Georgia’s birth story just goes to show that every birth is different, and I should never expect my deliveries to go a certain way. I had in my mind that her labor and delivery would be similar to Harriet’s. With Harriet I was also induced, I had a relatively quick labor, and I delivered in the water, just as I had planned. I figured Georgia’s would be similar, but I was a little bit wrong. We got to Mt. Hood Medical center at 6:30 a.m. on May 28th. One of my closest friends, Shaylee is a labor delivery nurse there, and I was so happy she was working that day. She checked me in, we chatted, and I was relaxed and in no pain yet, since I wasn’t having any contractions. By about 8:30 she started my Pitocin and checked to see if I was dilated. I was at a 3 and very soft and short. I was excited about being at a 3, as I was only at a 1 when I was induced with Harriet. Certainly, it would be a pretty quick delivery!
Before picture—39 weeks.
At 9 a.m., June came in and checked to see how things were going. She confirmed that I was at 3 cm. and she broke my water. It was a pretty slow drip, so I started walking, hoping it would help the waters come out more, and help get things moving along. I walked and walked and walked. In total that day, Brian’s walking app showed that I walked 11,000 steps. I wish I had gotten pictures of this stage, since it was the longest part of my day, but we didn’t take a single picture until pushing time. It was a pretty slow day, so Brian and I were really the only ones in the hallway, and I had to pull along my Pitocin drip and fluids with me, so it was a bit of a hassle—but I was determined to get things moving.
Having Shaylee there was fun for me! We all made bets on when I would deliver. Brian thought I would deliver by 11:00 a.m., Shaylee thought 2:00 p.m., and I bet on 4:00 p.m. As it turns out, we were all way off!
At around 2 p.m. Brian went home to get my walking shoes. My feet were really hurting me, and I was hoping my shoes with good insoles would help ease that pain. That really makes me sound like an old lady. Ha! He also brought back a Jamba Juice for me, which I had to drink sneakily, since I wasn’t supposed to be having food or drink all day. I also had a few larabars and a yogurt that day. It’s hard to imagine having enough energy for labor/delivery without a little food.
At 4:00 p.m. my contractions were regular and painful. At 5:00 they cut off the Pitocin since I had to be off of it for 30 minutes before getting into the birthing tub. My plan was to birth in the tub like I had with Harriet. My nurse and other nurses were kind of excited about that because not very many people deliver in the water there, so there was a lot of hustle and bustle with filling up the tub. I was getting excited too! I was just so ready to be done with the pain and meet my little girl!
June came in at about 5:30 and checked in on me and I was only dilated to a 4 or 5. I was extremely discouraged by this! I was sure that with as much pain as I was in, and with how consistent my contractions were, that I would be at a 7 or more, but to hear I was only at 4 or 5 was very very discouraging. Also, my contractions had completely stopped without the help of the Pitocin. This is where I recall really losing it. I cried a lot. They put me back on Pitocin and I started walking again.
Shaylee went home from her 12 hour shift at around 6:30 p.m. We all assumed that I would have had a baby long before her shift was over.
Nothing happened for several hours. I had very irregular and discouragingly mild contractions. Thirty minutes sometimes went by without a contraction. So at 7:30 Brian went to get dinner for himself and something for me after I delivered.
At 9:30 I suddenly went from having almost no contractions to having extremely painful and on top of each other contractions—and I panicked because I was sure that it was going to be just like the last time I was having painful contractions and that I would still only be at a 5. At this point I remember saying to June that if I was 5 cm I wanted an epidural, because I wouldn’t be able to handle this much pain for very long. But within a minute I was saying to her that even if I was at a 6…or 7….or 8—basically no matter what I wanted an epidural. It was the worst kind of pain—the kind of pain I usually feel just minutes before having my babies. I was at a 7. So, they called for the anesthesiologist. While we waited for him to get there they gave me some drug through my IV that was supposed to take the edge off of the pain, but it made me really loopy, and it didn’t help with pain at all. I just remember saying between each contraction in a very drugged up voice, “I can still feel these. Why did you give this to me?”
This is after I had the epidural and I was finally comfortable—with June.
At 9:40, the anesthesiologist arrived and though it took a while for all of that, I was finally out of pain. Angels sang! Really—the epidural was the best thing I did all day. I am absolutely an epidural convert and will probably plan on having one next time. Especially if it’s as long a labor as this one was. I was in so much pain and so exhausted, and I was finally free from that. It was wonderful! My nurse called Shaylee and told her to come back in if she wanted to be here for the birth. I was so happy Shaylee came back for it. She also took pictures.
In the picture on the left Brian is looking up at the clock to see if we could have her before midnight.
I slept from about 11:00-11:40 p.m. Then June checked me and I was at a 10 and ready to push. at 11:45 I looked at the clock and asked her if she thought I could have the baby before midnight. (I wanted Georgia and Elna to have birthdays 2 days apart rather than just 1 day apart) June thought I definitely could have her before midnight, so I got pushing and within a few pushes and just a few minutes she was born! 11:55 p.m. on May 28th.
She came out screaming and she screamed for a while. I held her for about an hour and I nursed her. Eventually they took her to get her stats and bathe her. She weighed 8 pounds and was 21 inches long. Brian and I both thought she seemed much smaller than our other babies, but she was only 3 oz. smaller than Harriet. I think her head was just a lot smaller. She was long and skinny with dark hair. She was just so beautiful and perfect and I was grateful to finally be holding that baby of mine! Love at first sight!
So relieved to have her in my arms after such a long and painful day!
My two concerns about getting an epidural were that I would have to push for a long time and that I would tear. Neither were true with this birth. I pushed for just a few minutes and I didn’t tear at all! This has been the easiest recovery of all of my births. I had no idea how much tearing affected recovery until I had no tearing—I have had zero pain from the minute I delivered. Amazing! I’m so sold!
So much joy!
Cutting the cord.
Brian is such a huge help and blessing during my labors!
And I just love my midwife, June!
She cried quite a bit when she came out.
Holding my baby for the first time—nothing better!
The lighting in these pictures reminds me how late it was and how exhausted I was. Looks like she might have been exhausted too!
This sweet little Georgia of mine! I love holding her like this—is there anything better than a newborn?
The end!
