We Are Fami-Lee

We Are Fami-Lee

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Maya's Birth Story (Part 2)


Labor and Delivery

I was in the labor and delivery room by 12:15 p.m.  My midwives got me all hooked up to the blood pressure machine, checked baby and did an internal.  I was still about 3 cm dilated and very soft.  They told me that they wanted to first try and break my water to see if that would put me into labor before starting a Pitocin drip.  As they tried, there wasn’t much of a bulge for them to get the “crochet hook” in there as Maya’s head was pressed up right against it. 

They called in the resident OB and she gave it a try.  She also couldn’t do it, so they suggested we just start the Pitocin drip. 

By 1:15, I had my IV in and the Pitocin started (side note: getting an IV is painful, especially when you’re like me and don’t have really good veins.  And, especially when they have to do it twice…).  They started me on a low dose of Pitocin and said they would up it every ½ hour until things started picking up. 

At 1:45, I had felt a few minor contractions, but not much.  I talked through them all and almost forgot to tell my midwife that they had happened.  She upped the Pitocin.

At 2:00, my water broke.  Derek had left to get some lunch so he missed that part. 

At 2:30, my contractions started to pick up.  More painful, closer together.  I changed positions, starting on the ball (hated that as it was a lot of back labor!) so I ended up kneeling on the bed leaning up against the inclined part of the bed.  I was “comfortable” here for awhile.  Derek was pushing against my hips to help with the back labor.  That made it feel better. 

At 3:15, we moved to the birthing tub.  I was so grateful that I could still get in the tub even after being induced.  The water felt really nice.  I was in there with everything still attached to me (IV plus a couple of monitors: one for baby’s heartbeat and one for contractions) and it was really awkward and really annoying, but the water felt nice. 

I labored on my back in the tub for 35 minutes.  The contractions were pretty intense and the only thing I didn’t like is that no one had access to my back to help it feel better so I put my hands back there during the contractions.  At one point, my midwife asked if they were progressing and I said that they were staying pretty consistent with intensity.  She said she wanted to monitor it because she didn’t want me to plateau while in the tub.  Literally the next contraction was 10 times worse and I looked at Derek and said, “I don’t think I’m going to plateau!”

A couple contractions later, through shallow breaths, I told Derek and my midwife that I just knew how much harder and worse these were going to get.  In my mind, I knew that I had only been at this for a couple of hours so it had to get worse and worse and I really didn’t know if I could do it.  That’s what I meant when I said that, but no one really understood me.

Another couple contractions later and I felt like I needed to push.  I didn’t really trust myself though.  I kept saying, “I don’t know, I don’t know!” Before the midwife could check me to see if I was really ready, I just started pushing.  I didn’t even do it consciously, it just happened. 

After that contraction, my midwife said she had to go get the nurse because the other midwife wasn’t going to make it.  She also said “Don’t have her without me!”

When she came back, she looked at Derek and quietly said “This is it. She’s going to be pushing now.” I think Derek might have just gotten back from getting me water or something and that’s why she was telling him. I’m not sure; I was pretty focused on other things.

I don’t know how many times I pushed. Maybe 3 or 4.  I know I was only pushing for about 8 minutes.

Maya was born, in the water, at 3:58 p.m. and was immediately brought up and put on my chest.  The overwhelming emotions that ran through me at that moment are indescribable.  Derek was behind me and he was doing his emotional happy laugh saying, “You did it! She’s here!”

It took her a little while to cry but her eyes were wide open and I had heard a little gasp, so I wasn’t worried.  In fact, I loved how peacefully she was born!  She eventually let out a little cry and immediately turned nice and pink!


We stayed at the hospital for 3 hours and then were discharged.  I loved this part of having midwives.  Being able to come home so quickly was really nice.  There's no place like home!!!  








Sam got to meet Maya before going to bed.  She was so excited and kept squealing “Baby sister!” while pointing at the car seat as we brought her in.  


First thing she did was touch her hand.  I think they're going to be good friends! 


We took a few family pictures, and we learned quickly how hard it’s going to be to do pictures with 2 kids!





Maya was lucky enough to have both sets of grandparents here when she arrived home from the hospital.  What a lucky girl!





 Overall, the adjustment so far has been great. I’ve had my mom and Derek here full time so Sam and I have both been taken care of! 

I’m a little worried about what I’ll do come Monday when they are both gone, but hopefully I’ll be a little more recovered and we’ll have a few more things figured out so all goes smoothly!

Here are a few more pictures from the day she was born:








 We are in love!

4 comments:

  1. You will do great! And you have lots of help. I can't wait to meet Maya!

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  2. Congrats Courtney!!!! she's so beautiful! So what hospital did you deliver at?

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  3. Beautiful! So glad you had such a wonderful birth.

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