I am so thrilled to share my very last birth story with you guys. It was exactly what I had prayed and hoped for and God most certainly delivered - no pun intended! lol
On Tuesday, June 27th 2017, my due date, I woke up around 6:30am having contractions every six minutes apart. Oh, how they were SO welcomed!!! The last three weeks of my pregnancy was so, so hard on my body. I felt like every step I took was an act of God due to the pelvic pains I was experiencing. I don't miss those at all!!!
That morning I went down stairs to sit on the couch, watch my fave show, Forensic Files, drink an iced coffee and contract!!! I started timing them and was really getting excited with how consistent they were. My friend Arlissa sent me a text asking if anything was happening and I was totally stoked to share my progress. After an hour of contracting, I decided to go take a shower in hopes that I would need to make the hour long journey to the hospital soon. Unfortunately, when I got in the shower my contractions halted. I was SO bummed.
Later that day Trey, the girls and I headed to our office in downtown Monroe. My contractions started to pick back up and got a little closer too! When I mentioned it to Trey he suggested that we go have dinner in Athens. This would put us even closer to our hospital just in case we needed to go. Cheddar's was at the top of my list! I ordered the veggie plate and oh boy the contractions started to get EVEN CLOSER! Three to five minutes apart! I was logging them in an app on my phone. I would start a contraction, finish it, take a bite of food and then another one would start. I could barely finish my meal. When we got up to leave, an older couple next to us asked me when my due date was. I replied, "It's today!" She then let me know that her husband was a retired OBGYN!
When we left the restaurant Trey was ready to check into the hospital. I was reluctant. I felt like my contractions weren't close enough. He called my midwife and asked her opinion. She said "Come on. I'll have a room ready for her." Her concern was that I would go super fast! With RyAnne I labored six hours and with Olivia I labored three.
Once we arrived at the hospital, around 8:00pm, guess what?! My contractions totally stopped! Ugh! I wanted to go home right then and go to sleep. lol Trey wasn't having that! We went ahead and got checked in. Once my midwife checked me, she determined I was dilated to a six/seven. She offered to break my water and assured me I would go super fast if she did. This wasn't something I had planned and I wasn't interested. I really wanted my body to do this on its own.
We called my mother-in-law and my friend, Arlissa who was in charge of photographing our birth, to let them know the deets. They both made their way to Athens to be with us and the girls. My contractions were here and there and pretty strong all night. They just weren't consistent enough to make anything happen. That night, I didn't sleep well at all. I was SO mad that we were all staying the night at the hospital. I was uncomfortable, I didn't have my body pillow and the nurses were coming in to check mine and Rocco's vitals so often it was just waking me up.
No one slept well that night. Trey was crammed on a tiny bed with Olivia. RyAnne was somewhat comfy on a recliner chair. Arlissa slept on the floor. My mother-in-law slept in the waiting room chair. Oh, I am SO sorry you guys!
The next evening everything felt like it was at a stand still. I was now dilated to a seven/eight but no contractions in sight. One of my sweet nurses recommended using a breast pump to stimulate contractions. I was totally game and boy were those contractions for real! However, still not enough!!!
So here we are headed into day three at the hospital and still no baby boy. I was going out of my mind!!! My midwife, Amy, came in that morning to check on me at about 4:00 am. I was already awake sitting in bed, looking around my room seeing my friend and family zonked out in the most uncomfortable conditions. I was feeling so guilty. Amy checked me again and let me know I was still dilated to a seven/eight. She offered to break my water, just as the other midwives did. I told her I needed to think about it.
I got out of bed and woke up Trey. I asked him to walk around with me so we could discuss things. I have not ever had my water broken. It's always happened on its own. So this was kind of scary for me. My fear was that if my body didn't start contracting after my water was broken that I would end up needing a cesarean. Surgery scares me! After Trey and I discussed it, we met up with Amy in the hall. I had so many questions for her and she had ALL the answers. She was incredible. She explained that one of the reasons my contractions weren't very productive was because instead of Rocco’s head pressing my cervix, my bag of water was pressing on it. It created a cushion and decreased the amount of pressure I needed to open my cervix. I decided to go for it!!! I said a bunch of prayers and then it was go time!
It was quite relieving feeling my water pour out. About an hour after my water was broken my REAL labor began. I got out of bed to use the restroom. While sitting on the toilet, I realized how amazing it felt to not have any pressure under me and to feel my legs being supported by the seat. So, I decided to stay there and labor! lol While sitting there I felt Rocco's head start to move down lower. In mind my I started freaking out because I couldn't get up and I didn't want to have my baby boy on the toilet!!! I tried calling for Trey but the door to the bathroom was shut and he couldn't hear me. Plus, my contractions were on top of each other and my voice was strained.
