Now, before I start writing up Gemma's birth story, I should first describe my pregnancy a little since I was horrible at blogging and recorded squat the entire time.
First I should say....Gemma's due date was August 13 and in no way could I have imagined that she would come any sooner. I mean, I didn't even think she would come at any point before 41 weeks. My plan was to expect to go overdue, and that way if I did, I wouldn't get upset or be disappointed the way I've heard so many women feel when they go past their due date. So even though I expected her more around 41 weeks, I still made sure to have my bags all packed, house all cleaned, car seat ready to go, etc, earlier. I was all ready to go at the end of July, but still felt I had a solid 3 weeks left.
I was feeling optimistic and ready, though in no rush. From what I've heard, most women are miserable their last trimester. Family, friends and even strangers, all during my pregnancy would say things like
"Oh, get ready! You're going to be so miserable!"
"You're going to hate life the last 4 weeks!"
"You're going to be so uncomfortable!"
"By 38 weeks you'll be begging to get that baby out!"
And a plethora of other negative things everyone felt the need to warn me about.
Well I'm happy to say that none of that was true for me. Honestly, the pregnancy got better and better the farther along I was.
First trimester: sick every day. Sciatica. Walking even a little wore me out.
Second trimester: Hips and lower back hurt. Kinda tired.
Third trimester: peeing every 20 min. Used an electric cart when grocery shopping cause sitting was so much more comfortable than walking.
(When I was walking I almost constantly had the sensation that I needed to pee.) Also, in the last month any amount of walking exhausted me. I just had to sit or I felt like I was going to collapse. Getting out of bed or off the couch was difficult because it seemed after a few minutes in one position my body had settled. (Relaxin does that.)
The worst of the 3rd trimester was by far the heat though. Let me offer you some advice....don't get pregnant in late fall/early winter. Just don't. Trust me.
Honestly though, with just the heat being the worst part, everything else was pretty mild. I was very fortunate to have an easy and uneventful pregnancy.
So anyways, onto the birth story!
Like I said, I wasn't expecting her arrival til sometime after the 20th, so when my mom kept saying "K Sami, don't have her on the 5th or 6th" I just laughed knowing that wouldn't be a problem. Those 2 days my family would be moving from Centerville to Clearfield and my mom didn't have time to stop packing to come down for the birth.
And of course, Murphy's Law, that's exactly what happened. The morning of Wednesday the 5th I woke up, went to the bathroom to find that I lost my mucus plug (sorry, TMI).
I knew, from reading online, that when that happens, it's possible that you'll go into labor shortly after, but that it's also possible that you still won't for a few weeks. I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I told myself that it probably wouldn't happen for a couple days, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was going to happen sooner than later. I knew I needed to take it easy so that I wouldn't further the labor to stall time for my mom. My plan was to rest in bed until my doctor's appointment at 2 o'clock that day. Within 10 minutes of getting back in bed I had my first real contraction. It wasn't super painful but it was uncomfortable and I knew it wasn't just a braxton-hicks contraction. After lying in bed for a half hour with contractions coming 5 minutes apart, I asked Tyler if he would go into work late so that he could take me to my appointment. So I showered, got all ready for the day, made sure I had everything for the hospital and then lied back down.
I just kept thinking "today's the day."
I just kept thinking "today's the day."
Since feeling my first contraction, Tyler and I began timing each one. I downloaded an app on my phone that's specifically for timing contractions, so we didn't have to worry about keeping an eye on the time.
It was right in between seeing the nurse and the midwife that the contractions became painful and about 2 minutes apart. My midwife checked me; I was 80% effaced, (had been for 2 weeks), and 2.5cm dilated. I was disappointed that I was only 2.5cm because I had been dilated to a 2 for almost a week and was so sure I would be more progressed than that. I was hoping to be at a 4 so that I could just go straight to the hospital. At this point I couldn't walk during contractions and I needed to focus on my breathing, but they still were bearable. My midwife said that in a matter of a couple hours I would need to go to the hospital because I'd be having this baby today or the next day. (It was 2:30pm and I was hopeful it would be that day, but knew that first pregnancies' labors tend to go long, so I didn't hope for too much.)
