Shantel-e-Lace: Why my delivery was not what I thought but still AMAZING

When you are pregnant you download all these apps to help you understand what you need to be doing and when, and what's going on with your body and baby's growth. Around week 36 all the apps suggested to make a birth plan. Me, being the planner I am, already had this done.

My birth plan was simple.

-labor at home as long as possible

-have an unmediated birth

-utilize all tools to keep me busy and moving throughout labor

-STAY POSITIVE (I didn't want to be that wife who screams at her husband during birth)

We sat down with a nurse at the hospital to tell her our plan, reserve a room with a tub (so I could enjoy a relaxing bath during contractions), and fill out all the paperwork.

As Everlys due date came and went we both began to get a little impatient. At my 40 week appt the dr brought up the terrible "induction" word! We dismissed it and said we wanted to wait a little longer, so I was scheduled the following week for an ultrasound and non stress test to check on baby.

Week 41 came around and that Monday I went in for the test. Baby was head down, non stress test was good (although she was asleep and didn't wake up until the last 10'mins, so again they used the terrible "I" word) they said she was measuring at 9 lbs, and last but not least she had too much fluid.

At that point we no longer had a choice on the induction. Our only choice was if we wanted to come back the next day or two days later to have our baby girl.we decided to wait the two days in hopes that for some reason I would go into labor naturally.

Things were honestly not lining up as we had "planned." I was only 1 cm dialated, 50% effaced and she had not dropped at all (due to all the amniotic fluid). So what honestly happened was I needed those two days to come to terms with the fact I was going to start my hopeful "unmediated birth" with two medications: cervidil Wednesday night for 12 hours then pitocin in the am until delivery.

Brian had class he needed to go to and I needed to be at the hospital at 6 PM so my mom took me to be checked in and Brian was going to join after class at 9 M. I had prepared myself and Brian that it would be a long labor.

After checking in and getting all hooked up, they decided they needed to wait to give me the cervidil because Everlys heartrate was too high. (It was right at her active time of day) After 2 hours they were able to move forward and the cervidil was inserted at 8 PM. My contractions began about 30 mins later but we're not bad at all. After Brian arrived it was of to "Sleep" as we knew the night would be long.

Throughout the entire night Everly was VERY active and kept moving away from the monitors so about every half hour or sooner the nurses would come in to try and find her heart beat again. So needless to say we did not get much sleep and it didn't help they had me on fluids so I had to pee all the time.

At 6 AM the nurses removed the cervidil and I was able to take a shower. (Trust me although you may not feel like taking a shower DO IT! Things are about to get messy and you will be glad you took one) Around 7:30 AM my Dr came in to check my progress and informed me I was now 3 cm and 90% effaced, I was happy the cervidil did something, but wished it was more. While the Dr checked me she also broke my water, which was an experience of its own. Due to having too much amniotic fluid it truly felt like my water broke multiple times with large gushes. Once my water was broke we realized Everly had already had her first poop (because my waters were yellow instead of clear), which meant that NICU would have to be in the room at delivery. This was totally not a big deal, but my heart did sink a little when they even mentioned the word "NICU."

Once my water broke they were able to attach a small tracker to the top of Everlys head in order to monitor her heart rate, which helped since I didn't have to wear the monitor around my belly anymore. They also began the Pitocin at this point. They began giving it to me on a small dose, and came in every half and hour to up the dosage. This is when the contractions became painful.

I did everything I could think of to push through them. We played cards with my Mom, I sat on my birthing ball, I walked around, and I tried to breath through them. After 4.5 hours my drip was on the highest does of 20, and my contractions were strong, long and coming every minute without a break in between. By this point I was exhausted, and in tears with each contraction. The nurse checked me and I just knew I had made a ton of progress because my contractions were so strong, so when she said "5 cm, baby still at -2, and 90% effaced", I started to cry. Of course I blamed it on the pain of the contraction, which it kinda was, but mostly it was frustration that I was not progressing and fear of having to have a c-section.

I REALLY didn't want the epidural, but by 12:30 I had to give in. My nurse said she was shocked I lasted that long bc my contractions were so hard and close together. Brian was so wonderful throughout the entire process and when the contractions got really bad he would watch the monitor and say "wow honey a new personal best, that one was 130," I don't think he realized that I didn't think that was a good thing, but I was in too much pain and my contractions too close together to even try and tell him.

When the anesthesiologist came in I honestly thought he was a "student" because he looked to be Brian and I's age. He was very nice and did a great job but it was so hard to stay still while having contractions back to back, but I'm so thankful I did. He just happened to be an IU grad and also a fellow FIJI like Brian so I trusted him wholeheartedly.

Once I got the epidural the pain became nonexistent. It turned into pressure instead of pain which I was ok with. My

legs were numb, my bladder had to be drained by the nurse, and I was shaking like a leaf, but I was no longer in pain!

Before I fell asleep my nurse (who I adored) brought it what they call a "peanut ball." THIS WAS KEY TO MY DELIVERY!!! She placed the peanut so that I was on my side with it between my legs which allows your hips to open. I fell right to sleep and an hour and a half later she came back to check me.

"10 cm, 100% effaced, baby still high but we are going to start pushing in 30 mins," I was so excited, shocked, scared, anxious, etc. This was it! The moment we had been waiting for and I had a wonderful painfree nap right before hand. I was feeling good!

After pushing my family out of the room (really wasn't too hard they knew this was a moment for Brian and I), we began the pushing! This was not like the movies make it out to be. I did not scream, or cuss or tell Brian I hated him, I just focused on the job at hand and listened to my nurse, who was an amazing birth coach. After an hour of pushing Everly Yvonne was born!

There isn't words to describe the feeling you have when you hear your precious babies first cries or the flood of emotions when they place her on your chest.

She was perfect! She was super alert and wide awake. We were so excited to let the family come back and meet her but decided to take an hour or so for just the three of us.

Brian was so excited to go out and tell the family he was a dad and she had arrived. (That's another feeling words can't explain is the love you have for your husband when you see him become a daddy)