Welcoming little Olivia

Our little Olivia Noël arrived on February 25, just two days shy of big brother, Isaac's, second birthday. Like the other two kiddos she came early. I kept telling anyone who asked that I expected her to arrive sometime during my 38th week of pregnancy, and even though I hoped for that, I was preparing myself to possibly be pregnant longer. In fact, the day before I went into labor I was having a conversation with a friend and said,"I don't know what it would be like to be pregnant past 39 weeks!" It's always exciting (to me anyway) to experience each individual story of coming into the world, so here's her story.

*For those who don't want TMI and to see the story in pictures, scroll on down past my lengthy story telling ;)

On Monday, February 24th I went to my 38 week check up by myself (thank you mom for being here with the kiddos!) In going to my 38 week appointment, I was hoping I would be about 3 cm dilated (because that's what I had been at 38 weeks with my previous pregnancies, so I was just hoping it would be the same this time around too I guess). I also knew I was on a timeline till I would have a c-section. Since my first pregnancy resulted in a C-section (You can read all about Karis' birth story here), I have to go into labor with each consecutive pregnancy in order to have a vaginal birth. The doctor will not induce me having had previous C-section. So in order to avoid another C-section (which would happen at 41 weeks) I was hoping and praying that I would go into labor on my own (like with Isaac's labor and delivery).

I was only 2cm. The midwife stripped membranes and I left feeling like I would be pregnant at least another week or so. That's when it began to cross my mind that I had no clue what it was like to be pregnant past 39 weeks. I was convinced my whole pregnancy that she would come during my 38th week, so it never occurred to me that there could be more days of being pregnant past 39 weeks. Haha!

After getting home from my appointment, I continued through my day as normal caring for the kiddos, enjoying having my mom around to help me too. When Steve got home, I told him I would like to go for a walk (by myself) after dinner so that I could go at my pace and not have to worry about pushing the stroller and referee two kids who don't want to sit next to each other in said stroller. So right after dinner, I changed and headed out for a brisk walk around our neighborhood. It was fun to be by myself and be able to spend time praying as I walked and watch the sun set. After my walk, I chatted with a couple neighbor friends who happened to be outside with their kiddos (both asking about my doctor's appointment that day) and then headed back inside to help put kiddos in bed. By the time I had showered, sat down on the couch and relaxed a bit, I looked at Steve around 8pm and said "I'm tired". I repeated that phrase several times before finally getting up from the couch and heading to bed at 9pm. Good thing I didn't stay up any later because at 12:59am I awoke to contractions. It felt like deja vu to Isaac's starting of labor (except with him I was sleeping for an afternoon nap).

I began to experience regular contractions every five minutes, yet they didn't hurt. But as I learned with Isaac's pregnancy, pain (for me) associated with contractions wasn't a good indication on if it was real labor or not. When I was having regular contractions at the beginning of Isaac's pregnancy, I was convinced I wasn't in active labor because they didn't hurt, Steve just says I was in denial that I was actually in labor! So I knew this time around I needed to pay attention to these regular contractions even though they didn't hurt at this point.

Around 1:30am I woke Steve up to let him know I was having regular contractions but not to jump up and get ready just yet to head to the hospital. The contractions then started to space apart to about every 8-10 minutes and I told him to go back to sleep and I was going to try and do the same. However, the contractions began to feel somewhat painful. So after about two hours, I sent a text to Aubrey (my nurse with Isaac's delivery and was planning to come in for Olivia's birth); I told her what had been happening and asked if she thought I should go to the hospital to get checked out. I think I didn't want to waste time heading to the hospital (it's about a 30 minute drive and it was still very early morning) so I wanted a second opinion! She responded within minutes saying, "yes". So I woke Steve back up and told him we needed to get ready to leave. He got dressed and loaded our bags in the car while I got dressed and brushed my teeth. I walked into our guest room to wake up my mom (this was around 3:45am) who almost jumped out of bed and told her we were headed to the hospital. I also told her to go back to sleep, haha yea I knew that wouldn't happen!

