Willow Adele | a birth story

April 18th, 2017

7:14am

7lb 13oz

21 inches long

Monday evening, April 17th I went into labor. After a few hours laboring at home and my water breaking, we got to the hospital around 2:30am. I was dilated to a 6 at this point and the nurses and I figured I would be delivering before too long. I told them I didn't want an epideral and we also agreed that pain meds through my IV wasn't a good idea because I could delivery pretty quickly and they didn't want the meds go straight to baby, creating complications after birth. 

An hour or so went by and I hadn't dilated much more, disappointing. We also had to change positions multiple times because baby's heart rate was dipping during my contractions, so the birthing ball was out at this point too, another dissapointment. Slowly I made it to an 8. Around then (about 5 am) since baby's heart rate kept dropping with each contraction I had to be in bed on my side; baby tolerated this position best. That's about when it got to be level 10 on the pain scale with contractions every 2 minutes. I struggled to focus/breathe slowly during each one. I felt scared and like I could not do it! I kept praying for strength and things to progress. 2 hours were spent like this, and no real progress. The nurse didn't want me to push and bruise my cervix making a c-section the next option, also baby's heart rate was dipping again so they hooked up an internal monitor to watch it better.

 Finally, close to 7am Dr. Ma came in again and decided to try and rotate baby's head about 45 degrees, he said it was probably hung up on my pelvis and not able to drop. Soon after I felt even more pressure, the nurse checked me and said I was at a 9. Dr. Ma said I could start pushing! The 1st two contractions I took it easy, but the next two I calmed myself down, talked myself into doing this (as if I had a choice) and pushed through the pain that we as mothers obviously forget part of. At 7:14am Dr. Ma held a precious baby up and I saw before daddy this time - a girl! They put her on my chest right away and I cried. Partly because the pain was pretty well over and I was physically and emotionally exhausted. But mainly because there she was, perfect and worth everything. Her pudgy little nose, dark hair, round face, and loud cries that told me she was okay. 

I held her for a long time, she nursed for a good half hour. (She had a good set of lungs and came hungry!) I think it was almost an hour before daddy got to hold her. We texted people to say we had a new arrival but had Grandma Livy bring her siblings before we told anyone who she was. While we waited for them to come they took her to the nursery to check her out more, we delayed her bath so she didn't have to be away any longer. The kids came while she was in the nursery and all guessed she was a boy. The nurse brought her in and handed her back to me and I told the kids, 'It's a girl, Willow Adele!'