I really don’t know why I felt compelled to write this story. I guess over the last two years I would search DEEP into google, like 10 pages deep for anyone with the same story or symptoms as me. When I couldn’t find anything, I would embarrassingly message anyone I semi-knew that has been pregnant asking if they experienced this or that.

That was before I had answers. But I always think back to that time that I wish the people on the forums would come back and update what happened or that I wish I could meet someone that maybe is going through what I am.

So I am compelled to share my story for that one woman searching the internet for answers. Maybe someone is looking for a silver lining, hope, or just to relate to someone. I so desperately needed that. I needed the encouragement. The silver lining. The small glimmer that everything is going to be okay.

And I guess that’s why I’m sharing my birth story with you today.

If you remember, a few weeks before I went into labor I wrote a blog about why I didn’t write a birth plan. I’m not sure if because of that I manifested the birth that I did or not, but it really makes me laugh because if I did I have a birth plan I can promise you it would have been totally opposite than the birth I actually had.

But not to give any spoilers- even without everything going close to plan, everything was okay.

A FEW WEEKS BEFORE

I have Factor V Leiden and MTHFR so I’m told anytime I have a cramp in my leg to go get checked out. Well that whole day I couldn’t shake the cramp in my leg. I checked into the labor triage and after 10minutes of monitoring, a nurse came in and said, “Can you feel the contractions you’re having?”. My mom and I looked at each other in shock and the nurse told me they were pretty close together. I was stupid just thinking I had gas cramps. Well they were no longer focused on my leg and more focused on these contractions. I was only 32 weeks.

So 5 hours later the contractions didn’t stop but I wasn’t dilated yet so they decided to give me a shot to stop labor. Once that was given I was transferred to the emergency room where we waited 6 hours just to find out everything was okay in my leg.

So after that my doctor decided to set me up on twice a week NST or non-stress test. Where I check into the hospital and they monitor the baby for an hour. The first test I passed and then on the Sunday after my baby shower I wasn’t feeling good all day.

I had lost my mucus plug a few days prior but had the stress test the day after and everything was fine. Well the day after my baby shower I was so tired and sore. I figured I just pushed myself too much so after we put away all the baby things, I took a nap. I was awoken from my nap by painful contractions. I started timing them and they were last for over a minute and 3-5 minutes apart. After about an hour of them not stopping, I decided to go to the hospital.

We were there for four hours with consistent contractions. I was 35 weeks and 4 days at this point so I was a little less worried than before but ideally would like baby too cook longer.

After deciding to give me another crack shot- I mean a shot to stop labor, I was released around midnight.

Well two days later I had another NST and surprise, surprise-I failed and was transferred to triage just to be released a few hours later.

Finally, two days later I went into actual labor.

IT’S BABY TIME

Wednesday I was on one. I got all my thank you cards for the shower written and mailed, I deep cleaned the whole house,I had to go to the bathroom (a lot), and finished everything in her nursery. For the first time in a long time I had  A LOT of energy.

That night I got my Lovenox shot and we were off to bed. I started having contractions so I put on my BloomLife monitor and went to bed. I woke up around 3am to intense contractions and saw on my app they were about 3 minutes apart. But we had so much false labor that I decided to just go back to bed.

Then around 5:15am I woke up to go pee and found out I was bleeding A LOT. The contractions were getting more intense and I had my “bloody show”. I called my husband thinking he was at gym which he hadn’t left for yet THANK GOD and then called my mom saying I think today is the day. We grabbed out bags and went off to the hospital.

While at the hospital in triage, the nurse decided it was too early (I was 36 weeks exactly) and gave me a pill to stop labor which I was SO mad about. Lucky for me, my doctor came on 10 minutes after and came to check me. I was 3.5cm dilated and 85% effaced. There was more bleeding and she decided to admit me.

I was in a room within 20 minutes and they induced me at 11am. Because I had my last Lovenox shot at 9pm the night before, I couldn’t have an epidural until after 9pm that night. Let me tell you, laboring absolutely medicine free with NO food is NOT the business.

at 2:30pm not much has changed and my contractions were pretty far apart. I wasn’t dilating further so my doctor decided to break my water. Holy hell. I never imagined your water breaking would be so uncomfortable but it was the WEIRDEST thing I have ever experienced.

Once my water broke, the contractions were coming hard and fast. I was allowed to walk around since I didn’t have an epidural but the contractions were so bad I could barely move let alone walk.

At around 8pm, the nurse was getting concerned over the baby’s heart rate. She was skyrocketing into the 200s and then dropping down to the 80s. When she stabilized a little bit, it was around 10pm and I was cleared to get an epidural.

Epidurals are legit gifts from god and the 2nd best thing to ever happen to me. However, even though I couldn’t feel the contractions I was still having them and each one brought an erratic heartbeat for the babe. The nurse stayed by myside for two hours trying to get me to switch positions and get her heartbeat normal.

Since I have Factor V, they really didn’t want me to have a C-section. Well around 12:15am, the nurse stepped out of the room and came back with my doctor. She told me get ready we are having a baby right now but we have to have a C-section. She said it is not safe to deliver vaginally with her heartbeat not stable and you not dilating further. She was worried about her staying in the birth canal any longer.

So at 12:45am my husband and I were brought into the C-section room and at 1:09am my sweet Addyson Jean was born.

My doctor told me after that she was sideways in the birth canal and wouldn’t have made it with a vaginal birth.

A C-section is the craziest thing I have ever experienced. I was shaking uncontrollably from the 2nd epidural and nerves. I was trying so hard to calm myself but knowing I was cut open to get my baby out didn’t settle well with me. Especially being wide awake for the entire thing.

Once they pulled her out and I heard her little cry, it was the best moment in my entire life. They wrapped her up and handed her to my husband who got to be the first one to ever hold her.

That was such a special moment for both of us. I got to hold her for 8 months, and so it was special for me that my husband got to physically hold her first and meet his daughter.

So I am glad I didn’t show up with a birth plan, because it would have been thrown out the window the second we checked in. I am grateful I didn’t have any expectations except having a healthy baby girl. And that we did.

Addyson was born at 1:09am on July 26th, 2019. She was 6lb 1oz and 19.5 in long. I had her at 36 weeks via C-section.

Thanks for reading,

Mariah

(&Addyson)