was a birth day.

We pulled into the parking spot in front of the L&D entrance and Joe asks me "Are you sure you like Benjamin as the boy's name?" WHAT?!?! We're hours from having our baby and the statistical probability that we need a boy's name is super high and you're asking me if I still like it RIGHT NOW?! Oh, boy. Yes, I do like Benjamin. The only other names I had on my list still were Gabriel and Ryder... I guess if he doesn't look like a Benjamin we can talk it over again, but that's still it for now.

We get into triage around 3:30 ish. It's full. We sit and sit and sit and wait and wait and wait and pee. Then finally we get called back to a room. It's somewhere in the 4 o'clock hour now. We pass the room Lincoln was born in and get set up in the room next door. Our nurse, Gina will be going off shift at 6 but she gets us all settled. A little bit of monitoring, an IV saline lock for emergencies, the admission assessment/histories we all hate doing, a quick cervical check that says I'm 5 almost 6 cm, and some walking the hallways to pass the time.

I continue to contract every 2-3 minutes on my own and I'm starting to bend over and breathe to get through them. I must have been close to spontaneous labor because apparently stripping my membranes worked. I'm definitely progressing now. Now, it was change of shift again and Gina was headed home leaving us in the care of Jamie and Amanda. I got nervous for a bit though because Gina didn't know if Dr O was on call tonight or if someone else was. She said a name that I didn't recognize (pretty sure, Dr. W) and I got nervous. I'm really really flexible. Lincoln was born at change of shift with NO ONE I knew in the room and a doctor I'd never met who looked like a baby himself (we love Dr. H), but when she said Dr O might not be delivering this baby too I wanted to cry.

Oh wait, I did cry. Dr O was on his way in to talk about our options and I'd gotten back in bed for a few minutes. Kristina posted a very sweet and perfectly written status on Facebook for Chubby's birth and I burst into tears. I was scared, nervous, excited - all of the above. And then everyone walks into the room, "Are you OK?!" Yes, just pregnant. Dr O then said the best words I'd heard SO FAR. "I'm here until 3pm tomorrow." THANK GOD.

Good news was since I'd started producing a labor pattern I had the option of continuing to walk and be intermittently monitored and let it all happen as it would OR he could break my water and really get things moving and we could have a baby. He said it would take longer and wouldn't hurt as bad or it would go a lot faster and hurt a lot more. Really??? Would it really NOT hurt as much if it took two or three times as long (or more)? Biology says probably, I understand the science behind it, but in reality did I really want it to last much longer? No. I was counting on it being fast like Lincoln when I opted to have my water broken.

That moment came when he broke my water. 18:18. Not a lot of fluid came out but I remembered just how warm it is. I went from 6cm to almost 8cm instantly. Before he broke my water I was already at the same pain level I was with Lincoln AFTER he broke my water. I didn't know what to expect now. BACK LABOR. That's what! We already knew that Chubby was looking up to my left via the ultraound earlier and we hoped that s/he would rotate as s/he engaged. I stayed in bed for a little bit on the monitor, and then when they determined that Chubby was doing fine I got out of bed. We knew though that I shouldn't go far so I opted to sit on the birthing ball. BEST THING EVER. The back labor got more and more intense and Joe sat behind me pushing as hard as he could to counter it. It really really helped, but DANG as Chubby got lower and lower it was harder to get Joe to push the right spot. I was starting to grip the bed railing with white knuckles and Jamie kept reminding me to breathe.

Suddenly there was another gush of fluid. "Just sayin'" is what I told them. I knew that meant Chubby was moving down and yes, yes Chubby was moving down. I started to feel the need to poop. Joe asked me if I felt like I really needed to poop or if that was Chubby. YES! was all I could say. It feels like you need to poop whether there's poop or not. Poop is insignificant when there's a BABY coming out your VAGINA!!! Then the urge to push started to hit me. We decided I should get back in bed and when I did I got stuck on my hands and knees over the back of the bed. I even said "I'm stuck!" They asked me if I could get on my back and it was all very familiar. I was recognizing all the same milestones I'd had with Lincoln only I was in a lot more control - even though I was stuck. The nurses went to get Dr. O.

