Eilee's Birth Story

On June 28th at 8:30 am I went in for a regular weekly check up. The week before my doctor had told me that I was dilated to a 6 and that he'd like to send me to be induced. We both agreed to give me another week to labor on my own. Induction was not a part of my desired birth plan, I wanted to be pregnant every day possible, and we were moving into our new house that weekend so all around I was just against being induced at that point. Fast forward to my check up this week. I was not dilated past a 6 so the doctor again agreed to give me more time to labor on my own. I left that appointment and went to Walmart get stuff to stock up the new house on groceries. As I was walking through Walmart I noticed that my contractions had increased in strength. I went about the rest of my day that way because I wasn't in pain and I wanted to labor at home as long as possible. 

Around 7 pm that night I started to bleed so I finally decided to go to the hospital to be checked. I hadn't dilated more but the baby was more effaced and I was contracting like clock work every 3 minutes. The doctor said that he was not comfortable letting me go home while I was contracting so much so he wanted to keep me over night to be safe. That night my contractions though regular were not painful or changing my cervix. It was a lazy uneventful night and I wanted to go home.

The morning of the 29th at around 8 am Dr. Thomas came in to check me again. I was 7 cm and at that point he said that he felt that it was safest to help me progress with the smallest dose of pitocin. I agreed. We did all of our paper work and moved to a large delivery room. We let our parents know what was going on and to not tell our kids. We wanted it to be a surprise. 

At 10 am they gave me a tiny dose of pitocin. My contractions didn't change so 30 mins later they gave me another tiny dose. My contractions still didn't change. I was comfortable and laughing. It wasn't like I was in labor at all. I just knew it'd be one of those 3 day long labors that led to a c section. My cervix hadn't dilated more. Baby was still high. It was just not effective. 

At around 12:15 pm the doctor broke my water. Literally the very next contraction after he did this was twice as strong as ever before. I was kind of shocked how much of a difference breaking my water made. Each contraction after that got stronger and stronger. They came every 60-70 seconds. 

 By 12:30 pm I was in a lot of pain and having to focus strongly on my breathing during each cramp. I listened to music with my head phones which also helped distract me from the pain. (Funny story: things went so fast that my head phones were still in when I had Eilee and a song by Outcast about shit not stinking was playing when she was born ha.)

At around 12:55 pm I could tell that the baby's head had just dropped down between my hip bones. The pressure was unreal so I told Brian to hurry up and go get the nurse. She came in to check me. She said that I was 8 cm dilated and a -1 stage. She left to go get the doctor and said that we'd start pushing soon. 

At 12:57 pm literally 1 minute after the nurse checked me I had my next contraction and with it came that overwhelming, unforgettable urge to push. I yelled at the other nurse and my friend Kasha who happen to be doing her clinicals for nursing that day that I was going to push. The nurse was rushing to get the baby warmer/bed ready and Kasha couldn't believe that I was pushing. I don't think she thought I was serious ha ha. With that one contraction I pushed the baby's head out. I sat there rubbing her head between that contraction and the next. I remember thinking that I couldn't believe how much hair the baby had.

At 12:59 pm the doctor and his student came in. He was so great. He let me do what I wanted to do and he let me lead my own birth. I found out later that he's never had a women push the head out then just take a 2 minute break. I also learned that he was worried the baby would get shoulder locked. Yet instead of making me push when I wasn't ready to he trusted my instincts.

At 1:01 pm I pushed out the rest of the baby's body. I pulled her on to my chest and it was the best feeling. She felt so tiny and perfect. She was all balled up on my chest. That feeling was flawless. Delayed cord clamping and letting my body contract my placenta down on it's own was in my birth plans so for about 35 minutes after her birth I just held her on my chest doing skin to skin and nursing. The doctor was so amazing and patient. He stood at the end of my bed and chatted with us all. Once the cord was done pulsing he showed it to me then asked if I was ready for Brian to cut it. I said yes. They took her over to the warmer and did a quick assessment at that point. They weighed her and measured her. They changed my bedding and I changed my gown. I spent the next 3 1/2 hours doing skin to skin and nursing. It was perfect. We sent my mom to go pick up our big kids. I originally wanted them there right after birth but I decided that I wanted the baby and myself cleaned up first so Eilee was around 5 hours old when the kids met her. They didn't believe us that she was ours ha. They kept saying that we needed to take her home so no one else took her. It was cute. 

We only had to spend 24 hours in the hospital which was a first for us. We were so excited to go home. Eilee did have jaundice but they sent lights home with us for that. All of our children had jaundice so this wasn't new for us. Anyways, I was so happy to get home and to relax. 

Most of you know that I originally was using a birth center but risked out when I went into preterm labor at 29 weeks. My dream birth was a water birth. I was so upset to lose that plan but honestly now that I've had the experience that I just had, I wouldn't change a thing. I can't praise Grove Hospital Women's Health Dept and Dr. Thomas enough. It was so amazing that if we ever have another baby I will be using them again. My birth went so fast that I wouldn't of even had time to get into the tub anyways. I was able to get up and move around as I wanted. I was only checked when I asked to be checked. I had skin to skin for breastfeeding right away. We did delayed cord clamping and let my body contract my placenta down on it's own. I didn't force it out right after birth. They saved my placenta for me so it can be encapsulated. The staff trusted my instincts as a mom. They let me lead my entire labor and birth. Never, not once did they push me or treat me weird for my wishes. Eilee never left our hospital room. The ped and nurses did their exams in our room and her first bath was also in our room. They asked my permission for literally everything. That might sound like a given but trust me, it's not. In the past I've had nurses give my babies pacifiers and bottles without asking. I've been bossed around by hospital staff to believe that I didn't have choices in certain matters. I just can't say enough good things about my experience in Grove. God knew what he was doing when all of my plans fell through and I never should of doubted him. He gave me the most beautiful and perfect birth. He gave me the most beautiful and perfect baby. He gave me healthy and happy kiddos. I'm such a blessed mama. 

If you are struggling with broken plans and feel like nothing could compare to what you had in mind know that you are probably sooo wrong. God's plans are better than our own. 

**Sorry for the horrible quality pictures of the back of my camera. I was waiting to make this post after I uploaded the shots from her birth but the only internet provider that services our area can't install the internet until mid July.