I grabbed the towel next to me and threw it on the floor. I made my way to the floor and got on all fours. The urge to push came over me SO strong! About that time Trey opened the bathroom door to check on me. I told him to come in with me. My midwife also came in to check on me. She has the sweetest, softest voice. She said, "Holly, we can totally do this in here. All I need to do is get my things set up. Or you can get in the bed. It's totally up to you." I didn't want to have my baby boy on the toilet OR in the bathroom!!! It took me a while but thankfully I made my way to my bed. I stood at the end of my bed with my hands on the mattress feeling the most intense contractions. Standing up put all the pressure on my cervix. I wanted to be on all fours on my bed. It took two attempts for me to get on my bed as my contractions were taking over.
Once on all fours, my body was shaking uncontrollably, and I could feel his head!!! Oh, it was so incredible and welcoming!!! I knew I was about to meet my baby boy!!! My midwife, gave me the most gentle instructions. "Holly, give me an easy push. Good job." With the pressure being so intense I thought for sure I had already delivered his head. I asked my midwife if his head was out and she said no. Oh man. She poured oil over me and gave me more sweet instructions. My breathing was super controlled and I hummed my sweet boy's head out. I could hear his sweet cries!!!! The contractions stopped long enough for me to have a little break.
I could feel wiggling. He was trying to wiggle his way out and the urge to push became SO strong. I refrained from pushing and allowed my contractions to do their thing. Amy, then told me to gently push my baby out. When I delivered him I quickly flipped myself around in my bed and Rocco was placed on my chest. I threw my head back and ugly cried my eyes out!!!!
He was crying and breathing ALL on his own!!! I held my baby boy so close. He was covered in beautiful vernix and felt so warm. The nurses were so kind and only checking his heart beat and lungs, offering warm blankets to us both and a hat to Rocco to keep in his body heat. I loved how "hands off" my midwife and nurses were! Thankfully NO medical intervention was needed and they just allowed me to love on him AND cry!
After his delivery, his umbilical cord, which at first was a beautiful purple/blue, had turned to a yellow color. My midwife, Amy, informed us that all the blood that was in the cord was now in his body. He received all that fabulous iron rich blood and it was time to cut the cord. RyAnne got to cut his cord from me and Trey finished cutting through. I then delivered my placenta. Amy asked if I wanted to see it. Heck yes!!! It was beautiful! She showed us each part of the incredible organ my body created and grew our baby in.
About an hour and a half after delivery, I was starving! I asked Trey if he would get me some breakfast from downstairs in the cafeteria. Trey, his mom and the girls made their way to the restaurant. Shortly after they left, my body started to ache. I couldn’t stop shaking and starting feeling intense pains! My nurse came in to check my belly. As she pressed on my belly she could feel a huge lump forming. I could see in her face that it wasn’t a good thing. She said she would be back with the other nurse to check me. As soon as the other nurse arrived she told me she would have to push on my belly. She said I was forming blood clots and she needed to get them out. The only way to get them out was to PUSH on my belly - really hard! The pain was more intense than giving birth to my baby boy!
As my nurse was working hard to get these blood clots out of my body, she realized I was beginning to hemorrhage! I could feel blood pouring out of me and my body started to feel so lifeless and limp. They took Rocco off of my chest and REALLY started working on me. They began calling for a doctor and asking for specific medications to be delivered to my room. I received two bags of petocine, a shot in my leg, and more medication through my IV. I thought I was dying, yet in the midst of hearing the doctors and nurses rushing around and calling out orders to one another I was calm. I remember telling God, “If this is it, I am good to go!” Arlissa was the only one in the room with me as all this was happening. She held my hand. This was reassuring and what I needed in that moment.
Once my blood clots were gone and my doctor had my bleeding under control, they gave me something for my pain. With Rocco finally back on my chest, I laid there and took a breath and cried. I thanked God for keeping me alive! I thanked God for my nurses and Doctors! I thanked God for my healthy baby boy! Once everything was under control, Trey and our family walked back into my room from picking up breakfast. He walked in to a room full of nurses and doctors and me looking very pale and weak. I was so thankful that our girl’s didn’t have to see their momma go through that scary situation!
Aside from how horrible that situation was, his birth was SO perfect!!! And I'm so thankful that God allowed my last birth story to be so incredible!
