This is something I have needed to write for awhile now. I don't want to forget any details of this special moment. I waited 2 months too long but at least I still remember most of it. Here is my Faith J's birth story.
I was really anxious for my baby girl to arrive. Grace came 3 weeks early and I just had a feeling Faith would be early as well. So at my 36 week appointment when Dr. Watts told me I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced I was pretty sure my feeling was correct since I was well on my way to delivery. Something I don't want to forget is the anticipation for my doctors appointments and the excitement in finally hearing the news that things were progressing. Waiting for that doctors appointment was killing me and minutes ticked by SO slowly, when I finally got that news I was super excited. I came out of that appointment and couldn't wait to call and tell Ryan the news, and anyone else I could think of to tell the news.
There was one problem with this exciting news, it made me even more anxious for her to come. My mom was leaving for Canada a few days later and I was sure she was going to miss her delivery. I told her it was ok though because I couldn't imagine waiting another week! I really wanted to meet my baby, to see what she looked like and let's be honest, I was really sick of being pregnant!
Faiths pregnancy was my hardest one. I was sick until about 25 weeks and with 3 kids to take care of I just didn't feel like I was being a good mom. I had a hemorrhage in the beginning, just like with Grace, and so I couldn't exercise. When they finally gave me the ok to star exercising again, I just didn't have the energy to do what I wanted. Exercising is such am important part of my life, it helps me through so much and I feel like I wouldn't have been so sick if I could have exercised more. After the sickness finally ended though I had to start the gestational diabetes diet. So by 36 weeks I was ready to eat whatever I wanted without feeling sick or raising my blood sugar and harming my baby. I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy since it was my last but I don't think I did a very good job.
I want to remember what it felt like to have my baby kick. Faith moved a lot, especially at night. She got the hiccups a lot too, which always made me laugh. I loved to rub that big belly and feel those movements, or just watch my stomach move and roll all over. Pregnancy is amazing. There are things that I will miss, like those kicks and all the exciting milestones you reach throughout and the anticipation of the birth. There are things that I will not miss, like feeling sick every time I ate, or heart burn, or having to pee 50 times a night.
(One of the last photos of me pregnant taken on 10/14/13, 37 weeks)
The week after my 36 week appointment I went into full on nesting. I knocked out the closet in Grace and Faith's room and put a new one in. I organized the laundry room and storage room. I cleaned out cupboards. I made hair appointments and eyebrow waxing appointment. You know, all the necessities. I was ready! So when week 37 went by and still no baby I was really starting to freak out! Not to mention Kathryn decided to have her baby 4 weeks early and torture me even more! Not that she wanted to, her water broke so she really didn't have a choice. But it still made me very jealous.
Looking back Faith came at the perfect time. I was ready, everything I wanted to have done was done. My mom was back in town thanks to Kathryn, so there was nothing holding me back. The night of Sunday October 20th I started to have contractions regularly. Well, regularly for me, they were coming about every 15-20 minutes. I went to bed but couldn't really sleep and got up about 2 am and went downstairs to walk around to see if I could get things going a little more. Ryan noticed I was gone around 4 and came to see what was going on. I told him I was having contractions but they weren't intense or regular enough but that could change any minute. He got excited and anxious and couldn't go back to sleep so he stayed up the rest of the night with me. Around 7 things calmed down. I was so sad! I decided to go to the gym to see if I could get things going again. I told Ryan if nothing changed then he should go to work when I got home. Well, nothing changed. So poor Ryan had to go to work after being up most the night.
I couldn't figure out what happened. I did not have another contraction until I went in for my next appointment on Tuesday at 2 pm. When I told Dr. Watts I had been in labor all Sunday night and then it just stopped he said well that's because I was praying to have a good nights sleep Sunday night. So that sounded like a pretty good explanation.:)
Those contractions had done something though because I was now at a 5 and 100% effaced. What the? I do not know how I could walk around at a 5 and 100% effaced for two days and not have my baby fall out but I did. Dr. Watts said I would go into labor any moment. He asked if I wanted to have my membranes stripped, which I did, and then he said he'd probably see me at the hospital that night.
