Irie's Birth Story 

Baby girl is 3 weeks old tomorrow! Time is flying. I feel like Kai’s newborn stage was so busy and taken from me too soon, so this time I am trying to hold on to everything, every little moment. I feel like I have been working on this post for forever. Some parts were written with one hand while I held Irie with the other and some parts were written late at night while the babies and hubby were sleeping. Feels good to write again, hopefully more posts will be coming soon. 

First, I must say thank you to all the family and friends that took the time to ask how I was really doing and took the time to talk with me about my anxieties and fears as a new mother of two. Talking about her birth brings me so much joy, so thank you to those who have asked about her birth as well. The baby blues are a real thing! But I am grateful to say I am feeling like myself again. 

Now please remember, this a birth story. There will be lots of details so I am warning you now.

All began the morning of March 1st. I was woken up early with contractions just like I had the day Kai was born. Around 4 am I woke, still in a sleepy state to realize I may have been having contractions for a few hours but had slept through them. I excitingly felt a contraction, an easy one, and would patiently wait hoping another would come. They kept coming! I would tell myself, “No this isn’t it yet,” but then another would come and I would convince myself maybe this is finally happening! I could hear T up making breakfast before work, so I went out to get some water, wanting to tell him the exciting news, but still unsure, and out of fear to disappoint, I kept it to myself, I never get up for water that early so maybe he knew something was up.

Contractions were 5-10 minutes apart. Later that morning I went to the rest room and had a ton of mucous! There was no blood so I wasn’t sure if it was my mucous plug or not but there was so much it had to be a sign of something.  With Kai I started to lose my plug 3 days before I went into labor so that confused me, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. After I got up with Kai and had breakfast I hopped in the shower thinking, “Today I am having a baby!” I texted Terrance and told him I may be and most likely be, in early labor. We were excited.

Around 10 am contractions stopped and I was devastated. I was so pumped to get the show on the road. I had even missed going to story time with Kai because I was busy getting things ready. I didn’t even finish getting ready for the day I was so disappointed. I know it was silly to be so discouraged but I was so ready to be done! And my body was telling me it was done. How could things just stop? That morning I read on facebook about a girl who had lost her plug, had contractions for about 6 hours and then a week later was still pregnant and talking with her doctor about being induced! That scared me. I couldn’t wait another week.

My sweet Doula, Julianne, calmed me down and helped me focus on relaxing and using this time to prepare. Terrance and I prepared for this birth much different than we had with Kai’s. Instead of walking, climbing stairs, and working out at the gym, we practiced relaxation techniques, T helped me with stretches and we practiced coping mechanisms we would use during labor. It was really important to me that he was more involved during this birth. He was so good at making sure we did what we set out to do each day to prepare for baby and he was so sweet to me during this time.

That night T came home from work and knew I was discouraged. He took great care of me, helped me relax and lifted my spirits. He gave me a blessing which made me feel a million times better and I was able to sleep easy that night.

The morning of March 2nd (1 week before my due date), I again woke up with some contractions!! Around 6 am I woke up with contractions that were so painful I actually had to get on all fours to get through them. There was only 4 of them and after I was able to go back to sleep, it was the weirdest thing. By the time Kai woke up around 8, I was continuing to have more light contractions. I went to the bathroom and there was more mucous! This time with blood!! I know I am so weird but it made me so excited. I officially felt like things were happening.

While saying my morning prayers I asked Heavenly Father what I needed to do that day, the words “you need to get ready,” immediately came to my mind. So that’s what we did! Kai and I finally got our bags packed. I don’t know why I saved this for the last possible minute. I pictured myself in early labor needing something to keep me busy, so that’s why I kept putting it off. We got our bags packed and made a list of additional items I needed to pack when the moment actually came. At this point I thought I was maybe two or three days out from giving birth, I had no idea it would be later that night. 

All day I had random contractions here and there; nothing heavy just enough to know they were there. I was busy getting things together and the apartment clean. I had an appointment scheduled for later that afternoon so I had that to look forward to. Around noon I started to feel a ton of pressure. I felt like I needed to poop but nothing was coming, I thought I was maybe constipated or something (so fun). I drank lots of water and kept Julianne updated on how my day was going.

