Sloan's Birth Story

I loved reading back through Olivia and Emma's and all the things I had forgotten. Hopefully the sleep deprivation hasn't made me forget any key details in one week. 

This was the best delivery yet. Sweet Sloany who caused so much pain during pregnancy, at least came out pain free.

As you know, I was on the induction list for the Friday before, but so many people came into the hospital in labor they weren't able to take as many inductions as normal. So began my time on the "wait list." I got a phone call every morning and every afternoon saying "its not likely that we will get you in this shift." I had to keep my phone on me - because if you miss the call, they go down the list. 

I cancelled all my future doctor appointments. I couldn't walk well enough to get into the office and it just wasn't worth it for another "I bet she's coming any day" visit - like I had had the past 4 weeks. They called to let me know I needed to be seen - I sort brushed that off a few times. 

Thursday rolled around and the afternoon call said to call at 8pm to talk to the night shift people - it was unlikely, but the lady wanted to make sure I didn't get "missed" - whatever that means. I called - they took a message for the induction person to call me back right away. Didn't hear anything. I had 0 hope.

At 10:30pm I took a tylenol pm to hopefully get some sleep, and the phone rang: "can you come right now?" Umm I guess morning isn't an option? "If you don't come now, you go back to the bottom of the list." We're on our way.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with the kids. Backup was always, Dan stays with them, I call when baby was born. My parents had just gotten to Atlanta, and I knew I didn't want them driving all night long. My friend Abby generously offered to be our on-call night person, but she had work in the morning. When I hung up, I saw a text from my parents "we just got back to the lake, just in case." (The lake is 2 hours from us). I called - "welp - come on up!"

Abby came over to watch the girls until my parents got there - she's a godsend - pregnant, work night and she's hanging at our house until 1am.

I felt stupid using the wheelchair for the first time ever into Labor and Delivery ... for a scheduled induction. But I just couldn't walk. We got all checked in and hooked up and they let me know that I would be on antibiotics for 8 hours. WHAT. We thought for sure we would have a baby in 8 hours. It was fine, because my doctor was on call first thing that morning - but I REALLY wanted to sleep and the sleeping pill I took REALLY wanted me to sleep. 

The nurse said "try to get some rest, I'll check on you every 30 minutes." I'm sorry - that doesn't seem possible. 

They started pitocin around 6 am and I INSISTED on the epidural right away. They advised against it, but since the girls came so fast that I barely got one, I didn't want to risk it. She asked if I had a written birth plan, and I replied "would you like me to write down the word epidural?" 

They started the epidural soon after and there was all this talk and instruction that I don't remember at all from the girls. I was in so much pain with them, it was a blur. 

The epidural kicked in and the doctor came in to break my water. Super weird thought. But I couldn't feel a thing. I highly recommend an epidural.

We just hung out. Watched contractions on the monitor. They would get stronger and more intense, and then die out for an hour, and start back up. Apparently that is normal. They kept telling me to rest - but the printer paper was low and it sent an alarm, if any fluids were low, it sent an alarm and a cuff took my blood pressure every 15 minutes. A few times it was too low and they had to up fluids. All in all, impossible to rest.

Around 11 am they said it was time to push, but to wait on the doctor. No probs, I have drugs, I can't feel a thing. Twenty minutes of pushing and Sloan was out at 11:57am. Honestly the IV was worse than childbirth.

The cord was tightly wrapped around her neck, so that scared Dan and the doctor for a bit. My doctor had given Dan a lesson in delivering a baby - since Emma came so fast, they both thought Sloan would be delivered on the side of the road. The lesson included slipping the cord over the head if it was wrapped around. Dan was watching as the doctor tried a few times and Dan started to worry. My doctor had to cut the cord instantly to get her undone - so good thing she wasn't born in the Honda Odyssey. 

They don't weigh the babies right away - this is new since Emma - for about 8 hours after birth. So we had to wait awhile to find out she was 8 lbs 15.4 ounces, 22 inches long, and her head was wayyy off the charts at 38 centimeters. I think she was fully cooked.

It was the easiest, most peaceful delivery - yet we still got the excitement of rushing to the hospital with no warning.

My parents brought the girls to meet her and they were so excited, proud, and in love! I have never seen Emma so sweet.