She’s here!
On Sunday, December 5th, Miss Haiden Louise was born at 7:28 a.m. weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces.
I’ve been spending the last couple weeks really soaking up all of the baby time I can get. I’ve tried writing this out over and over but then I’m back on diaper duty before I can get a sentence out.
On Saturday (12/4), I was home alone when I slipped and just barely nudged my belly on the corner of our ottoman. I felt a little bit of discomfort, so I called Colt and asked him to hurry home. I had no intention of going to the hospital to get checked out since it felt like such a minor fall and I had bumped my belly harder on the corner of a table than I had on that fall. But I didn’t argue when Colt suggested we go just to get checked out. Something told me I had to go.
Usually it would involve a quick visit to monitor baby’s heart rate and any contractions I may be having. Keyword: Quick.
We assumed we’d be in and out in a couple hours at most. But we were very wrong.
After some monitoring, we were told we could be discharged in about an hour. Well that time came and went, and so did another hour. In that time, nobody had come in to discharge me or tell me what was going on. Then my doctor came in to inform me that they had seen some blips in baby’s heart rate during my stay. I chucked it up as my monitor shifting on my belly whenever I’d sit up (which I had done quite a bit) and while they did agree with me in some instances, there were other times where the blips lined up perfectly with contractions, making them believe that they were real drops in heart rate.
They told me I would have to deliver her “tonight” for both of our safety. In that moment, I froze. I felt the same mix of panic and relief that I felt when I found out I was pregnant. I looked over at Colt and his eyes were big. I could see his smile under his mask. It must’ve been nice to not feel any fear in that moment and just be purely excited. While I knew that labor happens when it happens and there was no 100% definitive way of knowing when that would be, I still thought that I had more time.
They gave me the option to travel back to my OB’s hospital (over an hour and a half away), but advised against it by bluntly saying that there was a chance both my daughter and myself could die if we opted to make the trip. If I were to go to my OB’s hospital, I would’ve had to sign all the consent forms saying I knew the risks involved. I insisted we go to my OB because I wasn’t quite in my right mind, but Colt refused to let me go and helped me realize that it was smartest and safest to remain at the hospital we were at.
After making the decision to stay put, I was tested for COVID-19 and an IV was placed in my arm. Unfortunately and surprisingly enough, I tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be taken to a “COVID room” in the labor and delivery unit. It was just like any other room, but it required staff to be extra decked out in PPE. This also meant that I could not have my mother with me in the delivery room. So in an hour’s time, I was told my labor would be induced, I had COVID, and I could not have another support person at my side. It was a lot to take in all at once.
I was lucky enough to be progressing on my own so I never needed intervention. Nurses checked me every couple of hours or so and my contractions seemed to be coming frequently enough. After some time, though, the decision was made to break my water. So before that happened, I asked to get the epidural just in case things progressed even faster and there wasn’t time.
I was so scared of that damn epidural my entire pregnancy and when the time came, I held Colt’s hand and laughed through it. I think after all the pain from the contractions mixed with the adrenaline, I felt nothing. Then the epidural did its job and I actually felt nothing. While I was too hyped up to actually get any sleep, I was able to lay comfortably and relax for a few hours through what was at that point the early morning.
Once my water was broken, it was go time. I did some practice pushes with my nurse, then she switched out with another nurse and I did a few rounds of practice pushes with her. Baby girl was in a rush to see the world, so she was pretty far down and actually sliding out all on her own. So it was time for the doctor to come in. Since I wasn’t a patient at this facility and I didn’t have an OB nearby, I was given the hospital’s residents for my labor. A team of residents crowded the room and were all suited up and ready to roll. I had only had one or two people in the room with Colt and I at this point, so seeing five or six people was a bit intimidating. But I was so tired (and hungry) that I didn’t care about anything other than getting this baby out.
The doctor who delivered Haiden was extremely nice, as was everyone else in the room. I wasn’t allowed to film the birth, but one of my nurses took Live Photos for us and whenever I watch them back, I’m reminded of all of the supportive energy in that room. I can hear everyone cheering me on, counting while I push, and congratulating us when she arrived.
It still blows my mind that it really happened. I can’t remember a lot of what went on that day because I blacked out around the time of labor, but I remember all of the sweetest moments and I hope to hold onto them forever.
While I didn’t get the birth experience that I wanted and planned for, I had a great experience with wonderful doctors and nurses who took amazing care of me. My family and I have talked about how things turned out and we all agree that God put me at the hospital for a reason.
Now our little girl is almost three weeks old and about to celebrate her first Christmas with us. She’s feisty and demanding but also the biggest snuggle bug with endless love for Mommy and Daddy. She’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever laid eyes on and I’m so in love with everything she is. We are so lucky.
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