At 3:30 I woke Kai up from his nap (he has been sleeping 2 plus hours these days, can I get a Hallelujah?) and we left for my doctor’s appointment. While driving, a 15 minute drive, I had two contractions. I thought to myself, "oh driving while contracting isn’t all that fun." Haha. Terrance met us at the office. I peed in the cup, babes HR was checked, the usual stuff and then I’m like, “hey are you going to check me?” At my past two appointments they were so eager to do it but somehow this time they forgot to ask. Typically they don't have exciting news to tell me,(The last two weeks I was maybe dilated to 1 cm.) but I am glad this time I insisted. While she checked me, she had a surprised look on her face. She then tells me I have a bulging bag and I am either 4 or 5 centimeters dilated. Say what!!!? I look at T and his face was a mix of surprise and excitement. That was the best possible news we could have received! What woman wouldn’t like to hear she’s already at a 5, and her bag is about to pop!? Well maybe not the popping part. 

We asked her what she recommended we do next. She wanted to know how far apart my contractions were but I had not been paying enough attention. She said we could either walk over to Labor and Delivery right then, get admitted walk around a bit and see if I have any cervical change (I had a feeling I should have brought our bags in the car, but I didn’t haha), or go home to time contractions and come back when they were 5 minutes apart. Because we had Kai with us, that seemed like the best option.

I call my sister to come pick up Kai (she lives an hour away) and I call my doula. At this point I am freaking out a bit, everything was happening so fast and I was worried going home was a bad idea. Terrance and I met there so I had to drive myself home, I was worried about getting stuck in traffic and having my water break or have a baby in the car, my new car! Well not new but new to me.

Terrance found me in the parking structure to follow me home and I asked him to say a prayer, while in separate cars, parked next to each other haha. After that I felt very calm and felt good about going home first. During that hectic “what do we do time,” my contractions stopped, but as soon as I was calm they picked up again.

I had texted my sisters and parents to let them know what was going on. I had sweet phone calls from my mom and dad on the drive home and all was well.

Once we got home things moved quickly.  We finished packing bags, fed Kai dinner, I swayed through and timed contractions, and I tried to mentally wrap my mind around all that was happening. Contractions were coming 5 minutes apart since the drive home.

I pictured us laboring at home, things peaceful and calm, working through contractions until they were unbearable, but no, here we were rushing out the door, things very bearable and under control.

I thought saying goodbye to Kai would be awful, but he was so excited to see cousins he could have cared less. I actually started to cry on the way home from my appointment just thinking about saying good bye to him. Something about saying goodbye to my only baby knowing the next time I saw him his world would be turned upside down broke my heart. 

Kai left with my sister and brother in law (they are seriously the best and I am so grateful we happened to move to the same state at the same time) and we immediately left for the hospital.  We couldn’t believe it was time! We were both so excited.  I love how excited T gets before our babies come, it’s the cutest thing.

At 6:30 we walked up to L&D and told them we were there to have a baby! We had called the doctor to let her know we were on our way so I think they knew we were coming, but she still looked at me like “are you sure you’re in labor?” We got all set in our room and even the nurse looked at me the same. I had to remind them the doctor told me to come and how dilated I was so I could be taken seriously.  We did paper work, and I was slowly put into their system so I could be officially admitted. It seemed like it took forever but we were in no rush. I asked if I should put a gown on, they said I could labor in whatever I wanted which I thought was nice. In fear of my water breaking at any moment, I put on the gown. I got my IV line started some fancy mesh undies and drank my Gatorade and had a protein bar, I got in trouble for eating. 

They were able to do wireless fetal monitoring which I thought was awesome. I got a battery pack to carry around. It was fancy. They only had to do continuous monitoring for 30 minutes. 

Julianne, my doula, got there around 7. I felt bad at first since I didn’t feel like I was in any state to need help; I didn’t even need Terrance’s help to get through contractions, but little did I know I would need boh of their help very soon.  Julianne asked if I had been checked yet, and I completely forgot to ask the nurse!

Around 8 PM the nurse checked me and I was 7 cm. dilated! Again T and I were both shocked.  I felt great, this was amazing, but  right after it was like my body just knew; I was finally at the hospital, Kai was taken care of and my body was ready to have this baby. I then went into a very focused “I am in labor” state. I was relaxed and calm in between contractions and during, breathing through each surge. 

At this point I was on my  knees leaning against the bed needing both T and Julianne to put pressure on my hips and rub my back to get through the pain. Things were getting more intense and quickly.

From the bed I went to leaning on a birth ball that was on the bed, swaying in between contractions and using my team for help. While in labor with Kai my whole body was so tense, this time I was so relaxed, especially during contractions. Before I went into labor, Julianne talked to me about having a relaxed pelvic floor while contracting. I tried my best to practice this as much as possible before I went into labor and I feel this truly is what made my dilate so quickly!