When walking to the car I decided there was no way I wanted to go back home. Tyler had the idea that we go to our cousin's house and use her tub to help with the contractions, plus she lives closer to the hospital than we do. Tyler called her and then we headed up. We were at Rachel's for an 1.5 hours and I just soaked in the tub while Tyler continued timing the contractions and Rachel helped me focus on breathing. Now...just so you folks don't get the wrong idea, I covered my lower half with a bath towel and kept my shirt on (just pulled up to above my belly).
Anyways, that hour and a half went FAST. At some point while in the tub I said I'd had enough and that it was time to go to the hospital. While walking to the car, Rachel suggested we ride in her car since it's a big SUV and drives a lot smoother, and of course I obliged! Riding in a car while in labor is not fun. So the smoother the ride, the better! Tyler drove 2 streets down and picked up Aunt Kimi while I rode with Rachel.
Something about this ride I need to write down because I loved it and I don't want to forget about these little details.
Maybe you will all find this silly...
During the drive to the hospital, Rachel rolled down the windows so I could have air on my face. It was a totally overcast day, warm but not super hot, and it started sprinkling. As we drove down the hill next to the golf course in Cedar Hills, we had a great view of Utah Valley and I could see lightening in the distance and I heard some thunder too. As I was in the middle of a contraction I noticed all of this and felt like it was a little tender mercy. This is about to sound real cheesy....The Lord knows I love thunderstorms and I couldn't help but feel this one was for me. In that moment I felt happy and optimistic.....even though in the same moment it kind of felt like I was about to poop my pants (TMI, I know. But that feeling is common during labor).
So, this entire time, Tyler had been texting my mom keeping her updated and the plan was that she would come down after I was in the hospital a bit farther along so that she could get as much moving done as possible.
So finally Rachel and I arrive at the hospital, she pulls up to the front, runs inside and comes back out with a wheelchair and a nurse. I sit in it and the nurse starts wheeling me to the elevator while Rachel parked the car. As we got in the elevator, I heard the sound of someone running in flip-flops and turned to see Tyler running (in my mind's eye) like a lunatic trying to make the elevator in time. As we went through the doors leading to the labor and delivery floor, I couldn't help but wonder how stupid I probably looked in this wheelchair while I'm sitting funny and holding my belly during a contraction. I felt a little embarrassed with the thought of how cliche this scene must've looked to other people. Seriously...think of every movie you're seen of a woman in labor. That's probably how I looked.
Anyways, they brought me into a room, had me change into a gown then came back to check my progress. I was (I think) 90% effaced and 3.5cm dilated. I almost cried thinking about how they were probably going to send me home since I wasn't a 4 yet, but they said since I was having lots of close contractions and almost at a 4 that it was fine for me to stay! I was so relieved. As soon as they got me all hooked up to an IV and the monitors I said "bring on the epidural!"
Now, I honestly wasn't in SO much pain that I needed the drugs then and there. But I was uncomfortable, and I had already decided I wanted one. There was no way I wanted to feel that baby coming out of me. So I got to the hospital around 4pm, I was all settled in by 5pm and was just waiting my turn for the epidural.
During contractions, before the epidural, I was burning hot!! Tyler and Rachel/Aunt Kimi all fanned me to keep me cool. I was so grateful! It helped so much!
Now, I honestly wasn't in SO much pain that I needed the drugs then and there. But I was uncomfortable, and I had already decided I wanted one. There was no way I wanted to feel that baby coming out of me. So I got to the hospital around 4pm, I was all settled in by 5pm and was just waiting my turn for the epidural.