I got on my back and OMG, it got SO MUCH worse. Back labor on your back HURTS. But since I was feeling pushy-like they checked me. 9 cm. Oh, NO! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I'm NOT there yet??? Joe was sweet and put cool wash cloths on my head and neck. I couldn't even keep silent during contractions and I was trying to push on my own back to counter the pain. I'm like Serena Williams vocalizing in labor - contractions just last longer than hitting a tennis ball. But seriously, a few contractions later (I have no idea how long it was really) I meant it when I said I needed to push. Dr O had to help me roll onto my right side and hold my knee up by my ear to try and help Chubby turn. Instantly I really did need to push and I couldn't help it!! I think I even said "I have to push!" Dr O or Joe or someone then said Chubby was crowning. I was on my side holding onto the bedrail for dear life NOT wanting to pull my knee to my head even though I knew it was going to open my hips up for Chubby to turn. It's really hard to hold your own leg that high when all you want to do is push away from pain. Jamie had to keep reminding me to breathe because I was starting to hold my breath. Contractions just kept coming and I could not keep my body from pushing. Dr O even told me that crowning would burn or something I was thinking "It's not as bad as back labor!!" Then I heard Dr O "I see hair" and I'm pretty sure I said "there better be". Joe said "the baby has dark hair." - he wanted Chubby to have dark hair with my eyes (the opposite of Lincoln). Next came ears and I'm thinking "sweet, once the head is out it's just one more push for the shoulders and it's all over." NOPE! Wrong again. The head came out and I actually tried to open my eyes and look. I couldn't. I had to close my eyes to push again. There was no nuchal cord but WHY wasn't it just one more push?? Where was Chubby?! What was taking so long?!!?

Joe was actually delivering Chubby. What was taking so long was Dr O putting Joe's hands in the right spot to turn the head and pull Chubby out. Dr O could have done it in one push but it took an extra push to give Joe the time to get positioned (I think??) The second Chubby came out the pain was all over and I was able to open my eyes again and look behind me at the baby someone was holding. The cord was straight down between the legs and just as Joe was saying, "it's a girl!" I saw it for myself. My first thought was, "Are there parts missing??? Are you sure?" But oddly enough, I wasn't surprised. I'd already felt it. September 19th is my dad's sister's birthday. We lost her to cancer a few years ago. She was waiting for this day. 19:07. 49 minutes after they broke my water.

She went straight onto my belly and we waited until the cord stopped pulsing before it was clamped. We were covered by towels and warm blankets and she stayed skin-to-skin with me for a long time before they weighed her and before I told Joe to double check and make sure she was a girl. I'd already looked once myself, but it still hadn't hit me that she really was a girl and it wasn't going to suddenly change.

Dr O was showing Joe and the nurses my contraction pattern from the monitor. I essentially had something like 6 clustered contractions back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back which resulted in a fast birth but OUCH! THAT FREAKING HURT!! One of the first things I even said was "I think I'm done".  Funny how less than 10 days can make you think, "It wasn't THAT bad. I could do it again".... uh, yes, yes it was that bad, I'm just lucky it was only 49 minutes!

It was great for our orienting nurse. She had never seen an unmedicated delivery, a surprise sex, a birth that fast, or side-lying. I absolutely understand why some people choose to ask students to not be part of their births, but I love that we had an orientee. It was even written twice on the birth plan that students were welcome. I think we made her shift.

Emilyn Grace was 8lbs 0oz. 18.5 inches long. We stayed in the hospital for 24 hours and came home that following night. Lincoln couldn't wait to take her home.

She is a good sleeper and a good eater. She has those baby blue eyes that Lincoln never had (maybe she'll get hazel or green eyes). She's got fuzzy brown hair and chubby cheeks like her Daddy.
She does not look like me, she looks like Joe.

 Lincoln loves her and wants to play with her already and "hold it" being her. She loves her swing and loves to snuggle. And the A+A gigantic swaddle blankets the the best thing ever. She LOVES to be swaddled.

"Chubby" has not stuck as a name. She's now Emi.