(Warning: This is a very loooong detailed post.)
There is something so amazing about the birth of a baby. It is by far the climax moment of pregnancy, where all the sickness and discomfort come together and suddenly feel like they were a small price to pay for such a treasure to come into the world.
(Mother and Baby, taken by my dearest Nicholas)
On Monday, August 30, I went to bed a little before midnight, relieved to hear from my OB’s office that my labor would be induced on Friday morning. I knew I could handle a few more days with an end date in sight. However, I couldn’t sleep most of the night, tossing and turning, feeling nauseated, with horrible cramps. Around 4:30AM I got up and tried to eat some food to settle my stomach but nothing worked. I tried laying down in different positions but I couldn’t get comfortable anywhere. Then I started throwing up and that continued for another hour. At 6:30 AM I was shaking, my skin was crawling and I felt awful. Though I knew my contractions weren’t consistent I also knew my body didn’t feel quite right. With my past labors my contractions didn’t come consistently until the very end, and I didn’t want to be rushing to the hospital again. I told Nick we needed to go to the hospital now, so we quickly packed up a bag and called friends to come get the kids.
When we got to the hospital everyone was skeptical that I was in labor, and I was afraid I would be sent home. I was hooked up to monitors and the nurse that checked me in said I didn’t have a single contraction my first 10 minutes I was there, but I was still getting very sick. She set up an IV and did some blood work and gave me medication for the nausea. She said that there was a chance the doctor would come in and just break my water since I was so close to my induction date. I instantly thought “I’m going to see my baby girl. I’m finally going to see my sweet Cordelia,” and it was as though an instant rush of peace came over my entire body. This was around 7:30 AM. I didn’t see another nurse or doctor until noon.
I had been able to get some sleep here and there all morning and was feeling a lot better by noon. Though my contractions were more frequent than before, they seemed to be less painful and I was becoming quite skeptical that the doctor was ever going to come, let alone break my water and let me stay. I felt frustrated, knowing Nick was missing work and that I had enlisted a friend to watch my kids, only to possibly be sent home. Then an amazing nurse came in. She was so kind and understanding. She promised to find the doctor and get us some info. Sure enough at 12:45 Dr. Brown came in, took one look at me, and broke my water. I didn’t have the instant hard contractions I had anticipated, but he said I was already on the right track and this way I was in a controlled environment. At this point I informed them I was Strep B positive so they started me on antibiotics.
Then they told me that because I had come in throwing up and I had a slight fever and high white blood cell count that I would likely not be able to have an epidural. I tried to stay calm as the nurse reassured me that if I could deliver a breach baby without medication (as was the case with Elyssa) I could do anything. I took deep breaths and did my best to be calm, silently praying that she was wrong about the epidural. The anesthesiologist came in to talk to me. I assured her that we hadn’t been around sick people and that our family was quite healthy. We discussed that it was possible for all my “sickness” symptoms to be my body’s way of reacting to labor, and decided to go ahead with the epidural.
The doctor poked me a few different times, and commented that my back was quite strong and that my ligaments in my lower back were practically as hard as bones. I guess that is the result of carrying around two small children and 3 pregnancies. Though it hurt a little bit I knew it would bring so much relief that I didn’t even mind. Once it was placed I lay down and waited for things to get working.
After about 30 minutes I noticed that I was still feeling lots of pain on my left side and my contractions were picking up. At a certain point I couldn’t even speak they hurt so bad, and all I wanted to do was close my eyes, and hold Nick’s hand. The nurse called the anesthesiologist back in and they gave me some pain medication through my IV and I almost instantly felt some relief, but mostly I felt like my mind and the world became heavy and fuzzy. They asked me to sit up while they replace my epidural and I felt like my eyes and my head where as heavy as bricks. The nurse kindly let me lean on her while my epidural was replaced. Her shoulder felt like the most comfortable thing in the entire world and I felt a rush of gratitude for her. Good nurses make all the difference. The second epidural went in quickly and all was well with the world.
As I laid down my body started to shake, though I wasn’t cold. I tried to just relax and within 30 minutes I was ready to have a baby. The nurse thought we should do some practice pushes but then laughed as she said “Oh never mind! You’re baby's all ready! We’ll just wait for the doctor.” Not 10 minutes later the doctor and his resident were in the room and everyone was ready to go. Though I could feel my heart beating hard through my chest and my body was shaking from the adrenaline rushing through me I felt completely relaxed and calm. I gave 3 good pushes and out came my sweet baby.
They laid her on my chest, all covered in goop and I started laughing as I said hello to my squawking little baby girl! I was amazed at how big she looked! Just the day before the doctor has predicted her to be around 6 lbs. and the ultrasound tech predicted her to be 6 lbs. 8 oz. after doing a bunch of measurements. My nurse picked her up and took over to clean her off and check her over, with Nick following close behind. As I laid there and watched them rub her down and check her over and listened to her tiny baby cry I giggled at her little noises, smiled and cried silent, loving tears. My mind felt so much love, so much peace, and so much joy all at once. I felt like a queen and I couldn’t help but feel gratitude towards my Heavenly Father for such an opportunity to have her come to our family and be my baby.
They brought little Cordelia over to me and the nurse told me that she was in fact 7 lbs. 7 oz., an entire pound larger than predicted, and my biggest baby! I was overjoyed getting to hold her and stare at her chubby cheeks. I spent the next hour with my legs completely numb, feeling so much peace and blissfully happy, holding my baby girl with my dear Nick right by my side.
Since my labor time was 30 minutes short of 4 hours, I did not have the Strep B positive medication in my system quite long enough before delivery so they took Cordelia to have some blood tests. When they brought Cordelia back we couldn’t help but want to constantly hold and kiss her. I could still hardly believe that after months and months my little girl was finally here, in bright pink living color. It was amazing!
I slept quite peacefully that night while Cordy was in the nursery. When they brought her to me during the night, all undressed and ready to nurse I instantly fell in love with her soft, tiny naked body and the smell of clean baby. I looked her over and tried to take in every little detail of her person. I noticed that in the mix of her dark hair she has a spot on the right side of her head where her hair is growing in almost white blonde! Though her eyes didn’t open very wide they have a light ring inside a darker ring. I doubt they are blue, but think she likely has what Erin and I endearingly call “genetic warfare eyes”. She appears to have the classic long Parkinson upper lip, and the Parkinson curved over toe nails, just like her two older siblings. Cordelia has longer hair on the sides and back of her head, with it thin and short in the front, though you can see where it will grow if you look closely.
We love everything about her, especially her kissable squishy, chubby cheeks, and can’t get enough of her. I feel like the second she was here I instantly fell head over heals completely in love with my sweet little Cordelia. What a miracle it is to experience a tiny little person coming into the world. There is so much peace and so much joy and I feel so overwhelmingly grateful to be her mother.
More pictures to come soon!
