Wells' Birth Story

Wells is one week old and I'm looking forward to sharing his birth story today! I love reliving all of my babies birth stories and I'm so thankful for this space where I've written them all down in detail so I never forget anything.

Like I kept saying last week, I was holding Bennett's hand and walking into church on Sunday when I felt Wells drop. I immediately felt different and knew something was getting stirred up in there. After church I actually ended up running a bunch of last minute errands in case he would be arriving soon. All day on Monday and Tuesday I was having contractions. My abdomen was SO sore from it. They were confusing me though because the contractions weren't consistent or getting stronger. They just continuously kept happening all day long and they were very frequent, almost non stop. I knew they were labor contractions and felt like I had been in labor since early Monday morning. I was really looking forward to my weekly OB appointment on Wednesday morning because I knew I would get insight into what was going on.

I got to my appointment and was so anxious to get checked. However, when my OB checked me, she said my cervix was still pretty high. I was actually relieved. I asked her if she thought I had a week left and she said no, she thought I'd have him sometime in the next few days. She asked me how I felt about going to the hospital for a few hours and getting hooked up to some monitors just so she could see what was going on with the contractions. She also wanted me to get another TERB shot to see if it would calm down my uterus and provide me with some relief from the non stop contractions I'd been having for the last few days. I went back home then Scott and the boys dropped me off at the hospital since I wouldn't be able to drive once I was finished. I told them all bye and I'd give Scott a call once we were wrapping up and they could come back and get me.
I got hooked up to the monitors, pulled out my Subway sandwich I'd picked up on the way to the hospital, and chilled. The contractions were picking up on the monitor and they were spiking super high. I kept texting pictures of the monitor to Scott and my Mom saying "look at these things! This is what I've been feeling since Monday!!" The nurse almost immediately gave me the TERB shot and a pain pill since I was so sore from all of the contractions I'd been having the last 2 days. I was texting with my OB and asking her what she was thinking about the contractions. After I had been there for a few hours, she said she wanted to have the nurse check me to be sure then keep me a little bit longer. We weren't going to have the nurses check me since my OB had just checked me in the clinic but I guess the contractions made her feel like I should get checked. The nurse checked me then said "oh yeah girl, you're in labor! You're at a 4 to 5....you're having a baby tonight!!"
I immediately started crying. I was absolutely not expecting that and my emotions went all over the place. I picked up the phone (it says I made the call at 2:14), shaking, and called Scott. He could hardly understand me because of me crying but all I said was "I'm in labor" and he frantically said "okay!!" then hung up. I immediately called my mom and gave her the exact same phone call and got the exact same response! I sensed both of them throwing the phone down and running to pack a bag and getting to me as quickly as possible!!
About 5 nurses immediately poured into my room and told me they were transferring me to a labor and delivery room. As they were doing that, Scott FaceTimed me from my closet so he could pack a bag of exactly what I wanted. His Mom got to the house quickly to watch the boys then Scott took off and headed towards the hospital.
While I was waiting on Scott, the nurses were preparing me "for the worst" as far as Wells coming almost an entire month early. They said they had already contacted NICU to let them know a 36 weeker was coming. A NICU nurse was planning to be in my room when I delivered and worst case we'd be in the hospital for a week. She said he may need oxygen so I wouldn't be able to nurse because he'd be hooked up to a feeding tube. That made me sad but I was prepared for whatever was to be. They did give me a steroid shot to help his lungs get stronger and got me an IV for Group B Strep even though we didn't know if I was positive for it since I had just done that test earlier that morning and didn't have the results yet. They asked me if I wanted an epidural and I said no. I was doing this without it!!

I was progressing quickly. My Mom was so worried she wouldn't make it in time. We knew she'd be there by 6:30 so I was just hoping to hold out until she got there. With how quickly everything was going, we were all predicting him to be born around 8:00. I was feeling really great and not in any pain at all. I had been complaining about the contractions I'd been having that whole week but once I was in the L&D room, I guess my adrenaline was rushing and I wasn't feeling a thing!!

