Birth Story

July 31, 2019

Daddy and I finally sat down to eat dinner. We were flipping between The Office and Forensic Files, relaxing after a beautiful, but very hot summer day. I noticed my belly tightening a little more often than usual, but figured it was due to the long walk we had taken earlier that afternoon. As I went for my second bite, I paused… put my food down, bent over slightly and took a deep breath as I had what appeared to be my first real contraction. After giving it a some time, they became more frequent and were slowly increasing in intensity. I decided to go upstairs, take a shower and gather last minute items to throw into our hospital bags, just in case. I remember daddy coming up to check on me, his face a mixture of excitement and fear. Things were definitely progressing and it was time to make our way over to the hospital. After a long 9 months of feeling those tiny kicks in my belly, I knew my precious angel would soon be in mommy’s arms.

Upon arrival, daddy grabbed our things out of the trunk and we rushed to the door. I remember stopping in the middle of the parking lot, and having to breathe through yet another contraction. Once we got into the emergency room, they sent us straight up to labor and delivery. My mom met us there, ready for the birth of her first grand baby! It was about 9 PM and things were pretty quiet. I was only 2 ½ centimeters dilated, so the doctor suggested that we walk around for the next hour before checking the progression and deciding whether or not it was time to admit me.

This is when things got real… real fast! After just a few loops around the hallway, I started to experience back labor. If you ask me, that pain was 100x worse than the actual contractions. I was no longer comfortable and became very moody as my body was being pushed over the edge. I remember daddy looking at me as I was hunched over the railing in the hallway and whispering, “I’m so sorry I did this to you!” He and my mom laughed as they tried to distract my attention away from the pain but contractions were coming every few minutes and the only way to get through them was to focus.

About an hour later, I had reached almost 4 centimeters. (I could’ve sworn I was closer to 10!) At 11 PM, I was officially admitted. My baby girl would be here sometime the next day! The nurse suggested I wait a little while before getting the epidural. She explained that once it’s in, I wouldn’t be able to move and with so many hours still left ahead, I’d want to hold off for as long as possible. I agreed and decided to labor in the tub for a while.

Feeling the water pressure against my belly eased the pain for a moment, but didn’t last long before rapidly coming back with a vengeance. I had my fists clenched so tight they were numb. My eyes sealed shut, as I sat rocking back and forth, trying to escape the agony that my body was enduring. With each contraction, I’d tell myself that there was no way it could get worse than right now… but it did… every time. After about an hour of being in the tub, I called for the nurse. I needed that epidural and I needed it now!

I remember laying sideways on the bed anxiously awaiting the anesthesiologist to come and make everything better. My body was shaking uncontrollably as I held onto the handles like my life depended on it. Taking on another contraction with my head squished into the pillow, I felt two cold hands reach around and grab my belly. I smacked them away thinking it was daddy trying to comfort me… only to realize it was the nurse! (When you’re in such an insane amount of pain, it’s extremely hard to control how you respond to things!) How embarrassing!

At roughly 2 AM, I was able to get the epidural. The thought of having to remain still during a contraction, while a giant needle was being placed into my back was nothing less than terrifying. It was a very quick and unpleasant procedure, but I felt reassured knowing my body would get a break sooner than later, or so I thought….

After about 30 minutes, there had been no change other than a slight tingle in my left leg. We called the anesthesiologist back in. He tried adjusting things so it would be stronger and transfer to both sides. Time went by incredibly slow and after a couple of minutes, my left leg went from being somewhat numb to completely immobile. I couldn’t feel a thing, however my entire right side felt totally normal. The epidural only worked on half of my body! Now, not only did I continue to feel the severity of the pain on one side, but because I couldn’t move my left leg, I was also unable to adjust myself when fighting through the rest of the contractions.

It was almost morning. My doctor came in and decided it was time to break my water. Almost immediately, I felt an insane amount of pressure. Not long after, she came back and with the help of my two amazing nurses, I was given the green light to start pushing. Daddy was beside my left shoulder, while my mom (or soon to be Mimi) stood beside my right.

5:45 AM

Some women make this part of labor look extremely easy but let me tell you… it was the complete opposite for me. I was an absolute mess. I pushed and pushed and pushed… but nothing seemed to be happening. Suddenly, an additional two nurses and a second doctor came to assist. Everyone looked worried and although they didn’t acknowledge this in order to prevent fear or stress, I was very aware that something was wrong. I was given oxygen because the baby wasn’t getting enough. Her heart rate was dropping significantly and they needed her out immediately. I remember screaming that I couldn’t do it anymore, and that my body was so close to giving up. This is when the doctors gave me a quick explanation as to what was going to happen next. The plan was to use a vacuum to help suction her out to speed up the process. It took two tries and just like that… my beautiful baby girl was placed skin to skin on her mommy’s chest.