Baby Teddy's Birth Story
After 18ish hours of contractions, we welcomed baby Teddy on January 5, 2018 at 4:15am! Here is his birth story!
Thursday, January 4, my husband Cody "had a feeling" and decided to work from home - it was a good thing he did because I began having contractions on and off that morning. After lunch, they became much more consistent and by 7, we knew we would be going to the hospital soon! We made the calls to the parents and my mom hopped in the car to make the 2 hour drive so she could watch Sawyer while we were at the hospital. My wonderful neighbor, Courtney, took Sawyer for the evening until she got there - even though she has a 7 month old of her own! We left for the hospital around 7:30, and Cody was great making sure to get there in a timely manner considering we live about 25-30 minutes from the hospital. Contractions in the car are no fun!
After checking in, I made Cody take one last bump pic! I had been 2cm and 50% effaced at my appointment the previous Wednesday, so imagine my surprise when the nurse, sweet nurse Q, checked me and I was only 2.5cm dilated! "And it looks like your contractions are slowing down too..." she said. So the plan was for me to walk for 40 minutes, get checked again, and then walk for another 40 if necessary. If nothing was happening after that, then I would be sent home. Thinking of riding in the car for 30 minutes to go back home and then another 30 minutes to get back to the hospital was daunting. I prayed that the walking would help and threw on another hospital gown to cover my backside and got to work - and it worked! After nearly completing my fourth lap around the maternity wing, I was in so much pain, I could barely stand upright, and I had gotten very dizzy and faint feeling. I told Cody to tell the nurses at the station we were coming up to and the next thing I know, I am surrounded by nurses holding me up, helping me with smelling salts, asking me if I know my name! They swooped in with every precaution and I am so grateful for that! Even though it turned out to be just some exhaustion, it was a little scary feeling like that knowing you are about to go through labor! Nurse Q checked me again and I had progressed to 5cm! We were quickly admitted, sent to one of the delivery rooms, and told that the anesthesiologist was ready to get me my epidural.
Now, I have to insert this here - with Sawyer, my first child, I wanted to go as natural as possible. I wanted no drugs and no epidural. Fast forward to 24 hours in labor and I was hit with the most horrific contraction and pain I had ever felt in my body. Knowing that something like that was on its way, I knew that I wanted the epidural right away this time. Props to all you mommies out there who can do it without the help, but for those of us who need the extra comfort - don't discredit your hard work! Its not called "labor" for nothing!
The epidural went in great thanks to the wonderful Doctor B and I was pain free for the rest of the labor and delivery. They broke my water around midnight or 1am, and then the waiting game started.
Around 4am, Nurse Q came in to check me and said it was time! I woke up Cody and asked him if he was ready to have a baby! Nurse Q wanted to see if my body and I remembered how to push correctly and had me try a "practice" push with the next contraction. "Oh wow - yep you remember, I can see the top of his head!" The doctor and another nurse was called in and 4 pushes and 15 minutes later my sweet Teddy was in my arms!
We were so so happy to have him here safely! He arrived weighing 7lbs 6.5oz and measured 20 and 5/8".
Skin to skin with Diddy! This is such an important bonding method for daddy and baby, and it is so sweet to see two of the most important people in the world to me just snuggling each other.
Teddy's first selfie!
Sawyer came to visit and meet his new brother on Friday! Every time Teddy cried, Sawyer brought him his favorite thing - his Fox - to try to calm him down! It was so sweet seeing them together and seeing Sawyer already be so caring for his new brother!
I was feeling well enough on Saturday and was ready to get home, so we were checked and cleared to leave that afternoon! On the way home we stopped for Taco Bell of course! :D
Thank you to everyone for their prayers and well wishes during my pregnancy and for my labor and delivery! I hope you all know what it means to me! If any first or second-time (or any-time!) mommies have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments! I am no expert but I love to share my experiences with others and hear their stories as well! :)
Much love,
Kristin