Lilly's Birth Story
Let me preface this birth story with a little back-story leading to my induction.
Week 32-33 hit and things suddenly took a 180 for the worse. I was not able to keep any food down; occasionally I could eat bread or crackers and would be fine with that. In addition to the constant vomiting I was also back to that dreaded starvation I experienced in my 2nd trimester...but was also constantly vomiting. Kind of a huge oxymoron don't you think? I would try to have some protein, but that would come right back up and not help at all. Oh, and on top of that I had constant diarrhea!!! So my last few weeks of pregnancy were miserable to say the least. I had mentioned to my OB during my weekly appointments about my misery and asked for a prescription or SOMETHING that would help me keep some kind of food down/in, but I think that issue wasn't quite heard by my OB.
Week 37 came, I'm at my doctor's appointment, and my OB expressed concern that my stomach was measuring a bit small...I had also lost 7 lbs. in a week. He ordered an ultrasound and saw that Lilly was measuring at 5 lbs and was sitting low in my uterus. He said that I needed to try to eat more protein to help Lilly gain some weight before delivery. Well remember how I was not keeping anything down/in? I told my OB again what was going on, and he recommended smoothies or a protein shake. I wish I had thought of that for the last few weeks of constant vomiting! #pregnancybraintothemax
The next week, I was at my weekly appointment (which was 38 weeks and 4 days gestational for me) and was feeling anxious to get to work and get the day over with...it was only 9:00 am! My vomiting episodes had continued with no improvement and I was just feeling so anxious to be done with my pregnancy. I just had 10 more days to go until my due date! My OB came into the room, asked how I was feeling, and then got very quiet. He reviewed my blood pressure from the last few weeks (which had not been in good standing) and saw that I had lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks (constant vomiting and diarrhea will do that to you). He then said that he wanted to induce me that day due to gestational hypertension (extremely high blood pressure)!!! I agreed to it and went home to pack.
HALLELUJAH!!! I was done being pregnant!!!!!!!!
HALLELUJAH!!! I was done being pregnant!!!!!!!!
I called my husband on my way out of the doctor's office and said to him that I was getting induced that day. He was a little shocked and a bit speechless...we both did not expect to be induced. My poor husband was working nights at the time and just got off of his 12 hour shift. So he was already tired from working, and now had to prep for a baby.
I stopped by my work for 15 minutes, which gave me enough time to get things in order and tell the attorneys that I was having a baby! I got home around 10:00 am and relaxed a bit with Justin and finished packing. We were about to leave for the hospital for check-in at noon, only to see that Justin's car had been towed! We had to be at the hospital in 20 minutes and his car was gone...that's another story for another time. So long story short...we recruited my sister to help us get Justin's car back and finally checked in an hour later that we were assigned. I felt so bad, but we needed to get that car back ASAP!!!
We FINALLY made it to the hospital and I started to feel anxious. This was a whole new “ballpark” for me; this was my first time ever giving birth and I had no idea what to expect! I prayed so fervently as I was being prepped for the induction, hoping a decent delivery and for my anxiety to go away.
We FINALLY made it to the hospital and I started to feel anxious. This was a whole new “ballpark” for me; this was my first time ever giving birth and I had no idea what to expect! I prayed so fervently as I was being prepped for the induction, hoping a decent delivery and for my anxiety to go away.
I was induced a little after 1:00 pm, man that was a very weird experience. Feeling the giant "whoosh" of amniotic fluid was just strange, very different from peeing. Soon after my induction the nausea came back after I had a snow cone...BTW Timpanogos Regional Hospital has snow cones in labor and delivery, even for the laboring mamas! Also, for you potential first-time mamas...if you’re given the chance to induce, TAKE IT! Anyway...I threw up the snow cone and was shortly medicated after for the nausea. I was then given pitocin and the labor started around 3:00.
Everything was totally fine until about 4:00 and the contractions were coming in strong. I felt the most heavy and painful cramps I had ever felt in my entire life. Contractions are not fun at all. They're like really really bad menstrual cramps, but worse! I was able to withstand some of the pain, until about 30 minutes later and I could not catch my breath. I had to close my eyes and grip the bars on my bed so hard just to make it through each contraction. They were coming in fast! I asked for the epidural and the nurse paged the anesthesiologist. I wish I had asked for the drugs earlier, the next 30 minutes while waiting were brutal. I had Justin hold my hand during each contraction as I was waiting for the anesthesiologist. And I may have given him some hand cramps from my very hard squeezing.
