Miles Matterhorn: Birth Story

I've known all along that labor #3 was going to be a fast one! I'd been having contractions since I was 20 weeks pregnant and all that work would mean this baby was going to make a quick entrance. Spoiler alert: I was wrong! :) This birth story is going to be a long one and will possibly be too detailed for many people, but I want to remember it all. 

My Dr. was going to do a membrane sweep for me at my 39 week appointment (on Thursday, February 14) but had to rush away to deliver another baby. I was able to see a midwife in the same practice and she confirmed I was still 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. She performed the (painful!) membrane sweep and sent me home with instructions to walk and stay active to get contractions going. I barely made the 3-minute drive home before the contractions had really picked up in intensity. I was excited that things seemed to be progressing. I couldn't ever time them, however, and spent the next couple days having these irregular but semi-painful contractions. 

Costco Shopping 

On Saturday morning (February 16), our family of 4 went to Costco for some grocery shopping and to have lunch in their food court. Walking around that huge store got my contractions really going and I was having to pause as we shopped because I was really feeling them. I'd been mentally preparing for months to have prodromal labor again (more on that later), so I was working hard to not get my hopes up. We finished shopping and ate lunch before coming home. I lost my mucus plug that afternoon and laid down for a nap, cautiously hoping it might be my last chance to do so before having a baby. 

I woke up a couple hours later with pretty painful, but still irregular contractions. We ate dinner and packed our hospital bags as I tried to find some sort of pattern to the contractions. I couldn't ever really time them well but I could tell they were real (and not just Braxton Hicks) and I also knew I needed to get to the hospital in time to get antibiotics before delivery since I had group B strep. Luke's delivery had gone really quickly, so I felt sure this one would go at least that fast. I asked my friend, Meredith, to come stay the night with the boys and we cleaned the house and did all the last "nesting" things I felt compelled to get done. When we told the boys that we were going to the hospital to have a baby, Peter was ecstatic. He jumped up and down and screamed and was over the moon excited! Luke was just excited that Meredith was coming over. :) 

Peter's sign he made for baby: "I hope you come soon"

We arrived at the hospital just before 8:00 p.m. and were put in the triage room for monitoring. The nurse checked me and determined I was 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. Shortly after arriving, my contractions completely stopped. I was hopeful that I could get them going again once I was able to get up and walk around, climb the stairs, etc. Unfortunately, baby's heart-rate was really high and they wanted to keep me on the monitor until his heart-rate was back in the normal range. I was drinking as much water as possible in hopes that it would help, but a couple hours went by and his heart-rate was still elevated (and I was still not having contractions). 

At this point (around 10:30), the plan was for us to go home as soon as they could lower his heart-rate. They gave me a saline IV and also drew some blood to run labs and make sure I didn't have an infection or some other weird reason for his high heart-rate. A couple more hours went by and just as quickly as they stopped, my contractions started back up again. This time, they were far more intense and closer together than before. Unfortunately, I was still confined to bed and the monitors so I wasn't able to move around or do much to manage the pain besides deep breathing and trying to relax.

39 weeks

The saline helped normalize his heart-rate and my contractions were now 2-3 minutes apart, so I was thrilled that we were already at the hospital and I was really in labor! I was barely able to breathe or talk through the contractions, so about 2:00 a.m. the nurse checked me again. I didn't progress at all in the last several hours of contractions. Despite the fact that I was expecting it, I was pretty disappointed when I realized I was heading into prodromal labor again.

I'd experienced prodromal labor with Luke, which means that you're having real contractions consistently, but your body isn't actually making progress. These lasted almost a full week with Luke before I had her break my water, so I'd already determined I wouldn't wait so long this time. My Dr. had been at the hospital earlier in the evening, and I'd hoped she would come by to see me, but she'd just finished a c-section and went home to get some rest, thinking she might be back to deliver my baby later that night. The nurse told me I could call Dr. Powell's office on Monday and see if they'd get me in earlier than my already scheduled appointment on Wednesday. The prospect of having these intense contractions 2-3 minutes apart for a few more days was just about enough to break me. Plus, I was remembering how quickly I transitioned with Luke and was afraid I wouldn't make it back to the hospital if things moved even quicker this time. I was frustrated that my body wasn't cooperating.

Baby's Closet Ready & Waiting 

After the nurse checked me around 2:00, she went to update Dr. Powell on my progress, or lack thereof. I should mention that I'd talked to my Dr. several times already about the fact that my body has never got into labor on its own and I've always needed a little nudge via induction or having my water broken. She agreed that it was likely I'd need that help again when the time came. I'd also shared that I didn't want to let prodromal labor go on as long as I had with Luke and she said she didn't see a need for that either. The nurse returned to my room and told me that she wasn't allowed to admit me to the hospital because I wasn't in active labor, but Dr. Powell was giving me the choice regarding our next move. If I wanted to go home and labor there, she was good with that, and if I wanted to be admitted to the hospital, she'd come by in the morning and break my water so baby could be born that day. It wasn't a hard decision for me!

Around 2:30 a.m., we were admitted to a room. We hadn't slept at all in triage, so we were completely exhausted. I was nervous at this point because I couldn't imagine going into labor already feeling so worn out. Once we were settled in the room, (around 3:30) I asked for an IV dose of Fentanyl so I could (hopefully) get a little sleep before Dr. Powell came to break my water in a few hours. My contractions had settled down a bit by this time and I was able to nap between nurses coming in to check on me.