I think it was close to 7pm that the anesthesiologist came into my room. At this point I think was dilated to about a 6 and....I was freaking out (I'm ok with needles, just not ok with the thought of them going into my spine). So it didn't help any that the anesthesiologist was a jerk. You could tell he was just wanted work to be over; he even said I was his last patient for the day. So that was lame. Also lame? The sensation I felt while the needle was going in. It hurt like crazy! (Most people say they don't even feel it, but I did!!) It seriously felt like someone was taking a huge metal slab and ramming it against my back. I was sitting on the edge of the bed straddling Tyler while he stood with his arms around me. I was burying my face into Tyler's shoulder repeating in my head "it's ok, they do this all the time. Everything is going to feel awesome after this." I had to keep telling myself that to keep myself sane. Within a couple minutes, he was done and thankfully leaving (seriously I'll say it again, he was rude.)
Soon they helped me lie back down (it was a lot of work to move around being all huge, in an awkward night gown with tubes coming from you) and within 10 minutes I could feel the juice kicking in.
And it was marvelous.
Seriously, as much as I hated that anesthesiologist for his bad attitude, I was just happy he did his job right. And he totally did, cause I couldn't feel a thing waist down.
They hooked me up with a catheter and it was smooth sailing from there.
At this point I figure I ought to talk about who all was at the hospital with me. From the start it was Tyler, Aunt Kimi and Rachel. Aunt Kimi and Rachel helped me breathe and relax through the contractions (this was before the epidural) while Tyler held my hand and comforted me. Soon after the epidural, Karly showed up and Rachel and Aunt Kimi left cause they had things to do at home, but were planning on coming back. Shortly after that, my mom and Chloe arrived, then followed a little while later by Abby and Robin.
Now, I know you're thinking "holy cow, that's a lot of people." or "I could never have all those people there."
But here's what I've learned.
Of course I'd rather them all not have to see my lady business while I'm giving birth. Of course I'm afraid they'll remember that image the rest of their lives. Of course I feel a little self conscious about how everything looks BUT none of that even matters in the long run. In the long run, they're going to remember how it felt to be there and to be included...trusted. To get to witness the birth and be apart of such a wonderful experience. And the reason I know that that's how they feel is I've been in their position 5 times now! I am so grateful for the opportunities I've had to witness births, that of course I want to share that with my best friends/sisters too.
Now I will say, at one point I actually didn't want anyone there but Tyler, my mom, and Abby, but I remembered how it felt to be included and decided that I wanted the others to be there too. (Just all standing at my head, except Rachel, who had my camera, and my mom who was coaching me).
Now back to the story!
So after the epidural, I got to relax, as did Tyler. Robin, Chloe, Abby and Karly were all hanging out, chatting on the couch, while Tyler was in a recliner. Tyler soon fell asleep I felt sad that he wasn't sleeping comfortably so I asked everyone (but Tyler and my mom) to go hang out in the waiting area so Tyler could sleep on the couch with no noise. So he moved to the couch, fell asleep fast and started snoring really loud. hahah like so loud, everytime a nurse came in I felt like I had to apologize for the noise. But man, oh man, did I miss Tyler. Sure he was only 5 feet away, but what I would've given to have him lying next to me on my bed. Also if we're talkin' cravings, I wanted a huge glass of milk SO BAD.
So Tyler slept and I tried to sleep (without success) from about 8pm to ....10:30pm? I'm not exact on time because I wasn't very good at checking the time frequently. Every hour or so, my midwife would come in and check me and I was progressing beautifully. Each time she came to check me I was closer and closer. It was around 10:30pm that my midwife checked me and I was at 10cm. She said that she actually wanted to wait and let me stay at 10cm for a little while before pushing, and I was fine with that. Honestly I was excited to have her, but I was in no hurry. I was so comfortable and relaxed I was fine just lying there for hours and hours. Finally, just before 11pm, they wheeled in their carts full of tools and what not to get ready for the birth! At about 11pm they had me start pushing. I would take a deep breath and push for 10 seconds. I would do that 3 times with each contraction. I felt no pain the entire time. Not even a little discomfort or even pressure! I couldn't feel any of my contractions, which is why occasionally we missed an opportunity for me to push because I didn't realize I was even having one, plus we'd all chat a little bit, forgetting to watch the monitor. I'm telling you, it was amazing. Between pushes I relaxed and I felt so calm I could've fallen asleep.