Everything was totally fine until about 4:00 and the contractions were coming in strong. I felt the most heavy and painful cramps I had ever felt in my entire life. Contractions are not fun at all. They're like really really bad menstrual cramps, but worse! I was able to withstand some of the pain, until about 30 minutes later and I could not catch my breath. I had to close my eyes and grip the bars on my bed so hard just to make it through each contraction. They were coming in fast! I asked for the epidural and the nurse paged the anesthesiologist. I wish I had asked for the drugs earlier, the next 30 minutes while waiting were brutal. I had Justin hold my hand during each contraction as I was waiting for the anesthesiologist. And I may have given him some hand cramps from my very hard squeezing.
My poor nurse was in a slight panic, my blood pressure was through the roof as I was waiting for the epidural to be finished. Plus I was a bit squirmy while the anesthesiologist was doing his job...those contractions HURT and I was just trying to make it through the pain. FINALLY, around 5:45 the pain meds kicked in and I felt completely calm. By that point I was dilated at a 6. Justin told me that I hadn't been myself for weeks, until that epidural kicked in. I totally believe him, cause I felt like I was in heaven with no pain going on while I was watching Fixer Upper with Chip and Johanna Gaines.
My sister and MIL came in around 6:00 and we all just patiently waited for me to start pushing. We had a few hours of peace and quiet. I felt calm, serine and just whole all at once, I was about to become a mom! I had been looking forward to this my entire life. A little over 2 hours later, I felt so much pressure in my lower back and butt area, almost like I needed to take a MASSIVE poop! I apologize for the somewhat inappropriate reference, but that's LITERALLY how I felt. I had informed my L&D nurse of what was going on and she said I needed to push, after talking to my OB of course. It was 8:30 and I put my legs up, held Justin's hand and started to push out my baby. I felt so much pressure...such a strange feeling to experience. But it was not a bad kind of pressure. In fact pushing was not bad as I thought it would be. I kept picturing Cameron Dias in "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and thought that my pushing experience would be similar. Well it wasn't quite like that at all.
My nurse had me push for 30 minutes and then gave me a 30 minute break, which I was grateful for. Finally, around 9:30 pm, my OB arrived and took us for a home-run, so to say. I started round two of pushing, hoping that this would be the last bit of pushing for me. I was so tired from the events and excitement of the day. During round two of pushing, Justin was again at my side giving me so much support. Yes I had not pushed for very long up to that point, but I was just done, I wanted some sleep, some decent food and to just meet my little girl. My husband could tell that I was a bit defeated, but gave such wonderful words of encouragement that helped me push for the next 30 minutes. I decided to buck up and give my all until my baby was out.
I forgot to push the button the anesthesiologist provides for your pain management because I felt Lilly's head and shoulders come out. Not in a painful way, but I definitely felt pressure down there, and eventually felt some of the stitches my OB later sewed in.
My OB announced that the baby was completely out, I was relieved! But I didn't hear her cry...she didn't come out crying bloody murder like babies that are just seconds old do. There was an almost dead silence for a few seconds...it seemed like an eternity to me (yes that might seem dramatic). You know how in the movies they have segments of laboring mothers hearing their baby cry instantly after they come out of the birth canal? And you see the mom in a tired, sweaty yet euphoric state? I had a moment of panic once Lilly was completely out. She had the umbilical chord around her neck, TWICE!!!
Justin reassured me many times that the chord was really nothing to worry about since my OB was very quick to get that thing off of Lilly's neck.
I forgot to push the button the anesthesiologist provides for your pain management because I felt Lilly's head and shoulders come out. Not in a painful way, but I definitely felt pressure down there, and eventually felt some of the stitches my OB later sewed in.
My OB announced that the baby was completely out, I was relieved! But I didn't hear her cry...she didn't come out crying bloody murder like babies that are just seconds old do. There was an almost dead silence for a few seconds...it seemed like an eternity to me (yes that might seem dramatic). You know how in the movies they have segments of laboring mothers hearing their baby cry instantly after they come out of the birth canal? And you see the mom in a tired, sweaty yet euphoric state? I had a moment of panic once Lilly was completely out. She had the umbilical chord around her neck, TWICE!!!
Justin reassured me many times that the chord was really nothing to worry about since my OB was very quick to get that thing off of Lilly's neck.
Lilly Blake Thorne was born 2/5/2019 at 10:02 pm. Weighing 5 lbs 13 oz and exactly 18 inches long. After getting the umbilical chord unwrapped from her neck, she let out the most tender and high-pitched cry I had ever heard. It was music to my ears! Luckily, for a small baby that was born 10 days early, we only had low sugars and jaundice to worry about. She was shortly handed over to me after a nurse wiped her down a little bit. She was so tiny, so perfect and so sweet. All I wanted to do was snuggle her and just make that moment last forever. Justin leaned in to see our daughter's face, we both teared up. We couldn't believe we were parents to such a perfect being. We felt complete, we had our baby, my pregnancy over, and I had started my journey as a mom.
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