Steve and I chatted all the way to the hospital and I (surprisingly enough) seemed very awake at this point! We arrived at the hospital and just after 5:00am they check me and I was 4cm dilated. I was thinking, alright I'm in active labor and they're going to admit me. Wrong. Apparently, within the past year the hospital had instituted a new policy that if a woman comes in to the hospital before 39 weeks of pregnancy, they do not admit her, but rather make her walk around to see if labor will continue to progress. This is to help lower c-section rates and other unnecessary interventions. I was 38 weeks, 2 days. So I fell into this category of before 39 weeks and so they told me they were not admitting me, but that I could not leave the premise either. I appreciate the new policy...BUT where was I supposed to walk?! The lobby isn't very large and the thought of walking past the same five people for two hours made me feel ridiculous and it was still pitch dark outside because it was so early. The nurse told me the security was good and that if we walked outside we would be safe.

So at 5:45am, we headed outside to walk. I really wasn't feeling the whole "walk in circles in the lobby" bit. We went to our car to get my sweater and water. We walked.
Our nurse arrived at 6:00am and gave me a big hug and had the biggest grin, she was so encouraging and very excited. She also told me that if contractions got closer together or more intense to not wait the two hours they told me to wait until going back to get rechecked. Then she headed inside to get our room ready, she knew I wasn't going home that day! We continued to walk.
We headed inside around 6:40 because I encouraged Steve to eat breakfast. He ate, I took a few bites but wasn't really hungry. I knew that things were progressing after a potty break, but continued back outside to walk.
We watched the sunrise, walked. While I walked, the contractions remained at around 3 minutes apart. I was tired of walking. I sat down, contractions slowed to every 5 minutes, but I was done with walking at this point and wanted to rest. Steve made a few phone calls to family and we were communicating with the family that would pick Karis and Isaac up (and bring my mom up to the hospital to be with us for the day while they cared for our kids). Aubrey called and asked how things were going and encouraged that if I felt like I was ready, to head back in to triage to be checked.
7:30am: I headed back in to get checked, contractions were hurting and more intense than a couple hours prior so I knew I wasn't going home and I was for sure in active labor.
8:15am: I was 90% effaced and 6 cm. They told me I would be staying and began the process of admitting me to the hospital.

During my pregnancy, I alternated between seeing my doctor and the midwife in the office. The midwife was willing to let me use a birthing tub during labor. My doctor was not on call the day I got there and my midwife had to be in the office for appointments until the afternoon, so the doctor that was there on call put a stop to Aubrey filling up the birthing tub and told me I had to have an epidural since I was a VBAC patient. I told him I wasn't going to get an epidural and that he could call my doctor and midwife to discuss that with them because I had already worked it out with them beforehand. After consulting with my doctor and midwife around 9:00am, he backed off.

Our nurse continued to fill the birthing tub and I never saw the on call doctor again (until the birth) because the on call midwife, Joan, began checking in on me. I attribute the little disruptions to our amazing nurse who advocated for us and what we wanted for our birth experience. Also around 9:00am, my mom arrived and my sweet friend, Amanda, also arrived. I had asked Amanda to be there that day to take pictures but she was also amazing labor support (it helps that she delivered a child without medicine because she knew exactly how to calm me down).