Seriously, epidurals are amazing.
While pushing, everyone was so great. Everyone was saying things like "you're doing so good, Sami" or "come one, we're getting close". Then the midwife, my mom and Tyler were all saying they can see her head and how much hair there was! Hearing things like that made me push for longer than 10 seconds. I was determined to get her out fast! At one point my midwife asked if I wanted to feel Gemma's head. I said no, that it's not a big deal to me and I just wanted to focus on pushing, but then my mom convinced me. I reached down, and touched Gemma for the very first time. It was only the top of her head, but it was amazing! I couldn't believe how far out she was already! I was already motivated to get her out, but that really did it for me! I pushed for as long as my lungs would allow me and suddenly my midwife told me to stop pushing for as long and that I should just do short little pushes. In no time at all Gemma was out! They wrapped her in a towel and put her on my chest.
It all happened so fast I had no time to think.
I had my sweet little angel with me at last. I don't even think I smiled for a few minutes cause I was in shock that the moment was finally here!
Gemma was born with her eyes wide open as if she was totally aware. She didn't cry or fuss. She held my finger and just looked around.
She was perfect.
Gemma Belle Oscarson
Born on August 5, 2014 at 11:16pm.
She was 19 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces.
I was so incredibly blessed to have such a fast and easy labor and delivery. I couldn't have done it without those that were there supporting me. My mom and Tyler especially. Also couldn't have done it without that epidural! Hahah! But for real, Tyler was fantastic the entire time. He was so supportive and was such a comfort to me!
So Tyler slept and I tried to sleep (without success) from about 8pm to ....10:30pm? I'm not exact on time because I wasn't very good at checking the time frequently. Every hour or so, my midwife would come in and check me and I was progressing beautifully. Each time she came to check me I was closer and closer. It was around 10:30pm that my midwife checked me and I was at 10cm. She said that she actually wanted to wait and let me stay at 10cm for a little while before pushing, and I was fine with that. Honestly I was excited to have her, but I was in no hurry. I was so comfortable and relaxed I was fine just lying there for hours and hours. Finally, just before 11pm, they wheeled in their carts full of tools and what not to get ready for the birth! At about 11pm they had me start pushing. I would take a deep breath and push for 10 seconds. I would do that 3 times with each contraction. I felt no pain the entire time. Not even a little discomfort or even pressure! I couldn't feel any of my contractions, which is why occasionally we missed an opportunity for me to push because I didn't realize I was even having one, plus we'd all chat a little bit, forgetting to watch the monitor. I'm telling you, it was amazing. Between pushes I relaxed and I felt so calm I could've fallen asleep.
Seriously, epidurals are amazing.
While pushing, everyone was so great. Everyone was saying things like "you're doing so good, Sami" or "come one, we're getting close". Then the midwife, my mom and Tyler were all saying they can see her head and how much hair there was! Hearing things like that made me push for longer than 10 seconds. I was determined to get her out fast! At one point my midwife asked if I wanted to feel Gemma's head. I said no, that it's not a big deal to me and I just wanted to focus on pushing, but then my mom convinced me. I reached down, and touched Gemma for the very first time. It was only the top of her head, but it was amazing! I couldn't believe how far out she was already! I was already motivated to get her out, but that really did it for me! I pushed for as long as my lungs would allow me and suddenly my midwife told me to stop pushing for as long and that I should just do short little pushes. In no time at all Gemma was out! They wrapped her in a towel and put her on my chest.
It all happened so fast I had no time to think.
I had my sweet little angel with me at last. I don't even think I smiled for a few minutes cause I was in shock that the moment was finally here!
Gemma was born with her eyes wide open as if she was totally aware. She didn't cry or fuss. She held my finger and just looked around.
She was perfect.
Gemma Belle Oscarson
Born on August 5, 2014 at 11:16pm.
She was 19 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces.
I'm so excited for all the experiences that parenthood will bring us. How lucky and blessed I am to have this sweet baby girl as my own!