Dallin's Birth Story

On June 11th, at my 38 week appointment I was dilated to a 3 or 4 with 95% effaced. I was shocked because I hadn't had any contractions before this point but I was definitely okay with it. If I could get that far with little contractions I was fine. I lost my mucous plug the next day. Mere and my Mom usually went into labor soon after that point but Ondalynn it took her 5-6 days before going to labor. That whole week I was on edge of 'am I going?' I took a lot of naps (two a day) that week. It was as if my body knew I was getting ready for labor.

On Saturday, I'm glad that we decided to make a last hurrah of a day just the two of us. We went to St. Edwards and played Kubb, went to see Incredibles 2 at the theater, and went out to eat really yummy Mexican food. I think the spices help put my body in labor mode. ;)

Sunday was Father's Day and still no contractions. The Dobry's were nice enough to invite us for dinner and afterwards Austin and I did some walking around the complex.

Monday, June 18th was my 39th week appointment. I still hadn't progressed but the doc was convinced that I was going to go into labor that night or the next day. My guess is he did something to irritate the cervix to get things moving. I came home still not convinced that that would happen because of the week previously. I talked with my parents and told them what the doc said but they probably didn't need to rush here as I wasn't feeling any contractions.

I took a nap and by 11AM, Alice-Anne called and I started to feel some constant contractions, especially in the back area. But I was told that if I could still talk through them, then it wasn't time. Austin was at lunch with coworkers who were honoring him as his last days as a restful individual. :) I tried to distract myself by eating and watching a Hallmark movie.

Emily called and that was also a good distraction. I was still feeling constant contractions. But once 2PM rolled around they were starting to become a stop and go type contractions and so I texted Austin to come home when he could. He got here around 3:30 and by this time I really just needed him to push on my lower back as that's where I was feeling most of the contractions. By this time I told my parents that they should probably come. They left around 5:30. 

Between 3 to 8:30 when they arrived was pretty much a blur of just counting contractions through this tracker on my phone and making sure that we got everything in our hospital bag and car seat by the door. 

When Mom and Dad arrived my contractions were about every 6 minutes. They weren't getting any stronger but they were consistent. Mom and Austin went right to work putting on deep blue rub on both my lower back and lower abdomen. Dad was in charge of getting a couple more fans as it happened to be an abnormally hot day. 

I called the labor nurse at the hospital around 10PM but she told me to wait it out till I really started having such intense contractions that I couldn't walk through them or talk through them. I labored for another hour and there were contractions so bad that I wanted to hurl something. I called again just after 11 and I could tell that she was still not convinced but she said I could come in to get checked. 

Of course once I got moving towards the car and driving to the hospital I was feeling fine and not going through a ton of contractions. I was near tears because I just knew they were going to send me back. We got there around 11:30 and I'm not going to lie, I kind of faked how I was feeling so it looked like I was in terrible pain even though really I could handle what was coming haha. I just really wanted to look convincing. 

Emma was the nurse on the night shift who checked me. Because I had dilated to a 5 and thus made progress from that morning, I got admitted to the hospital just after midnight. Hallelujah! We were placed in room 2163. 

For three hours, I labored on the birthing ball and in the tub. I really loved doing the tub. I especially loved leaning up against the side while Austin sprayed the shower head on my lower back while the jets were going. Other positions I just laid on my back while I felt the jets to help soothe the contractions. The only problem was even though I labored for three hours, I made no progress. 

They wanted to give me pitocin to get things because just like any other muscle, the uterus could get tired (didn't know this) and they wanted to make sure they progressed this. My guess is there could be more complications otherwise. But they didn't want to give me pitocin till I got the epidural. So around 3:30 I got the epidural and by 5AM, I went from a 5 to a 7. That was very promising. 

Austin by this time moved the car and then took a nap. I couldn't sleep. I was in adrenaline mode so Emma brought me popsicles and ice chips and we just talked about our families and her job. I really enjoyed that time because of how sweet she was and how peaceful the early morning was. She gave me a really nice comment that she could tell that Austin and I were a really positive and a great team. 

Her shift ended around 7:30 and Jessica the delivery nurse took over. She checked me and I was to dilated to an 8. I was flipped from side to side every thirty minutes with a giant peanut ball in between my legs to help the baby move down. The doc came in and broke my water and then things progressed fast after that. I dilated from an 9 to a 10 in a half hour. At this point I was feeling some intense pressure during contractions. I asked Jessica if that was normal (thinking that the epidural was going to take away everything). She said that the epidural was working but it was edging off just enough so I could feel the urge to push and know where to push. 

I was trying to breathe through these contractions but they were harder than regular contractions, even with the epidural. She suggested to do trial pushing because that would actually feel better than trying to relax breathe through them. 

About 8:45 we started pushing. Jessica coached me through it. Around 9:30 Mom arrived and I was so relieved to see her. She came in and gave me this big kiss on the forehead. That was one of the biggest boosts I received. She stood next to me giving me encouragement, wiping my forehead, and Austin was counting to 10 in three sets for every contraction and Jessica was telling to push and where to push and to push like I was pushing my poop (which apparently I did a lot of). 

Wow, pushing was the hardest, most intense thing I've ever done. I just cried from exhaustion because I was pushing with all my might but I felt like I was not making any progress even though everyone kept saying, 'you're doing it!' 'yes, that's it!' 'just like that!' Austin was also crying from watching me cry. Both of us going through a lot of emotions. I asked Jessica how big she thought the baby would be. She told me about 7lbs, 12 oz. Ok, I can do that, I was thinking. I'm so glad no one actually told me that I would be pushing a near 9lb baby. I think I would have doubted myself!

I pushed for another hour and 20 minutes. The doc came in for the last couple of pushes. At the last push, it took longer for the contraction to come on. It was like the baby was waiting for his grand finale push. At that push, the doctor grabbed his head pulled him right out. He was born at 10:52AM. That rush of having him come out and seeing all the blood and hearing him cry was amazing and exhilirating. They placed him right on my chest for skin to skin and it was so good to hold him and feel him. 

I did tear a good bit in one spot but I got stitched up right away and I was recovery mode which was a lot harder than I expected. That was the hardest part the first week. It's definitely gotten better as time has gone on but man it was rough at first. But all the tears and pain is worth it for Dallin. 

He is the sweetest and Austin and I look at each other in amazement and can't believe he's ours. We're constantly saying to each other 'he's so cute!' I'm so blessed to be his mama. We can't get enough of him. I'm enjoying all the newborn snuggles and his soft cheeks. The first time I read to him, he just kept staring at my face. It was the cutest. We really can't imagine life without him.