We were able to document our pregnancy story with our first a while back and have so badly wanted to get a podcast and blog together about the labor and delivery experience - the time has finally come! Here are all the details on how labor and delivery actually was with our sweet Hazel Mae! Spoiler alert: it’s nothing like the movies.

The day before delivery

I woke up on a Friday (three days before my due date), and immediately started feeling contractions. Up until that point, I had not felt anything like a contraction, so I thought I might have a baby that very day! We hung up the nursery name sign that we had tucked away, made sure we had all the bags ready, and I headed to my check-up appointment that morning.

I was curious so I had them check me, and I was barely 1 cm dilated. Knowing that I could stay that way for a while before really progressing, Tyler and I decided to go on a day date to Dike, IA, which is where we bought our first home. S/O Slice for being such a good small town food joint :)

From there we left for my sister’s basketball game in my hometown, and all the while I was having minor contractions. Tyler wanted me to make sure I told him every time I had one lol. He was concerned and wanted to do anything he could to help.

We went to bed that night, and then around midnight I woke up to an excruciating contraction and a pop! I went to the bathroom just to make sure and called for Tyler, telling him I thought my water had definitely broken!

The day of delivery

I called the hospital just to see if I should come in right away or wait. They advised us to come in, so we grabbed our bags, I ate a rice cake with peanut butter as we headed out the door, and I started breathing through contractions.

We got to the hospital around 1 a.m., and they wheelchaired me upstairs. Tyler and I waited in an examination room which felt like forever. There was a sign in the room that said “Es La Ley,” as there is in medical facilities, and for some reason that became a funny saying we kept laughing at. I think we were both delusional, and I was trying to laugh and smile through the pain.

Finally we got moved to a room, and they worked on drawing my blood. Sometimes I get lightheaded when that happens, and because I hadn’t eaten in a while and I was feeling the pain I was, I think my body went into a frenzy, and I started to get weak. Tyler borrowed a clipboard and was fanning me while I tried to slurp down juice (which tasted soooo good). 

I decided to get an epidural, which I know can be quite a hot topic, but I just want to encourage all the moms out there to do what works best for them. There will always be opinions and debates, but you have to do what you think is best for your body and your baby. I chose to get an epidural, and I had a wonderful experience.

But before I could get an epidural, they had to get an IV in, and they could. not. get. it. Soooo lightheaded round #2 happened, and they had to bring up an EMT person to finally get it. Once the epidural was in (which went in really smooth), I had pretty instant relief. But once they put the catheter in, I got lightheaded again for some reason lol. Tyler was fanning me with the clipboard, icing my neck, feeding me juice - doing anything he could to help, and it was so sweet.

At one point they checked me, and the nurse had said she thought my water had closed off and maybe needed to be broken again. The doctor didn’t think so, so they held off. Luckily I was able to nap after the epidural and have some relief, and Tyler was able to run home quickly to get something to eat. S/O Mom for being there and doing whatever she could to help!

At this point, it was Saturday afternoon, and babe still had not come. The doctor decided to check me again and realized that my water had closed itself off and needed to be broken again. Once they did that, things started progressing fast!

But because I had napped on my right side, the epidural had worn off some on my left side. They told me to lay on that left side with hopes it would trickle over there and be effective. After a while I still felt a lot of pain, so I called for more medicine. But then I called it off because it was starting to take effect on both sides again!

It was perfect because I could still feel when my contractions were and when it was time to push. I pushed for about 50 minutes (which honestly felt like pooping tbh haha), and the nurse was amazing every step of the way as she encouraged me and kept telling me about all the hair she could see on sweet babe’s head!

Finally our girl entered the world, and I asked if it was over lol. They put her up on my chest, and I looked up at Tyler, seeing tears well in his eyes. It was a beautiful moment - even though delivering the placenta and getting stitched up wasn’t very comfortable lol. 

After delivery

Luckily I could move super well right away and was able to go to the bathroom and eventually hop in the bath (hallelujah). I was starving, because at that point it was over 24 hours of not eating anything but ice chips, so Tyler fed me a Sub City sandwich while I sat in the bath (I couldn’t pick up my sandwich easily with how the IV was positioned).

That darn IV was so uncomfortable for the next day, and I was praising the Lord when they took it out. Trying to figure out how to hold Hazel and breastfeed with it in wasn’t the most comfortable thing haha. 

We had the nurses take Hazel through the night and tried to get rest when we could. Hazel got to watch her first Titans game (and loss) with Daddy on Sunday, and then on Monday we got pictures at the hospital as a family.

It was so surreal leaving that day and driving home with a brand new human in the backseat. It was so nerve wracking to drive with her, and we definitely were driving way slower and more cautious than normal.

All in all, the labor and delivery went pretty smoothly, and I’m grateful for how it all went down, as I know so many have different experiences. I’m praying for our next one to be just like our first experience and am trusting that God will be there for every moment along the way.