{.miles birth story.}

I'm not even sure where to start for Miles birth story.  It was my longest pregnancy and I felt like the last two weeks were me just patiently waiting for his arrival.  With my other two pregnancies I never had that anticipation.  With Kailee at 36 weeks and 6 days pregnant, I was in complete denial that I was in labor.  With Clayton at 35 weeks and 6 days pregnant I had one ginormous contraction and BAM I was in labor.  So from week 36 to week 38 I spent every waking minute of the day making sure that the house was perfect, all laundry was folded and nicely tucked away, all the dishes were clean and organized in their place, all the toilets and tubs were sparkling clean and that each bed was made. Every. Single. Day.  Now, if I was perfect, I could keep up this routine every day of my life. BUT, I am far from perfect and I can't keep up with that kind of non-sense!  I can usually barely focus on just keeping us alive from day to day ;)

As a little backstory, I went into Labor and Delivery when I was 32 weeks pregnant because I was having pretty painful and consistent contractions.  I am convinced that that is when my little guy decided to position himself from breech to his correct "face down, ass up" position.  Lance is convinced that he paid a nice bill just for me to "take a shit on a royal throne".  Who really knows?! Anyway, at that point I was already dilated to almost a 1 and was told to "take it easy" so that he would make it here safe and sound. So, I didn't stop my never-ending daily chores, but I did sit more often, kind of, and stopped doing my morning workouts.  That seemed to help to contractions slow down quite a bit.  But ever since week 34 I was having consistent contractions at nights about 10-15 minutes apart between 7-11 pm.

The minute I hit "full-term" I threw all that advice out the door and climbed up every playground slide I could with my kids. The contractions were still consistent at nights but never nothing I couldn't breath or walk through.  For a couple weeks, I would get my nightly text from my mom asking, "How are they tonight?"  My answer was always, "Consistent, but nothing strong."

I went in for my 38 week appointment on Wednesday and was dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced.  I let my doctor know that I wanted to switch from Mckay Dee to Davis Hospital.  Previous pregnancies I delivered at Mckay Dee but this time I had the feeling to switch to Davis because it was 15 minutes closer.  Now, 15 minutes really isn't that long.  But when you've have your other babies within an hour of being at the hospital and have never been able to get an epidural, by golly that 15 minutes makes a difference.  So my doctor sent all my information over to Davis.  He also asked me if I wanted to make an appointment to be induced.  By that point, I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever, but I told him I'd talk to my husband and let me know what we would decide.  He told me we could schedule it but he thought that nature would take it's course before then.  

Thursday morning, Lance got out of bed and told me to have this baby today on his way to work.  I'm pretty sure he just wanted me to have a baby so that he didn't have to work for a minute.  Not because he was excited to have a new son or anything ;)

I called up my doctor and told him to schedule my appointment to be induced for the next week.

I also text Lance a name that I had decided on.

That whole day I stopped even thinking, "Maybe he will come today!"

I got in bed that night, yes at like 8:00, because when you are that pregnant with two toddlers, you feel like you have an 80 year old body that wants nothing to do with life.

My mom text me at 8:15 asking her usual question.  I answered my usual response.  Then about 8:45 I text her back saying, "Um, they are getting a little more strong maybe you should come over." She replied back immediately, "On my way!"

My mom and sister Brooke came over.  Lance and I were laying in our bed keeping track of my contractions.  They were about three or four minutes apart lasting as long as a minute.  We would talk and laugh in between me pushing my timer.  Around 10:00 they started getting further apart, about six minutes.  I told my mom she could go home and I'd let her know if anything happened.  In previous nights, when the contractions started getting further apart, they were usually gone and I could fall asleep by 11.  Lance asked me if I was sure she was okay to go home.  I told him I was fine and that they'll be gone soon.  My walked my mom and Brooke out to their car at 10:30 and I went back inside to give my kids one last snuggle before I fell asleep.

I went downstairs and got in bed with Lance.

He said, "So I got showered and dressed all for nothing?"

