Oh Baby! A Birth Story: Welcoming our Third Child

Happy Wednesday, friends!  If you follow on social media, you already know this, but in case you don’t – there has been much to celebrate and adjust to over here in the Live Well Play Together home the last couple of weeks!

Our sweet boy – baby #3 made his grand entrance almost 2 weeks early – just like his big brother and has been home snuggling with us all as we adjust to life as a family of five! 

In my last pregnancy update, I wrote that it felt a little surreal to be writing our 37 week update.  That was the last one that I had been able to write for our second son who was also born a few days early. 

RELATED: YOU CAN READ ALL OF OUR PREGNANCY UPDATES FOR BABY #3 HERE.

And wouldn’t you know it, in what felt like I was reliving my pregnancy 2 years ago, this one decided to join the party early, too.  Now that the dust has settled (only a little bit though), I’m excited to share our birth story in this space.

 

 RELATED: YOU CAN READ EACH OF MY BIRTH STORIES HERE!

What Started Out as a Regular Weekday

It was a regular weekday around here – I was up early before everyone else to get a head start on things around the house and have a few minutes of quiet time to myself before everyone was up and moving around. 

I was actually folding laundry when I felt the first contraction.  And I knew immediately that it was a contraction.  I don’t think I have ever actually had a false contraction or Braxton Hicks contractions, so I thought this was the real thing. 

I quickly downloaded a contraction timer app and moved on with my day.  Everyone was still sleeping, so there wasn’t anyone to tell at that point.  Plus, it was early – and I knew that contractions could start and go away for a while, so I just went about the morning. 

When Hubs got up and was getting ready, he asked how I was feeling and if I felt any different.  (I told him before to be “on call”, that I thought we might have a baby that week. Baby had been moving a lot lower and I was continuing to feel more uncomfortable.)

I told him that I had had a couple of contractions, but that I didn’t think he should be concerned right now.  They were short contractions.  And almost 45 minutes apart.  So, he went to work like regular.  

When the boys got up, we went about our day like regular, but I did tell them several times throughout the morning that I thought we might have a baby that night or the next day.  I really wanted to help them be prepared for me to have to go to the hospital whenever that was going to happen.  

But the Contractions Didn’t Stop

As a general rule, I’ve always heard that you should go to the hospital once your contractions are regular and coming every 5 minutes, lasting 1 minute each for at least an hour.  5:1:1.  

Throughout the morning, my contractions kept coming and by late morning, they were definitely about 5 minutes apart, but they never lasted a full minute.  More like 30-45 seconds and they were uncomfortable, but not unbearable.  

They didn’t go away though.  And by the time the boys and I were eating lunch, they had gotten to about 3 minutes apart.  Still uncomfortable, still regular, but still not unbearable.  I texted Hubs and told him to cancel his afternoon meetings and come home early just in case we needed to go to the hospital soon.  

After lunch, I put down our then youngest for his afternoon nap and reminded him that if I needed to go to the hospital, who would be here to play with him.  

Honestly, I was sure I would be able to stay here until his nap was over.  

Hubs came home after he was sleeping and I was busy grabbing last minute things and tidying up the house.

I texted my sister and brother in law who were planning to come over when I went into labor that I was pretty sure I was in labor, but they probably had a few hours before they needed to come over. 

Thankfully my brother in law decided that he would just come over then.  He said he’d be at our house by 3:15.  

Still thinking we had plenty of time, I continued doing what I was doing.  

The List of Things I Did While I Was in Labor

Even though I had been having regular contractions for most of the day, I really truly did not think that I needed to be in the hospital so quickly.  Almost none of my contractions had been a full minute and I was still completely able to get through things at home.  

Here’s what I did while I was in labor: 

• Take care of both big boys on our regular routine – lunch, dishes, put the littlest down for his nap, etc. 
• Clean the kitchen from breakfast and lunch. 
• Wash, fold, and put away a load of laundry. 
• Pack last minute things into our hospital bag. 
• Have a full video call with my sister – during which I was definitely having contractions, but didn’t want to say it out loud in case it wasn’t really time.  She had no idea. 

