Levi's Bith Story

Levi James born on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 10:41am.
8lbs 6oz (exactly what I weighed)
21.8 inches long

I was having anxiety about giving birth for the 3rd time.  I think because I knew what to expect.  Most everyone tells you that your births get shorter and a little easier with each one so I was really hoping to have an experience mush like Kayla's, fast and very manageable.  The bigger I got though, the more I was welcoming the onset of labor. 

Levi’s due date was September 22^nd according to my doctor but was September 25 according to my calculations and our first ultrasound.  I don’t know why the doctor kept it at the 22^nd.  On Tuesday the 23^rd I was having light contractions that were 10-15 minutes apart from 3:50am-about 6:20am.  Daniel stayed home that day as we thought we would be headed to the hospital sometime that morning.  Well contractions stopped for the day as soon as I was and about.  We figured that night or the next day Levi would come so we went to bed early to rest up.  Contractions started again at 9:30pm and were soon coming every 5 minutes.  They weren’t super intense but I had to breathe through them.  Finally at 12am we called Omah to come over so we could head out for the hospital.  Kayla came so fast so my doctor told me once I started feeling any pain she wanted us to head to the hospital just to be safe.  We thought for sure that since Kayla came fast that this one would be fast as well.  Not so much!

We arrived at the hospital at 1am and the nurse checked us into triage.  Daniel and I both looked at each other and smiled thinking, “HA, we will show them that I am further along then they think and that I really need to be admitted into labor and delivery.”  With Joshua they stuck us in triage then were surprised when they checked me because I was a 6 and sent me to labor and delivery.  We thought it was going to be the same thing. 

When they checked me in triage I was only at 3cm!  We were both so surprised.  We were even more surprised when after 2.5 hours later and after about an 1 of walking I was checked again and hadn’t progressed.  What?!  We were so discouraged.  We finally gave up on the walking and decided to just rest instead.  I slept  the best I could in-between contractions for about an hour then we got up and did more walking.  Around this time a new nurse came on and she asked me in all seriousness, "So what is the plan?  Do you want to have a baby today?"  Um yea, that is the plan.  Besides, do I have any other options?  What sort of questions is that?

Around 6 am they finally admitted us to labor and delivery where we waited for my doctor to show up to discuss our options.  The nurse told us the doctor was open to breaking my water at 3cm or starting us on Pitocin.  I didn't want to do either especially since I was still in early labor.  We walked around a little more discussing what to do. We surely didn’t want to go home since contractions were already coming 5-10 mins apart, I wouldn't know when to come back. 

My doctor, which was a new one in the practice that I hadn't met yet, showed up around 7:40am, checked me and told us I was at a 5 almost a 6. I told her I was so happy I could hug her.  We decided to hold off on any interventions  just yet anyway, since I was progressing on my own.  Contractions started to pick up in intensity and we did a little bit more walking.  When I reached 7cm we asked the doctor to break my water.  My water was broken with Kayla at I think 8 cm and she was out like 30 minutes later so we hoped this would speed things up like it did with Kayla.  My water was broken at about 8:45ish.  Contractions  picked up but an 1.5hours later I was still a 7.  I was starting to worry that one intervention was going to lead to another.  But I went from 7-10 in a matter of minutes and let me tell you it was intense, I thought I was going to die.  The last 30 minutes or so of my labor was brutal.  I don’t recall it being that bad with the first two.  I felt so out of control in pain with no end in sight.  With the first two I was never really aware of transition but I was with Levi.

Along with being brutal it was very traumatic to say the least.  Right at the end the nurse had me lay on my side saying the his heart rate was dropping.  She also made me wear an oxygen mask.  That didn't work at getting it back up so she gave me some fluid in my IV and had me switch sides.  Then I heard her tell another nurse to get the doctor in to access.   It took a while to get his heart rate back up and I thought I was looking at a C-section.  Thankfully it came back up though.  Afterwards I asked the nurse, "Since its over now, can you tell me, where we looking at a possible C-section?" and she told me no. 

Up until I reached 7.5cm I was handling contractions well.  I was able to laugh and joke in between them. 

Sitting on a birth ball at 7cm waiting to have my water broke. 

I had two delivery nurses waiting for me to deliver, a nurse coaching, and then my doctor just sitting, yes she was literally on the couch sitting, waiting for me to push.  She said I had a thin layer of cervix left but if I felt the need to bear down then to do so, so push I did.  Pushing helped take the pain away during contractions so I kept pushing but it felt weird since no one was there telling me what was going on.  Before I knew it I felt his head.  No one was doing anything so I yelled asked very nicely, “Is that his head?” The nurse looked and calmly shook her head yes.  I am not sure if they didn't think I was really pushing him out or if this is how the new doctor does things.  I kind of liked being totally in control but I also like when the doctor is there telling me what is going on.  Finally after a few more pushes the doctor and nurses came over to start delivering Levi.  His head was out in just a few pushes but then his shoulders got stuck.  I saw a look of panic on my doctors face and then she ordered for the nurses to pull back my legs back and then another jumped on my stomach and started pushing.  Daniel said all the pushing that got out Levis head wasn’t moving his shoulders out.  I knew that I needed to give it all that I could to get him out.  I gave my best pushes and he was out in just a few seconds.   

The nurses put him on my chest, we did some skin to skin while we admired him then he latched on beautifully when I nursed him and the rest is history. 

To say that this birth experience was a bit traumatic for me is an understatement but he is here, we are both happy, healthy and doing well and the birth is all behind us now.

Levi was my longest and hardest labor and biggest baby.  But oh so worth it.  Once I laid eyes on my boy all the pain was forgotten.  One of the first things I noticed about him was his big, strong hands! 

Daniel was an amazing support as always.  I don't really want him talking to me as I am having a contraction and I don't want him touching me either.  I just want him there.  He knows me well enough to know when to encourage me and when to just be there silently and he does an awesome job!  At one point when things started picking up I told him to come and massage my back.  I actually I think I mentioned him to massage me along with some grumbling.  Then as soon as he touched me I snapped, "Don't touch me!"  Guess I thought a massage would have helped but quickly realized, nope, not what I needed. 
 

 

 

   

 

First family selfie.

First bath.  The nurse said he was one of the only babies who didn't

scream through his first bath.  She commented more than once on how calm he was. 

 

Hearing test.