Ivy's Birth Story

Just be aware that I do talk about some mildly graphic stuff. And this whole post is gargantuan.

Also, Ryan created an account for Ivy on Flicker: Ivy Nation (no, nation has nothing to do with her name at all. It's just what Ryan created - you'd have to ask him about that). I'll put this link up permanently in the sidelines.




Monday November 23rd started as a regular day. We had been told the week prior during NSTs that Dr. Gillean wanted to “pencil us in” for induction the following week. I was nervous, anxious, scared and excited to know that we would have a baby within a week. So on the 23rd, we had our regular obgyn appointment and Dr. Gillean told us several things. My cervix was not opening but she may have stripped my membranes while there. Since it was not opening, she wanted to start me off with cervadil but she had her doubts about it working since I wasn’t opening on my own. She said we could try pitocin afterwards if I showed any progress but with pitocin, I would almost be guaranteed a c-section. However, she was concerned about my fears and wanting to avoid a c-section and told me that it was ultimately up to me.

We left for the hospital after the appointment and arrived at Presbyterian of Rockwall around 5pm and were admitted to labor and delivery for the evening. I was hooked up to the monitors (contractions, heart rate, blood pressure) as usual. Then we had a sonogram and we got to see the baby on the inside one last time. Around 8:30 pm, Dr. G ordered the cervadil to be placed behind my cervix. While checking for placement, the nurse noticed that I had dilated to 2 centimeters on my own. Around 9pm, we decided to call it a night and try to sleep. I was able to get some sleep off and on through the night but the contractions were getting mildly uncomfortable.

Tuesday the 24th around 7:30 am, Dr. G came by to check me out and remove the cervadil and she said things were progressing nicely and that I was dilated to a 3 or 4. She ordered the pitocin and antibiotics (because lab results for the group b strep test from last week never came through) to progress labor. At this point, Dr. G also decided to rupture the amniotic sac.

I had wanted to try to have a natural delivery without pain medicine and I was pretty adamant about it. But I knew that if pitocin was used (which it was), that contractions would be more intense and painful. While I was laboring, my parents and Ryan’s parents came to visit for a few minutes. I remember that sitting up cross-legged helped with the back labor pains but one of the nurses complained that sitting up was causing the monitor on the baby to misread. I focused on the baby warmer. Apparently the brand is Panda and I focused on either the P or the momma panda pictured there. Breathing through the contractions helped quite a bit.

Around 11:30 to noon, I was in very intense pain and I wanted to try some form of pain management and decided on IV medication which didn’t do much but make me not care so much about the pain and cause me to be very dizzy or “drunk.” At 12:30, I wanted more pain medication and spoke with the anesthesiologist again. He recommended the epidural and we talked about the risks. He made me feel more comfortable about getting it so I did. I was terrified of the pain of the process and to possibilities of all kinds of complications (infections, more back pain, the chance of the medicine not working, etc). He had me sit up sit still while he cleaned my back and found a good space. He inserted the needle – which I did feel a little and then I felt pressure as he was putting in the medicine. I did have a few contractions while he was inserting the epidural. But I had my rock with me holding my hands and being extremely supportive. The urinary catheter was inserted afterwards. I am so happy I got the epidural. The relief was almost instantaneous. I was able to relax for a little while. My mom came in at one point (she says it was at my request – I do remember her putting a pair of socks on my feet) and one of the nurses checked on me to see if I needed anything and checked on the epidural. I told her I felt strange and that I was unconsciously tensing muscles in my thighs and buttocks. She decided to go ahead and check my progress and found me to be between 9 and 10 centimeters and that I was ready to go. We were all in shock. I think I only had the epidural in for an hour to an hour and a half. My mom high-tailed it out of the room and I did a test-push session. It looked good so they called Dr. Gillean. At this point, the nurse said something about being able to see the head and I asked if she could see the hair. She said yes and that it was dark. She also asked me if I wanted to see it and asked if I had a mirror and offered another mirror. I didn’t want to see anything so I declined.

Doctor Gillean came in and she had me pushing through 3 or four contractions. While I was pushing, Ryan was such a major support. He was always telling me that I was doing so well and he supported my neck and head while I was pushing. At one point the baby was stuck and Dr. G asked my permission to try vacuum extraction to help get the baby out. We only spoke a little about the risks but I consented – at least it wasn’t forceps at this point. The vacuum lasted for only one round of contractions/pushing and popped off. Then, the doctor let me know it’d be beneficial to do an episiotomy to which I also consented. Then with the next round of pushes, my little heart was born. Throughout all the pushing, my eyes were closed tight except while between contractions. At the point that I felt the baby come out, I immediately opened my eyes to see everything.

I saw the baby and was immediately curious to see for certain that I had a boy. But I heard some nurses start saying ‘she’ in reference to the baby. I was confused and asked ‘What? What is it?’ Doctor Gillean announced to me that the baby was a girl and that she ‘needed to be put on her momma’s stomach.’ Then I felt her and saw her resting there while Ryan was asked if he wanted to cut the cord. When we discussed this previously, he wasn’t sure he wanted to and I told him that I did want him to. So when he was asked, he said something like ‘I guess’ or ‘sure’ but I gave out a resounding ‘yes.’ And so he cut the cord. (Ryan told me that he had told me immediately after her birth that she was a girl. However, with all the adrenaline and pushing and commotion, I did not hear him. I’m disappointed that I did not hear him as it was the one thing I really wanted to happen – to have him tell me.)

Then the baby was whisked away to get cleaned up in the warmer and Ryan went with her to take pictures. The nurses asked what her name was and I told them ‘Ivy Rae’ and they all loved it. I was watching Ryan take pictures of Ivy and then holding her after she was cleaned and bundled while I delivered the placenta (and I’m surprised I wasn’t asked to push for it) and Dr. Gillean stitched me up. I was surprised that Ryan still had Ivy by the warmer and I asked him to bring her to me so I could see her. And he did, then I finally got to really hold her.