"Sorry babe! Maybe tomorrow!"

I was still tracking my contractions and fell asleep around 10:45.

Once again, I was brutally interrupted with a contraction from hell at 11:35 pm.  Jumped up, pretty sure I whacked Lance in the face and told him to get dressed again because we are going to the hospital.  As I walked to the bathroom I called my Mom and told her to get to my house IMMEDIATELY. 

Lance and I were pulling out of the driveway as they pulled in at 11:50.  We checked into the hospital at 12:15 am.

Every one of our babies has come in the middle of the night so I've always had to go straight to the Emergency Room. Where I have to sit there and answer 90 stupid questions while having five contractions.  The lady looked at me as she was asking me questions and asked if I was having a contraction. Yes! I am! Do I look like I am enjoying myself or something? Get me into a room, NNOWWW!  Then proceeded to ask me if I needed a wheel chair.  HELLO!!? PLEASE!! Yes, get me a wheelchair because I REALLY don't want to buckle down to the floor on the way there.

Really, I did respond in a kind manner, I think.  I just had scripts running through my head of what I would have liked to say.

The wheel chair arrived and I'm not even sure what happened between the time of sitting down and being dressed in my bed.  They asked if I wanted the epidural.  Lance ever-so-nicely let them know that I have my babies fast, the first time I couldn't get one and the second time I had my baby ten minutes after receiving the drip so it didn't even work.

They checked me and told me I was a 7.  I'm pretty sure the only word out of my mouth when she said seven was "Shit!" I knew it was too late!

The lady was awesome and shot me up immediately with the biggest dose of epidural I have ever felt! Mid-contraction I stopped moaning immediately and couldn't feel a thing!  I told Lance I was in heaven.  I layed back, closed my eyes, and felt my stomach harden through another contraction.

Next thing I knew when I opened my eyes, is that my doctor was at the bottom of the bed and my legs were in stirrups!  I had NO idea! It felt like they were still laying on the bed.  He had me start pushing.  I pushed for two contractions and asked him if I was even doing anything.  He told me his head was out and by the next contraction he'd be here.  I was so shocked! It honestly felt like I was doing nothing except tightening every muscle in my face!  Definitely NOT what I learned in the hypnobirthing class! So, as my Doctor said, after the next contraction, our baby entered the world and I got to hold him for a brief moment before they took him to do his measurements.

I looked over at him and really did not know how to feel.  It was the strangest feeling.  I watched them measure and weigh him and I just sat there in awe that another tiny human just came into my life.  Another little soul that I have been trusted to care for. I saw his weight of 6 pounds and 13 ounces and mentioned the fact that he was my biggest baby.  They all questioned me not thinking I was serious.

My little baby was wrapped up and handed to Lance as he came over to sit by me.

All I wanted to do was hold him on my chest and decide on a name.  But I couldn't.

Honestly, I hated my experience after the delivery.  I feel like the dosage of the epidural was too much given all at once and my body couldn't handle it. I really don't think I would get it again. Not to say that we are having more kids.  Don't get me wrong, I was completely grateful for it! It did it's job. It made me numb and I couldn't feel a thing.  I think I could have made it through the next three contractions without dying.  But I was so shaky immediately afterwards that I couldn't hold my baby without feeling like he was just going to vibrate off my chest because I couldn't stop shaking.  I know this is a common side effect of the epidural and I full-blown HATED it.  Not only the shakiness but the fact that I could not feel my legs and had no control to move them.  Yes, I am a complete control freak. It legitimately pissed me off that I could not move them.  I flipped them off because I was so mad at them for not moving.  I got more mad at Lance telling me to relax and enjoy the moment than I ever did through the pain without an epidural. I wanted to cry through the contractions, but I wanted to cry more about the fact that I could not lift a leg or even wiggle my toes.

After about an hour from delivery I was able to hold my baby and look at him.  Lance and I decided his name, I was able to feel my legs again and everything was right in the world.

Kailee's Birth Story

Clayton's Birth Story