Once again I was so excited! I came out of that appointment and called everyone I could think of. I thought things were going to start immediately. I was feeling a little uncomfortable but no contractions yet. I told Dave and Ashley to be ready to come take pictures for me and sorry that it might be in the middle of the night. We were all ready. But still waiting. We put the kids to bed Tuesday night and still no contractions. I waited around for a bit but decided I should just go to bed and try and get some sleep.
Can I just say that this whole process, those last few days before delivery are the most painful and the most exciting days of all. One of the things I love about pregnancy and the moments I was waiting for the whole 9 months. It is so exciting when you finally have a contraction and think is it going to be tonight. And then so depressing when it turns out to be a false alarm. But I think it is so neat and such an incredible experience. A moment I wanted to come so badly but didn't want to be over. Does that make sense? At one of those last appointments I saw a lady that was coming in for her 6 week post delivery check up and as much as I wanted my baby to come, I did not want to be at the point she was at. I didn't want those moments to end. I didn't want my baby to be 6 weeks old, like ever. I wanted her to stay tiny forever.
I woke up about 2 am again with contractions. Not big ones and they were still pretty far apart, 15-20 minutes again. I was so anxious that I got up and went downstairs to walk around and see if things would progress. Nothing really changed so I went back to bed to try and get some sleep. Around 4:30 I woke up again with the same small contractions 15-20 minutes apart. I got up and walked around again, but once again nothing changed so back to bed. I really wanted her to come during the night, I don't know why, I guess it just seems fun, so I was starting to worry because morning was coming and things weren't moving yet. I tossed and turned for a little longer and the contractions kept coming. I decided that she was definitely coming soon, and I might as well get up and shower so I'd be ready when thing finally did start moving. I woke Ryan at 6:30 and told him the plan. He had a meeting he was supposed to be to at 9 so I told him if nothing changed he might make it to the meeting.
So I got in the shower and just as I got my hair wet, you know the moment you are committed to the shower, BOOM, huge contraction. I kind of freaked out. I needed to finish showering and get ready now that my hair was wet, but was I going to have enough time. I mean, I was already dilated to a 5 so if my water were to break I was afraid I would have the baby right there in the shower. I decided to hurry as fast as I could. Throughout the shower I had seriously 10 contractions, big ones, so things were really moving now. I'd have to keep stopping and saying, Ow, ow ow ow, until it was over and then I 'd go on with the shower. I got out and hurried and dried my hair, crazy I know, but I was going to be having pictures done and I didn't want crazy, ugly hair. The contractions kept coming every 3-5 minutes so as soon as I was done getting ready I told Ryan we needed to go. He could hear me in the shower saying ow so he knew things were moving and had already gotten up and was getting ready.
Ryan called his mom and said it was go time and could she come over. This was about 7:30 am, and Ty had just woken up. I was excited to get to see him before I left. I had borrowed a big exercise ball from my mom and dad the night before because I heard they helped with labor. My intention was to use it so I could stay home as long as possible before going to the hospital. I had told Ty what it was for, so when he woke up and saw that I was in pain, he said "Mom, just sit on the ball." Like that would take it all away. I just laughed. Serious labor came on too fast and I was so scared my water would break at home the last thing I wanted to do was sit on a ball and let that pressure work. I was crossing my legs trying to prevent anything from happening!
It felt like Diane was taking hours! Things were getting really uncomfortable! All of the kids woke up before we left so I got to tell them their baby sister was coming. They were so excited! Finally Diane came and we were on our way. Longest drive to the hospital EVER! I had driven myself to the hospital when I had Grace, funny story, but it was just a few minutes away so it wasn't so bad. The hospital Faith would be born at was 15 minutes away and it felt 3 times that! I seriously didn't think I would make it. Contractions were still coming every 3-5 minutes and they were BIG! I started to relax when we finally got close enough I could see the building. Ryan dropped me off at the door so I wouldn't have to walk as far, and just as I got out of the car another contraction came so I had to stand and hold onto the car until it passed. I felt pretty silly.
When I walked into labor and delivery they could tell I was in pain but not so much that they needed to rush me to a room. They asked my name, and my doctors name and I tried to answer through the pain. One of the nurses asked if I had given birth before and did I really think I was in labor. I said I definitely am, and explained that I was already dilated to a 5. They seemed to hurry things up after that and decided to get me to a room before finishing the check in.
