Everly’s Birth Story

Well well well…

I have thought about the day Everly was born every day since I had her. Not too many people ask about her ‘birth story’ and sit, eager to hear every detail of what happened. I do know that I love to read about others birth experiences. Ill start with the fact that Everly’s birth did not take place in Holy Water with midwives singing hypontic lyrics while I gracefully pushed my daughter into this world and then we sat silently while stars aligned and breast milk flowed in abundance and then I planted the placenta under a cherry tree and…you know where this is going.

My labor started 4 days after my due date. It was a Sunday morning when I started to feel my contractions getting more intense than what was normal for me (I started contracting at 29 weeks and didnt stop until Ev was out). My mom, Jon and I decided that we would run some errands, get some lunch and see what was going to happen. I had been to the doctor the previous Friday for a NST and was given an induction date that I had my pretty brown eyes on. So we got our acts together and headed out.

We went to Target, because well doesn’t every new mom need to run to Target to make sure she has everything she needs? at least twice a week until the baby is born, duh. While we were walking around my contrax were causing me to stop, hold the cart and breathe through. And so I did. We then went out to lunch at the amazingness that is Panera Bread and while I was doin my laboring thing and trying to eat my sammy and soup, I had such an intense contraction that the tears welled up in my eyes and I finally thought I was really in labor. My mom sat and saw me, and having gone through three natural births herself, she said “honey, I think you’re in real labor now.”

We got back home because I wanted to be prepared, get my bags together, yadda yadda….Jon and I walked up and down my street while I dug my nails into his skin with every painful squeeze of my ute. They were about 3-5 mins apart. He wanted to watch the very important football game (and I say that with no sarcasm, I was pretty pumped for it too) so we sat writing the times, and watching football. Finally, I decided maybe we will call the doctor. Hours into the evening from when I started contracting, I MUST have made enough progress to get this baby here.

We headed up to the hospital at around 7pm and I was checked with…you guessed it…no progression from Friday. Since my induction was scheduled for the next evening, I begged to let me stay and promised to walk and walk until I did something. Apparently I didnt need to beg, they already erased my name off of the scheduled list. I walked the halls for a bit and they checked me again, SCORE I went one cm. On came the hospital gown and off came the jewelry, I was having this baby.

I was admitted in a nice room with a tv that had just enough reception for Jon to see the game. I told them I wasnt against having an epidural, but wanted to hang for a bit and see what my body could do on its own. So up and down the halls we went, while I sipped delicious grape juice, no seriously, it was TASTY. Jon would pop his head in our room to see the score…his team was winning, his wife in labor…good day for him.

I labored for an eternity hours with only 2 cm progression since I had come in. I was so exhausted. My mom and Jon dozed off for a while while I tried to silently get my body to do its thing, but my 5am I was drained entirely. The night before I hadnt gotten ANY sleep, through the thirty eight pound child baby and my aching body and some contractions, it wasnt happening. Fast forward to the hospital scene, I really just wanted everything to be over. I had battled long enough with contractions that took over my pregnancy, I just wanted my baby out and my body to rest. 11 hours after I got admitted, after a bag of pitocin (which really wasnt bad at all, I have heard some horror stories of the stuff and Im happy to say I cant add mine to those) and two centimeters later, the docs said now would  be the good time for the epidural since I could still breathe through my contractions. Also, they said they would break my water after it was administered. Ok, sounds good.

In came a sweet young guy wheeling in what was the worst part of my labor. He asked how I was and I immediately broke down. “IM SO TIRED AND I REALLY HOPE YOU’RE NOT” I bawled to him. He smiled with pity and told me everything that was going to happen. Had me sign and waiver and made Jon sit in front of me. You guys, I FREAKED MY FREAK. Between the exhaustion, the pain, the sword that would sever my spine needle that was going to be put into my back, I was insane. Nicki, my amazing nurse whom I would like to hug for an hour, came over to help me stop sobbing and remember that I have to breathe. Jon looked at me for the first time ever with genuine fear in his eyes, his wife, usually saying something dripping with sarcasm, trying to be calm through this, was losing her mind. He tried to bring me down, tell me it was going to be ok, but I couldnt under any circumstances calm down. The sweet anesthesiologist did his best with the writing hyena that was his patient, telling me what I was going to feel, that this electric shock going down my body was normal, the jolting buzzes in my hips? yeah normal as well….finally removed the cath and said he would try again, this one wasnt working. Nicki then held my shoulders down to keep me in the position that I needed to be and sweet man behind me joked about my tattoo that it was perfectly placed for where he needed to stab me insert the needle. This time around, the numbing aspect took and I finally felt some relief. Finally I could lay down and relax.

Oh wait, they had to break my water! In came Suzy Knitting Needle, who was no older than Doogie Howser might I add, me? didnt care, lets just get this going. Pop went my water, and I felt nothing. Apparently my contractions came closer and closer. I asked for more grape juice. Nicki informed me she was going on a break and that she really wanted to be there for the birth and that her shift ended in about 5 hours so lets get moving. Also, that I really needed to rest. She shut the lights off, and Jon and I laid down ready for the next chapter.

Literally about 10 mins later I started feeling contractions again. Like, whew, these shouldnt be something I have to breathe through should they? I mean, really, a samurai sword was just stuck in my spine and I was feeling better for a while and now this?! “Jon..” I whispered repeatedly until it was no longer a whisper….”JON, I FEEL MY CONTRACTIONS, CALL NICKI” She was buzzed but apparently still on a break. Miss Horrible Face (old wretched nurse who acted like I was joking with her) came in and told me this was normal, I was fine etc etc. I told her this wasnt right and I wanted someone to listen to me. Enter, Nicki. Love her. She buzzed Mr. Sweet anesthesiologist who came in, did a alcohol swap test and decided that the epi wasnt bathing my nerves on my left side. Oh but it was shift change time…wait some more. Then the actual anesthesiologist came in (other was a resident) and I immediately told him what a great job the other guy did and that it was just my body being crazy…I felt horrible for being so insane earlier. He put in some more meds in le magic tube and I was fine. They checked me and I was at 8 almost 9 and Nicki begged me to get some sleep, it was almost GO time.

I started to drift off, hoping Miss Horrible Face would never come around again…and finally was RIGHT THERE with my rest when…slip.

Thats the only way to describe it. I woke Jon up again and said I need to push. “Are you sure?” “YES CALL NICKI”. I buzzed the front, “I NEED TO PUSH” and in she came. She checked me and said the baby was “right there” and that she would call Dr. Wonderful to come on over. She had me start some pushing, I told Jon to take off his jersey, I was in the stance and in came the doc. He asked some questions, we answered (enter the blurry part) my mom stepped outside the door and I was told to push. I did. I looked at Jon and his face was incredible. “Seriously do that one more time and she’s out!” Jon confirmed what the doc said and I focused, hearing Nicki explain that this part of the labor the epidural might not cover and that I might feel some pain…I never did. I pushed again and felt a drop. She was here.

Everyone was talking, I was crying, I looked at her and just about died. It was seriously so mind blowing. She was placed on my chest and Dr. Wonderful said “isnt it just amazing?” his face so genuine, I felt like Everly was the first baby he delivered and he was sharing this with us. We stared at each other, my mama came back into the room, I remember looking at her and finally understanding everything we had ever went through. She told me I would someday, and that day was it. It was so awesome. When Jon held her for the first time its like my heart exploded. There right in front of me was the man who showed me that I could love more than I could imagine, holding our daughter. The little human our love created right there in his arms.

Everything from then on I remember but its cloudy. I loved giving birth. Loved it despite anything that happened. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Well…maybe a heartbeat in a few years.

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