10:30am: I decided to spend some time in the birthing tub. It did help with the pain associated with contractions and it felt relaxing to be in the water.
10:50am: I was 7cm and told I had a bulging bag of water (my water still had not broken), and 90% effaced. I went back in the tub after they checked me. With how fast my labor had already progressed, many in the room were convinced that I would have the baby by noon. That was not the case. I actually stalled out a little by being in the tub, guess I was too relaxed! But I was ok with no progression at this point because our nurse had to go on lunch break and I didn't want to have the baby without her there. All morning I was very chatty and enjoyed conversation with everyone in the room and sang along to music being played on our ipod. I felt really relaxed and calm. I still wasn't in too much pain.
1:50pm: Aubrey returned from her lunch, I was rechecked and said to be at 7-8cm and completely effaced. A hour later, I went to the bathroom and was very concerned, I thought something was wrong and Aubrey said the forewater just broke and I was at 8cm.
3:20pm: Contractions began to get serious and I had to definitely focus more and talked less. Our nurse mentioned that Joan could break my water and that they both thought I would go really fast if this happened. I was nervous to say yes because I knew once that happened, it was a game changer in managing pain. So I had been putting it off whenever mentioned.
3:25pm: I found that sitting on the birthing ball was most comfortable in between contractions at this point and then standing, leaning on the bed during contractions.
3:50pm: I told Aubrey that I was ok with Joan breaking my water. A very intense contraction took place immediately upon them breaking my water and I did not feel ready for it! I started to cry and have a conversation with myself in my head on whether I could do this or not! Phones and talking became very distracting in the room at this point and I remember telling everyone to turn off any extra noises! Things were progressing fast like Joan thought would happen. My midwife was en route from the office and trying to make it for delivery.
4:01pm: I was standing at this point and became very dizzy and had to sit down in bed. I remember Steve and Aubrey helping me into bed and looking at Aubrey thinking "I CAN'T DO THIS!" (I also recall Aubrey talking on the phone with my doctor and laughing at some point after they broke my water. All I could think is that he was making some funny comment as he probably heard me screaming in pain! Well, ok, I don't know if I was screaming but I sure did make a bit of noise at the end!)
4:15pm: the baby was beginning to crown, Aubrey called me complete and Joan said to "go a little more" before pushing. I guess she thought I wasn't ready to have the baby? I think she walked out at this point for another delivery.
At 4:20pm: I felt the urge to push. My midwife still hadn't arrived from the office (we found out a little while later she was stuck in traffic on I-4, boo), and at this point I thought our nurse was going to deliver Olivia, but Aubrey called for Joan, but she wasn't coming (come to find out later that she was in another room delivering another baby). The doctor on call I mentioned above came running in the room literally in time to catch Olivia. Seriously, he almost didn't even have time to put gloves on!
4:24pm: Olivia graced us with her presence. They placed her on my chest, where she remained for at least an hour.

Shortly after delivery, our midwife (Missy) walked through the door and was so sad she missed the delivery, but it was really sweet of her to come in and check on me.

After Olivia was born, we called Cassi and she brought Karis and Isaac up to the hospital. Since we didn't know what time Olivia was going to be born, we weren't sure if the kiddos would be meeting her that day or the next. They got to come up and meet her that evening before heading back to our house with my mom for the night. Karis was thrilled and Isaac was timid (holding onto his baby doll, too funny!) Cassi went above and beyond while taking care of our kids and we are so thankful to have friends like her. We could not have had my mom there with us for delivery had it not been for her willingness to care for the kiddos all day. I also think I could not have done this delivery without our amazing nurse, she was a rock and kept me focused throughout labor. We had to laugh because when we watched a little video clip after Olivia's birth, you hear me call out Aubrey's name instead of Steve, haha! Steve of course is an amazing coach and knew exactly when and how to calm me down if I began to lose focus. We are also so grateful that Amanda spent the day with us in the hospital taking pictures, we will cherish the memories through pictures often. Whew, what a day!

The story in pictures:

This was after we got to the hospital and I was 4cm and
they told me to walk around for two hours. So we headed
up to get my sweater from the car and began walking.

Breakfast in the hospital while I was walking around in labor.
Steve actually felt bad to be eating in front of me while I was
in labor, but I really wasn't hungry and I knew we had a long
day ahead and didn't want him to be hungry all day.

After breakfast, we headed back outside and watched the sun rise.

After walking around for a couple hours downstairs,
we were finally admitted when I was at 6cm. Here I
am shortly after arriving to our room.

Our AMAZING nurse Aubrey!

I had packed snacks in our hospital bag so Steve would have plenty of
energy throughout my labor to be a great support for me!

the tub was being filled where I spent time laboring

pretty pedicure toes

my mom was present at Karis' birth and was sad when she missed Isaac's
birth and so this time around she planned her trip to Florida earlier
in my pregnancy with the thought that I would go into labor early again.
Good thing she did...because she was able to be here for Olivia's birth!

Amanda-sweet friend, labor support and photographer extraordinaire!

Best labor coach

Labor getting more difficult at this point

This was toward the end of labor, I was tired and tried to rest as
much as possible between contractions. It was relaxing to lay my
head on the pillow and I did a lot of singing along to our music
playing on the ipod and praying in my mind before
another contraction would happen.