Baby #3 took us to Minivan Status!

Dr. Powell came in around 9:00 a.m. and at this point, I was 4 cm, 75%, and a -2 station. She said I'd made good progress while I was sleeping and this was the first time I realized how helpful rest was to my labor progress. She broke my water and then went to church services. She left us with instructions to page her if things went crazy fast. My labor with Luke was exponentially faster than Peter's so I was sure the same thing would happen this time. I received my 3rd round of antibiotics around 10:00 a.m. and got up to walk around/bounce on the ball/get this show on the road!

At noon, the nurse came in to check me and, again, I was disappointed to find out I was still 4 cm and had made no progress since having my water broken. Dr. Powell had the nurse start a round of Pitocin. I had a really bad experience with Pitocin in labor with Peter and I was terrified of it in my labor with Luke (which is why it took me so long to agree to her breaking my water). I'd decided to get an epidural this time around, so I asked for it at the same time they started Pitocin. Right after she'd started the Pitocin, the nurse told me that the anesthesiologist was in surgery for the next hour and a half and he would come to place the epidural when he finished. It's safe to say I wasn't thrilled. This is not how I planned it! ;)

I quickly decided I needed to make a new game plan so I went into ultimate relaxation mode. The lights were dimmed. Kory turned on some relaxing spa music. I bounced on the ball and leaned onto the foot of the hospital bed. During contractions, I breathed deeply, moaned a little, and had Kory apply pressure to my lower back. I tried not to watch the clock but found myself looking at it after almost every contraction, longing for it to be 1:30 already. About 1:15, I asked for another IV dose of Fentanyl because the contractions were STRONG and I hoped it could take the edge off while I waited for the epidural.

Final Ultrasound at 34 weeks

When I'd had the first dose, it made me feel a little weird, but I fell asleep so quickly I barely noticed the effects. (Side note: I looked up Fentanyl to make sure I was spelling it correctly and found this description. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiod that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.) This stuff is potent indeed. By the time the anesthesiologist came in, I was high as a kite. I was aware of everything happening but I was SO drugged and could barely focus on anyone or anything. The plus side is that I didn't even feel the epidural being placed and it was totally pain-free.

At 2:00 p.m. the nurse checked me again and I was still 4 cm. In the past 18 hours, I'd progressed 1 cm, so I felt pretty sure I'd have time to nap for a few hours and then deliver later that evening. I think I fell asleep around 2:15 p.m. after the nurses upped my Pitocin and got the peanut ball situated between my legs. At 3:00, two nurses woke me up to turn me over and rotate the ball. I was immediately frustrated that the epidural wasn't working correctly. I could feel the contractions again! One nurse decided to check me again and she told me I was 9.75 cm and what I was feeling was my body pushing baby out! She told me not to bear down or push at all and she quickly headed out to call Dr. Powell and tell her to get to the hospital ASAP.

Our last view of baby in the womb 

Much to all of our surprise, I immediately burst into tears and began shaking uncontrollably! I was so scared to deliver this baby. This was going way too fast (after going way too slow)! Pushing both my other babies out had been pretty traumatic for me--Peter's because it was SO long and difficult and Luke's because it was SO quick and painful. I so badly wanted to think sweet thoughts about meeting my baby but instead was overwhelmed by fear. Kory and my nurse, Diane, were so kind and comforting to me as I worked through these emotions.

Dr. Powell arrived around 3:20 p.m., confirmed I was 10 cm and went to change into her scrubs. As she and the nurses prepared for delivery, I felt a sudden peace wash over me. Dr. Powell is an incredibly calm and patient woman. She's exactly the provider I needed in that moment. My body continued to push baby down and I laid on that hospital bed, trying to soak in the final moments before my life was forever changed.

Excited Big Brothers

I probably would have called you a liar if you told me this would be my experience...but I sincerely enjoyed the pushing phase of this delivery! It was so calm and serene in that room. The spa music was still playing, the lights were dimmed low, and there were 4 people in the room besides me: Kory, Dr. Powell and 2 wonderful nurses. Between contractions, we were talking and joking and just enjoying the moment. Dr. Powell asked if we were going to have more kids and I joked that this was probably not the best time for that question. I commented on how calm the room was at one point and one of the nurses agreed that this was how she wished all deliveries could be. I was holding my breath, focused on pushing until a nurse mentioned that she could see his dark hair and it completely took my breath away! I teared up and was overcome by emotion. I remember thinking "there's actually a real baby in there!"

I've heard people say before that what you feel when delivering a baby is pressure, not pain. That had not been my experience previously, but I finally understand what they mean. It was not painful at all but I could feel the pressure and progress with every push. After 13 minutes of pushing, Miles Matterhorn Mereness was born at 3:55 p.m.!

He weighed 7 lb. 11 oz. and measured 19.75 inches long.

Pretty soon after he was born, while Miles and I were doing skin to skin, a woman across the hall was in the final stages of labor and she started screaming. I flashed back to Luke's delivery and remembered being in her shoes and then immediately thanked God for the incredibly redemptive delivery I was able to have with Miles. I spent a lot of my pregnancy struggling with fear surrounding labor and delivery and I'm immensely thankful that I got to experience such a beautiful entrance into the world.