William's Birth Story

On the morning of Wednesday March 27th I went into my last Drs. Appointment. Everything looked good and you were ready to meet me! I had her strip my membranes which can start labor if you and I were ready. I went home and just took it easy. At 11:00 a.m. my contractions started getting more consistent and were about 15 minutes apart. I was getting so excited. I was doing my meditations and just kept praying to Heavenly Father that everything would go okay and that I would have the strength to bring you into this world. I took Olivia to school and laid Evan down and then continued to listen to my Hypnobaby CD’s. Those were so helpful and comforting to me especially knowing that you were going to be here soon. My contractions started getting a little more strong and closer together about 10-12 minutes. Around 4:00 p.m. Olivia, Evan, and I headed to the neighborhood Easter egg hunt and while I was walking to the clubhouse my contractions were getting closer together, probably every 6-7 minutes and a little more intense. My friends Desiree and Lindsay talked me into just going into the hospital (which I am grateful I listened or I might have had this baby at home!) My Mom came and picked me up and we waited for Chris to get home and we headed to the hospital. I was so calm during my contractions and would just breathe and go into my peaceful zone, and then when they would let up I was excited and couldn’t believe that this day was here! We arrived at the hospital around 5 and they immediately put me into a room. They checked me and I was dilated to a 5, and 90% effaced. My doula, Laura, quickly arrived after that, and I was so happy to see her! I progressed so quickly, and thought I would have a little more time before the intense part, but you were just so excited to meet your daddy and I! I started to feel my body heat up and the contractions were coming a little closer and harder. All I wanted to do was to get in the tub. But lucky for us we had a very impatient nurse, and she was so determined to do everything medically unnecessary. At one point she was upset with me for not sharing with her my platelet problem. I can recall telling her “Um do you realize I am in full active labor?” The nurses began talking about how I was bleeding too much and were worried that the placenta was tearing away, and the word c-section came up. Laura turned to me immediately and said do not worry about that one bit, you are doing it! Your placenta is going to be coming out anyways. So I just went right back into my birthing mind! Thank heavens there was a shift change and my new nurse was wonderful in comparison to her. Laura, my doula, then suggested to the nurse that I get in the tub. Once I was situated I felt like the contractions were manageable. My body was in transition! This was the part that I was most skeptical about, but really I was mentally ready. I did my hum breathing and felt so much relief. About 20 minutes later they wanted me to get out of the tub. (In hospitals they do not think it is very safe for the baby to be delivered in a tub for sanitary reasons). I wish so bad that I was able to just stay in there and do my pushing in the tub. It took everything out of me to get out and onto the bed. This part is where a couple of times my faith was a little shaken. It was hard. My body was doing all the work, but I could not relax or give into it. After fighting a couple of the contractions, I finally just surrendered. I know at one point I bit my mom’s arm. I did not know how to deal with the pain so I guess I just needed to inflict it on someone else. After about 5-6 hard pushes little William arrived at 7:04 pm. The weirdest part is once he came everything was calm, my body did not feel any more pain, and even when I was being stitched I was completely at ease. Everything that I wanted happened; the cord wasn’t clamped until it was done pulsating, the vernix was not immediately rubbed off, no eye ointment, and you were directly placed on my chest, I was in Heaven! You were perfect! The doctor informed me that you were posterior which made the delivery a little more difficult and caused some tearing on me and bruising on your sweet little face. But I didn’t have anything to compare it to, so the pushing may have been a little easier if your position was right, but everything worked out, and Dad and I were in baby bliss!