...I looked at my husband and said “This is really happening!”
I was wheeled to our delivery room and got settled in. By this time it was around 6 AM and I was still having regular contractions every 3-4 minutes. During our prenatal visits we discussed our birth plan with our OB. I wanted to have as smooth of a delivery as possible and basically told our doctor to do what’s best and easiest for her. The only thing I really wanted was an epidural. I ended up getting it around 6:30 AM and it was a 20-30 minute process. My anesthesiologist was awesome but I had to hold still while having contractions during the process of inserting the needle in my back! It was so hard! They numbed my back prior to the actual epidural but when the needle and catheter entered my epidural space it felt so weird and painful in a way. I think I was feeling more pain due to my contractions than the actual epidural. It took a good 20 minutes for it to fully kick in and make my legs limp. I was so relieved when I got it, wow! It’s amazing, the pain completely went away and I as able to nap through the regular contractions and not feel a thing.
5/1/19 5:48 AM- In our delivery room, before epidural
After epidural
At around 7:30 AM my OB came to check in and told us I was around 3cm dilated and proceeded to break my water. There was meconium in the amniotic fluid and I was told there is a risk for a c-section if the baby’s vitals decline at any point. The baby’s vitals were monitored the entire time and the nurses at the station could check from there which gave me peace of mind while we rested. My OB had reminded me that she will turn off my epidural so that I can push adequately, since the epidural makes it hard for you to tell how you’re pushing. She had warned us of this several times during our prenatal visits.
Our awesome nurses checked in with us frequently and refilled my ice. I was so hungry but unable to eat due to the risk of a c-section. I was given a peanut ball to place between my legs to help speed up the process. It was hard to maintain it since my legs were so numb and heavy. I was placed in a position with my legs folded to each side and told I would be checked again at 11 am. At this point I was already given Pitocin. I was able to nap a bit more and text family and friends with updates. Sione and I were exhausted.
Getting closer to meeting our baby
11 AM came around and I had progressed to 8 cm! I was a little shocked how fast it all went and realized the baby was going to be coming soon. I was given more time to rest and decided to put a little make up on. I had coordinated a birth photographer to document our experience so I wanted to look semi decent after not sleeping much.
Doing my makeup before our photographer arrived and before pushing, lol
I was checked again around 12:30 PM and was told I was 10 cm plus 2, meaning I was ready to push!! (This article is a good guide to what effacement, dilation and station mean). I was really nervous to start pushing and just couldn’t believe it was happening. We pushed three times for 10 seconds at a time during every contraction. Our nurse was telling us that the baby’s head was lowering and kept telling me how good I was doing which was encouraging. We got to the point of crowning and that’s when my OB was called, which was around 1:45 pm. Sione was able to see the baby’s hair at this point!
My OB was at her private practice next door and arrived very quick. We went straight into pushing and I was told that my epidural had been turned off. I believe my nurse turned it off prior to my OB getting there because I started to feel my contractions again and feeling in my legs as soon as my OB arrived. There was still some numbing effect so I wasn’t sure how much pain I would feel as the baby was delivered.
As my OB was getting her gown on and preparing everything I couldn’t stop thinking about meeting our little boy so soon! I was starting to feel like a had a basketball down there (!!) and was feeling a lot of pressure and I was starting to feel the pain as each contraction came. My OB gave me a pep talk and told me that no matter what I do I have to listen to her and not stop pushing when she tells me to push. I definitely got scared at this moment and wasn’t sure if I could push out our baby. We pushed three times for ten seconds each push every contraction. I was instructed to push with my bottom like you’re going #2. I pushed as hard as I could as my OB was telling me to not stop. She told me the baby was getting closer each push and that I was going to need an episiotomy. I didn’t care. The pressure and pain was so intense I just wanted him out.
I felt when I was given the local anesthetic for the cut and on the next push is when his head came out. I remember Sione saying “oh my god, his head is out!” I had to push one more time to get his shoulders out and that was the worst pain followed by quick relief after I saw our baby an he was put on my chest. Oh my goodness, that feeling. Sione Titali Fua II was born at 2: 21 PM. I instantly cried so much as I saw his little body and felt his warmth. The pain and whatever my OB was doing down there didn’t matter anymore, I had a huge adrenaline rush. I did feel when my placenta came out, it was uncomfortable but nothing like when the baby came out.
Seeing little Sione on me was so surreal. I couldn’t believe my body created this human and he was finally on my chest and in my arms. He cried beautifully and showed no signs of distress (bc of meconium in the amniotic fluid). It’s hard to describe in words, but it was the best feeling ever. I couldn’t stop crying and kissing his cute little cone head. The nurses briefly wiped him with a towel and he laid on my chest for about an hour quietly and exhausted after his grand entrance. Skin to skin is so important for bonding and I was so happy with our experience at Good Sam. They are very breastfeeding and bonding friendly.
One of the most amazing and sweetest moments during skin to skin is the breast crawl. It’s the process of a newborn reaching the breast all on their own with their natural instinct. the baby is placed in mothers chest and over the course of an hour or so they find the breast and latch on. Our little guy made his way all by himself and needed just a little help latching. It was so sweet to witness our little tiny human doing this.
After about an hour he was officially weighed and measured and had his Apgar testing. He was 8 lbs and 3 oz and 19.5 inches long, 13 oz shy of the estimated 9 lbs the day prior. He didn’t get a bath right away because our hospital doesn’t bathe newborns until 12 hours after birth, if parents want. Little Sione did skin to skin with his Dad for a while and our moms finally met their grandson 2 hours after his birth. We were then transferred to our recovery room while I held little Sione in my arms as we were wheeled to our new room. There was a hospital bed for me, a folding bed for Sione and a bassinet for baby. We also had a bathroom with a shower and some storage space.
We settled in our room and I was able to clean up and change into a robe. I still had an adrenaline rush going and was numb from the local anesthesia so I was able to walk without a problem. We took some more photos in our room with our amazing photographer ShaiLynn and had some more visitors. They say that newborns are a dream the first 24 hours because of how exhausted they are and it was true, it wasn’t til after the first 24 hours that things got really hard.
Nurses came in and out of our room throughout all hours of the day and night for the next two days. Our little guy got his first bath a 5 am on May 2nd and he cried his little eyes out. He also had a vitamin K shot, hep B vaccine and some blood drawn from his heel. Being in the hospital was overwhelming but also nice because we had all the support we needed.
We went home on Friday May 3rd around noon. I was so emotional during the car ride home not only because our baby was here but because I was also scared. He was so little and fragile, I wondered if I would be a good Mom. Im sure all the changes in my hormone levels also contributed to my emotions but just thinking how our life was changing made me cry happy tears. We finally arrived at home and the took it day by day from there.
Little Sione just celebrated his 4 week mark. It feels like time is flying by! I notice him growing everyday and am so amazed by him. We crack up every day because of how cute he is and just can’t wait to see him continue to grow every day. We are so in love.
If you’re still reading, thanks for following! I am so lucky to have had a positive birth experience thanks to my OB, Good Samaritan Hospital and my supportive husband and family. I hope whoever is reading this can take something from my experience. Wishing all the mommas and daddies to be a wonderful journey. Special shout out to our birth photographer Shailynn. She is the best and I am so grateful she made it out from Utah on such short notice to capture priceless memories.
I love you SJ.