They said the room wasn't far but did I need a wheelchair. I wanted to help things along so I said I would walk. After only a few steps I had to grab onto Ryan and wait through another contraction. I barely made it down the hall to the room. Once in they had me change into a gown, which was rather difficult while in labor! When they finally had me lay in the bed I felt myself relax. Phew, we made it! I wasn't going to have my baby on the side of the road! I had read stories about that in the last few months of my pregnancy and thought it sounded kind of cool. That was before I was in labor and actually at risk of having it happen.
In reality things didn't go that fast. I think I was so nervous and tense I was actually stalling any progression. Which was what I was hoping for. When they checked me right after arriving to the hospital I was only a 6, so all that pain had only progressed things 1 cm. When they checked again about 20 minutes later when they were going to break my water I was at an 8. I wasn't having as many contractions or in as much pain at this point either. I was definitely making it worse by being so nervous and tense.
I also got my epidural right before they broke my water. It was the most amazing epidural EVER! The anesthesiologist came in and went over the consent form with me, then asked if I had any questions. Last minute I decided to ask him if he could give my a light epidural. I said I hate it when I can't feel my legs and I want to be able to feel when I'm having a contraction. I was impressed with how concerned he was about getting me just the epidural I wanted. He asked me all sorts of questions about my previous epidurals, what I liked and didn't like. Apparently he worked at LDS hospital around the same time I had Ty and Cody, where I had my worst epidurals because of how numb I was, and said he knew the mix they used so that information would help get me just what I want. He did it too! I felt really comfortable but could still move my legs around on my own, and could still feel my contractions, but they weren't painful.
After that Dr. Watts came in to break my water. I was so relieved because Dr. Watts was just making the switch to deliver babies at IMC, and so they weren't real familiar with him. When I first got there they didn't know who I was talking about and couldn't get a hold of him. They had already found another doctor to deliver me just in case Dr. Watts didn't make it. I'm not sure of the exact time he came in but I think it was around 9. He broke my water and then went out to fill out some paper work.
Ashley arrived right after that to start taking pictures. I was so excited she made it too. I really wanted to have some pictures of my last delivery to look back on but knew it might be hard for her to come depending on when I went into labor. It turned out perfect because Dave had just finished taking a test and was able to come home for a few hours to watch Claire while Ashley drove up to the hospital. She took a few pictures of the hospital and then came back and we all just chilled for a bit.
Dr. Watts came back in and asked if I was feeling any pressure. I am surprised that I wasn't because I'm pretty sure I was fully dilated at that point. So he just stayed and hung out and chatted with us for a few minutes.
After chatting for a bit Dr. Watts asked again if I was feeling any pressure. I still wasn't, but he decided to check me. Somehow, without feeling it, I was fully dilated and ready to push. The moment had arrived! I don't know how I wasn't feeling pressure, I seriously had the best epidural ever and could still feel contractions and everything. Dr. Watts and the nurses prepared the room for the delivery and then the moment came.
We were waiting for the next contraction and then we would push. I actually felt it starting before it registered on the screen. I pushed three times through the contraction. Then we waited for the next. Once it came we pushed three times again. The nurse whispered to me she is going to come out with your next contraction. I said "REALLY!!!" I had no idea we were that close. When it came I started pushing and then started to feel some pain, not bad, but I could feel her coming out. Her head came out with the first push, then they suctioned her a bit, then the rest of her came out with the second push. Then my very favorite moment of every one of my children's births, they place her up on my belly.
I looked at her as tears came to my eyes. My little baby girl. She was beautiful. I was a little concerned with the thick, thick vernix all over her, she had the most by far of any of my kids. I thought maybe that meant she had come too early. But she was healthy and breathing great and everything was fine.
(Daddy cutting the cord)
(Nurse doing her first assessment)
So that is the story of how our Faith made her entrance into the world. She has been loved by all long before her first breath and that love grows more everyday. Ty, Cody and Grace got to meet her later that day and they couldn't get enough of her. Especially little Cody. He still gives her about 100 kisses a day. She is a pretty lucky girl.