In hindsight, this is laughable.  Like what did I even think I was doing?  

In my defense though – it was early – almost 2 weeks before my due date. 

I had just been checked at my 38 week appointment and was just “maybe 1 centimeter” dilated – so to be sure I had more time.  

I was actually feeling really emotional about how our family was about to change.  And already missing our big boys, knowing that they couldn’t come to the hospital due to flu season ban for visitors under 12. 

I really did not want to go into the hospital and be sent home.  But I also didn’t want to go to the hospital and spend hours and hours laboring.  

This was so unlike both of my other pregnancies where I went into the hospital in the middle of the night.  This was the middle of the day. 

Anyway. 

Going to the Hospital

Finally, I could tell that my contractions were getting stronger.  I told Hubs that we actually shouldn’t wait until our youngest woke up from his nap.  We needed to leave as soon as his brother got there at 3:15 “just in case.”  

I was still in a little bit of denial at this point. 

I texted my mom to call me after work and that “everything was okay.”

On the way to the hospital, my contractions stayed on the same schedule, but were definitely getting stronger and by the time we got to the hospital and out of the car, I was having a hard time walking. 

And once we finally got into triage to be checked the doctor kindly let me know that my waters were bulging and I was at 7 centimeters.  

I immediately started crying.  What in the world?!  My body had been working so hard.  I was so far along.  

This baby was coming soon. 

Do I Have Time for an Epidural? 

I’m just going to own it right now, my kids are large and while I fully trust my body to get them out (it hasn’t failed me yet), I’ve had an epidural with each one.  And my only questions to the nurses were, “is he head down?” and “do I have time for an epidural?”

Everyone said yes – as long as my water didn’t break, there would be time.  But I was not so sure. 

By this time, my contractions were so strong and still 2-3 minutes apart.  I just knew my water was going to break at any moment. 

The anesthesiologist made it in time though, and once the epidural was placed, the doctor came in to break my water and let me know that she was going to go get dressed.  Our baby was going to be here very soon. 

I turned onto my side for maybe 5 minutes and knew we needed to get the doctor back in.  

The nurse came in to confirm and immediately called the doctor back in. 

He’s Right There, You Just Need to Push Him Out

As soon as the doctor came back in to check, her exact words to me were, “There he is and he’s got a head full of hair.  Let’s push him out.  I’ll tell you when.” 

And on the next contraction, I pushed three times – once for his head, then his shoulders, then everything else.  

The next thing I knew, my sweet boy – the smallest of the bunch at just 8 pounds and 6 ounces was in my arms. 

And That’s That

I keep telling Hubs that in hindsight, I totally could have gotten through that without the epidural.  I was especially feeling this a few hours post-delivery when I was still in the hospital bed while it wore off.  

But, we can’t change it and ultimately, I am thankful for it.  

That said, I feel so proud of my body and thankful for all the work it did to bring another child into our family.  What an incredible gift he is to us! 

This was by far our fastest delivery and easiest (at least so far) recovery period for me.  

I am tired, but overall feeling really good as of now. 

We’ve been at home now for a couple of weeks and we are still in the whirlwind that is newborn life.  The first few days were filled with family and Hubs was able to stay home all last week, which was a major help – especially for the big boys. 

Friends have brought dinner and food.  We’ve been checked on and loved on and we are so thankful. 

Our schedules are in flux and our routines have yet to fully return – and we don’t expect them to for a while. 

But man, are we grateful.  

I was swaddling our sweet boy the other night and saw Hubs watching from around the corner.  When I asked him what he was looking at, he just said, “just watching you be a mom.”  And it was the kindest thing.  

I really do not ever want to take for granted being a mom. 

Children truly are a great gift and I am beyond blessed to get to call these three mine.  

Welcome to the Wednesday Link Party! Meet your hosts:

Jaclyn from Coffee, Pancakes, and Dreams
Brittany from Dreams and Coffee
Mary Leigh from Live Well Play Together
Tiffany from Lake Life State of Mind
Lindsay from Lindsay’s Sweet World
Keri from Cultivate an Intentional Life