About 8:30 PM I felt like things were getting to the point where I could easily lose control, so I wanted to get in the tub. The first contraction in the water felt amazing! Like it completely took the pain away, but that didn’t last long. In between contractions I was talking to T while he responded to my text messages, mostly to my family and a few friends. I kept telling Julianne I felt like I was at a day spa. Haha. We had peaceful music playing, lavender essential oils and the lights dimmed. It was wonderful. This is finally how I pictured my labor. I was grateful the hospital allowed me to labor in water and that they were even able to do fetal monitoring while I was in the tub!

Things again progressed quickly. I soon was no longer able to sway in the water on my back, I needed to be on my knees leaned over the tub, with pressure on my back and hips. I know I wore T out with all the help I needed, but he did great. While on my knees in the tub, the nurse came in to do the intermittent monitoring (every 30 min). She was so awesome at doing whatever she needed to do in whatever position I was in, she never once asked me to move so things were more convenient for her. This time she kept giggling because baby was so low she basically had to put the monitor on my pubic bone to get her HR. After, she said the doc was just finishing up a C section and she bet if she came in and broke my water, baby would come right away!

Of course I was all for that, but that meant I had to wait for the doc to be finished. I tried to be patient and remain calm. I was so excited when I heard the doc come in the door (about 9PM). I shot up to get out of the tub and had a contraction while getting out and then another before I even made it to the bed! The doc asks, “so contractions 2-3 minutes apart?” Julianna goes, “Umm, no much closer than that!”

I get in the bed to have her check me, 9.5 cm!! and still a bulging bag. She then gives me the whole, “you can either labor on your own for a couple more hours until your water breaks or we can break your water and have this baby.” She thought she would be here within 15 minutes or so, so I of course was game. She broke my water at 9:08 PM but Miss Irie’s head was so low, pretty much no water came out.  The nurse and the doc then get ready to leave and tell me to call them when I'm ready to push. I was like um no, I am ready now! Even though I had no urge to push yet, I was pretty set on having this baby. They set me up with the squatting bar (I was pretty set on squatting this baby out) and I started to push. I told them I felt like I needed to poop and they just laughed saying it was just her head, I am thankful they were right!

Because I was not at a 10 yet, the doc suggested she help her head under the last bit up my cervix so my cervix didn't swell and to move things along. I was again all for that, they had to do the same thing with Kai. Because of this I was no longer squatting and I was on my back, guess we’ll try that again with baby #3. When a contraction came, I pushed, she maneuvered her head, my water finally all came out and I finally started to have the real urge to push. Amazing how much an intact bag of waters “cushioned” contractions.

I hated pushing this time around. With Kai it felt so good to push, this time it was awful! I couldn’t wait to get it over with. I grabbed on to the back of my legs and pushed with all I had in me. I wanted to have a more relaxed pushing experience, but I don’t think that happened. I was definitely more vocal  this time around too.  I remember looking down, couldn’t see her head yet but could tell it was close, that gave me some motivation. Next push, I saw her head! Then the ring of fire, I definitely said, “ring of fire!!!” when I felt that. Then her head was out and turned and I could see her sweet face. That made the next push so much easier, next push and she was out! She was put right on my chest and I said over and over “we did it! We did it!” Kai was taken so quickly from me that this moment was even more special. She then peed all over me, but I didn’t care. Little miss was born at 9:20 PM, just 12 minutes after the first attempt to break my water and just 9 min, later than her brother. (he was born at 9:11 PM) They asked T if he was going to cut the cord but he said he was good. We can thank my brother in law for that, he cut one of his kids cords and got squirted in the face with blood, so yeah, I gladly cut the cord myself haha. 

Around the first time the nurse checked me, we went around the room betting on times she would be born. The nurse said 10 minutes after my membranes ruptured, I had some help with the rupturing part but she was right!

Our baby girl was here and I felt so so happy. I got the shakes pretty bad after she was born, all the adrenaline, but it soon passed. I didn’t tear but I did need an internal stitch to stop some bleeding. Baby girl nursed for the first time, we cuddled, we cried and enjoyed this precious time. She wasn’t taken off my chest till about an hour and a half after she was born which I was so grateful for. She was then taken over to the scale to be weighed and checked out by the nurse; another little peanut at 6 pounds 8 ounces, just like I had suspected.  I was so happy and I felt so good! While she was getting taken care of and given her first bath, I got up to take a shower. I felt amazing. Some pain but nothing too horrible. Giving birth is so amazing and I am grateful for my body's ability to do so. Like I've said before, some people run marathons, I birth babies without any pain medication, just for fun.  More on recovery and being a mom of two coming soon.