Wrenn's Birth Story

On Sunday, November 30, I woke up as I had many of the previous mornings...irritated that I was still pregnant. But I had some hope that it was going to be THE day. I had thought for a while that my Wrenn Bird would come on a Sunday just like her brothers did. So I was hopeful...

Beth had spent Saturday night with us because I had freaked her out with my prediction. We spent the day preparing for the week: packing a week's worth of school lunches for the boys, laying out their clothes for the week, etc. I just felt like I needed to. Then, late afternoon, I decided I needed to go to the grocery store. Beth went with me and I had a contraction in the parking lot going in and at the end of our shopping trip (about 45 minutes or so apart). Beth said the color drained out of my face each time. We got home, unloaded the groceries, and I started having contractions about 6 minutes apart. Bam. Just like that.

My doctor's office asked that I not call until my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart for an hour. I was so nervous that she was going to come quickly and that I wouldn't be able to get an epidural. Yes, I NEEDED AN EPIDURAL. So after about 45 minutes of contractions that were 6 minutes apart, I called the OB and asked if I could go to the hospital because I was scared #3 was going to come quickly. He said yes because I was experienced at this and knew if I was in labor.

The mister and I left the boys with Beth and headed over to the hospital. We arrived 15 minutes later at 5:00pm and were admitted. The nurse walked in the room and I said, "Let's get this IV started because I need to get an epidural." Contractions were coming hard and fast. They finally got my IV in (stupid small rolling veins) about 20 minutes later and got that bag of fluids pumping. They checked me at this point and I was 4cm dilated. In addition to the full bag of fluids, my platelet count needed to come back from the lab in order to clear me for the epidural.

Every time my nurse came in, I asked if my lab work was back. Always a no. And I kept repeating to whoever was in there that I needed to get an epidural. About an hour later (6:20ish), my bag of fluids was done but still no lab work back. Then it happened. I had the most painful contraction yet and my water broke. I looked at Christopher with tears (and panic) in my eyes and told him that I wouldn't be getting an epidural. The nurse came in and checked me. I was at 8cm. She asked that they call the doctor. About 5-10 minutes later, I felt like I needed to push so she checked me again and I was fully dilated. She sent that call in to the doctor and started scrambling. (I really don't think they thought I was going to progress that fast although I kept telling them.)

Because we were at a shift change, there were a lot of nurses in there just watching me want to push, but not able to because the doctor wasn't there. I was not my best self. I still wanted an epidural and was clinging to that and the thought that I couldn't do this without one. The pain just engulfed my body and mind. (Thinking back, I was an idiot not to prepare myself mentally that this was how it could have gone down. I think I was so thrown off by the fact that the epidural wasn't happening and just couldn't get past that.) I finally told my nurse that I didn't care if the doctor was there or not, but I was pushing on the next contraction because I could not wait any longer (I had waited about 15-20 minutes - later, I found out there were some communication issues and he hadn't been called right away.).

He barreled in, barely getting his gloves on, as I started pushing. I had forgotten how to push apparently in the 5 years since I had had Carter but quickly regained my footing after one pushing set. However, she was pushing up against a small part of my cervix that wasn't allowing her to come down. After about 2 or 3 pushes, my doctor was able to massage that back so she could come on past (he learned that trick from an old nurse maid long ago). I cursed. I cried. I got mad. I gave up. And then I got that second wind to finally push her out at 7:05pm after about 2-3 more pushes.

It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life. I can't tell you a story about how I found my inner animal, or that it was so spiritual, or that I was one with my motherly essence. I was in pain and I wanted it over. After she came, I was so void of feelings and just laid there so thankful that it was over. I've read that it very common in women with a rapid labor.

Wrenn did get stuck behind my pelvic bone as she was coming out, and subsequently, suffered a broken clavicle (that didn't seem bother her at all; the ped didn't even realize it was broken at first since she was using that arm so much). This is the conversation I had with multiple doctors in the practice (they wanted to induce at 39 weeks to avoid her being too big and having shoulder dystocia). Here was my rationale behind not being induced at 39 weeks and here was my doctor's response who was the one that delivered Wrenn. Of course I felt some guilt over this decision after her birth, but my OB told me that I shouldn't beat myself up over it. He said I could have induced early and ended up needing a C-section or she could have not gotten stuck at all (Carter was the same exact size as Wrenn and came on out fine). So I truly let that go as I know I made the best decision that I could at the time. And her little shoulder healed up in 2 weeks (the dr said you could put two clavicles in a room together and they will find each other; apparently it's the best bone to break if you do break one since they fuse back so easily and quickly.)

Other than the shoulder, she was such a healthy little girl. No jaundice at all, perfect O2 levels, nursed well out of the gate. Besides a few busted blood vessels around my eyes, which healed up quickly, I was in good shape as well. And it didn't take long for me to recover from my emotionless, drained state. I immediately fell in love with this little firecracker.

The boys met their sister for the first time early Monday morning before Beth took them to school. They were in awe.

We had an uneventful stay in the hospital and were discharged Tuesday, December 2 around lunchtime.