My Mom made it in time and by about 6:30 I was at an 8.....and stalled at an 8 for about 3.5 hours. I guess Wells was sunny side up and he needed to rotate to be able to come down more. They had me lay on my side and try different positions to get him to move. They also decide to get me on some Pitocin to pick things up. It finally ended up working and then everything started moving fast again. Just shortly after 10:00 I was finally feeling my contractions and having to breathe through them. They were getting a little painful, lasting about 40 seconds and coming really quickly together. By 10:30 I was really feeling the contractions and knew I didn't have much longer to go. Thankfully my OB was in the room with me and told me to let her know once I started feeling some pressure and the need to push. Fifteen minutes later and I told her it was almost time. She started scrubbing up and the nurses began pouring in. Suddenly just seconds later I was seriously in so much pain. I was trying to breath and had a death grip onto the bed rails. I was SO ready to push and get him out. I couldn't focus on anything they were saying to me. I remember asking them to take my socks off and fan my face because I had a second where I thought I may pass out. Once the nurse cooled me down I felt a little better but all I could think about was how I just wanted to push him out. Suddenly I felt Wells push himself out a little and I told Amber he was coming out on his own. She told me to get my legs in the stirrups so the nurses got me set up then Amber told me to grab under my legs and push when I was ready. I don't think she could even finish saying it before I grabbed behind my legs and with one big push I got him out!! Everyone immediately started commenting on how great his color was and also how he had so much hair but I couldn't even look. I was laying back, breathing hard, and trying to recover from what I had just gone through. Scott cut his cord then Amber held him up so I could see him and ask me if I was ready to hold him. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I had the strength to but I said yes and as soon as she laid him on my chest, all was right in mine and Wells' world. He stopped crying and I stopped feeling pain. I just held my baby and told him over and over how much I loved him. We stayed that way for the next 2 hours.

Overall, such a different birth experience from my other two. I knew I would be okay not having an epidural until I got to the very end. The nurses are always amazed that I can be at an 8 and say I'm not feeling any pain. That's how I've been each time and I don't know why I don't feel it but I don't. I knew the 10-15 minutes before pushing would be the hardest for me. That's how it was with Bennett but with him, when I was pushing it was such relief. It didn't hurt at all to push him out and I was able to focus on what the doctor was telling me to do and when to push. It's almost like the pain went away right before I pushed Bennett. With Wells it hurt SO bad to push. All I could think about was how bad I wanted him out but as I was pushing him out it was so painful. I could feel his head then his shoulders and his bottom slide out....every bit of it. I asked Scott how long it took me to push him out. I guessed a minute and he said "umm....maybe 10 seconds!" Ha. Felt like a minute. I was determined to get that little guy out as quickly as possible. It all really did end up happening so fast. From the time I said it was about time to push him out to his delivery it was quick. Scott said he felt like he didn't even get to see it happen because it all went by so fast.

Like all of my L&D days, it was the best day. I woke up that morning actually thinking to myself "this would be a great day to have a baby." I never, ever wake up before my kids but I did that day. I woke up feeling refreshed so I made some coffee and drank it in peace for about 20 minutes before anyone in my house was awake. It just seemed to start the day off right. Scott felt so bad that he dropped me off at the hospital instead of coming with me but we didn't know! That was the second time this pregnancy that I had to go monitor my contractions and get a TERB shot and I actually thought while I was there "I'm so glad Scott isn't here because this would be such a waste of his time." I was so relieved to have him with me once he arrived though, obviously. And we kept saying what a nice experience it was because I wasn't hooked up to a bunch of monitors so I was able to just walk around the room vs lay in a bed all day. And even though I was in a lot of pain (even if it was only for about 25 minutes) I'm so glad I can say I had Wells without an epidural!! And most of all, I'm so thankful that even though he came on 36 weeks to the day, he is perfectly healthy. What a huge blessing. Thank you Jesus for all of my amazing labor and deliveries and for my three perfect little boys.