A birth story: Welcoming Zoey
The birth of Zoey made me a mama, something I have dreamed of for a long time. It made my husband, Mark a father something he was excited to be one day. Together we found out we were parents on April 24th. We were so excited! My pregnancy was an easy one. I was lucky to have no morning sickness in the first trimester, second trimester no pain, and third trimester was good up until I hit about 37 weeks and the doctor came in for my weekly checkup and noticed our little baby girl was only measuring about 32 weeks instead of 37. My doctor quickly said we need to do a HD ultrasound and check our baby girl. I became worried, and my heart started racing. Thoughts kept running through my mind as I waited for the ultrasound--Is our baby girl okay? What if I am sent to the hospital for c-section? Did I do something wrong? The doctor checked our baby girl from her heart, to her stomach, to her brain and everything seem to look good. She said our little girl was measuring about 5 pounds and wanted to see me back again later that week to do another HD ultrasound. I was 38 weeks then and came back to do the second ultrasound. Mark came with me and as we sat in the room waiting for the doctor. Mark reassured me that everything was going to be okay. Sure enough the doctor came in to check our baby girl and she was measuring a little bigger, about 5 1/2 pounds. After the ultrasound we talked to my doctor and said she would like to induce me this coming week on Monday, November 25th. In that moment Mark and I looked at each other with jitters and excitement and said ok. We went ahead and scheduled the induction...which I was very nervous about.
It was Monday night on November 25th, we headed to the hospital for our induction at 7 pm. I was checked into my room, started on cervidil (which stays in for 12 hrs), hooked up to monitors, and began the long anticipated waiting. We started watching a movie and enjoyed our last few hours with just the two of us. As I fell asleep I felt some pain in my lower back which made me uncomfortable and couldn't sleep. The nurse came in and gave me some pain medication that was amazing and worked wonders. I sleep for about 4 hours, then started feeling the pain again. I called in the nurse for a second time to get some more medication. This time it wasn't so great. I felt sick as soon as I took it and started puking. That night I didn't get the rest I was expecting. It was the next morning, and the nurse had checked on me and I was still only dilated to a TWO (I had been at a two for weeks). I had a small breakfast, showered, and laid down because they were starting me on pitocin at 9:15 am. We asked the nurse what the fastest induction she has seen with the first child and she said, "an hour and half labor". My doctor came in to see how I was doing and said he would be back up at noon to check me and to break my water. He said his guess would be the baby will come that night. Well...Zoey had different plans. As she started me on the pitocin it really got things moving...I was hoping to go as long as I could before I got my epidural. About 10 minutes into my induction I was feeling so much pain and the contractions getting stronger and stronger I knew it was time I wanted an epidural. The anesthesiologist was in another room helping with a c-section along with my nurse so a different nurse said it would be about another 30 minutes. I told her I couldn't wait that long and wanted it NOW! She said she would take me off the pitocin but I would have to wait for the epidural. Minutes later my water broke!!! The random nurse came in, changed the pad, but never checked me. At that point the pain was becoming almost unbearable (15 minutes before I could get the epidural). I was sitting up on the bed and at the point to tears and all of sudden I felt like I had to go poop! Mark then called the "random" nurse in and confirmed I was pushing. She FINALLY checked me and didn't say a word. She immediately called the doctor to come upstairs, several nurses rushed to get everything ready, and were getting the baby table ready. IT WAS TIME!!! My nurse finally came in and told me to lay on my side, put an oxygen mask on, and to stop pushing (which is nearly impossible when you have urge to do so). She was pushing the monitor into my stomach to hear our little girls heart rate as it was dropping. In that moment I felt like I was in a dream, all I could think of is how not to push the baby out before the doctor comes. Minutes later the doctor rushes into the room, looking quite surprised I was ready to push. He positioned Mark on my right and the nurse on my left, now it was that time. The doctor told me to push as long as I could and so I did. I held my breath, squeezed my eyes shut, and bore down with all my might. With four pushes, and a total of :59 minutes in labor our little girl was born at 10:46 am. Zoey had the umbilicord wrapped around her neck. We didn't hear her first cry until about :30 seconds after her birth. Zoey's first cry brought tears of joy to my eyes as they were cleaning her up and checking everything. Seeing the love on Mark's face the moment she was born, and how he looked at her when he first held her, completely melted me and made my heart swell so much bigger than I ever imagined it would grow. Oh to go back and have that moment again. Finally feeling the weight of her body on my chest and skin to skin, we felt connected. Giving her a kiss on the cheek for the first time. I thought for sure I would cry at the sound of her cry, but instead I felt such happiness and love from our Heavenly Father who blessed us with this beautiful, most perfect little girl. These moments are ones I will have forever!
These moments are the ones I'll look back to, both when things are rough and when life feels glorious. When parenting is hard, when years replace days in separating me from the moment she arrived, and when I'm not the one thing she will need for survival, I'll remember what it felt like to be handed my daughter -- how quickly and deeply that love began, and I'll find perspective hidden in these memories forever. I cannot imagine life without her anymore... it's as if she has always been here!
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