Rosalie's Birth Story -- Part II

After I switched to a real hospital room, I settled in and started to get so excited. It was about 4pm by now, and things were starting to feel real. Of course I was still nervous, but not nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. 

All the books I read told me to make sure I had a birth plan in order. So I tried my best to write one out, but in my heart I knew I had to be open to all possibilities because all births are different.

One of the things at the top of my list was “No pitocin.” About five minutes after getting into my new room, my nurse waltzed in and started hooking me up to an IV. (She hardcore butchered my hand in the process and got blood all over the bed). I was not excited that she was going to be my nurse. I looked at her with a concerned look as I saw a giant bag labeled “PITOCIN”.

I looked at Daddy. He knew all of the things I was worried about because we had talked about it beforehand. So he asked the nurse, “Why are you starting her on Pitocin already?” The nurse told me that my Dr had ordered it within the next couple of hours because I was still not having any contractions. 

I was sad, but I understood because my water had already broken that they would want me to have you before there was any chance of you getting an infection. That was one of the first times I made a decision as your mommy. I decided it was more important to get you out quickly, and safe and sound than it was to be able to go into labor naturally, as I had wanted to. 

She went ahead and hooked me up. We talked a little bit about how glad I was not to be having you on 9/11(That was my due date). She asked me what we were gonna name you, but I can’t remember if I told her or not because I was so used to it being a secret.

I asked her if I could take a shower or a bath to help with contractions when I started to feel them. (I still couldn’t feel any, but the monitor did show I was starting to have them). She told me I couldn’t because I had to constantly be hooked up to the monitor. I think my face looked sad because she said, “75% of people who get in the tub just want to get right back out again.” That didnt really make me feel better. I was still pretty upset. When she left the room, I looked at Daddy and almost started to cry. This was not how I had imagined this would go. The two things I cared most about; not getting any Pitocin and being able to walk around and do some alternative pain therapy and I basically had to chuck my short and simple "birth plan" out the window.

But again, I wanted what was best for you, and somehow I knew that God would get us through this. He had brought us so far in the last nine months. 

Around 7pm there was a shift change and I got a new nurse. A wonderful new nurse. Also, by then Aunt Abby and Aunt Gretchen had got there! It made Mommy feel so much better to have them there with me! It seemed like everything was starting to get better. My new nurse brought me lots and lots of Popsicles.

At shift change I was checked again and told that I was still at 4cm. Nothing had changed or progressed since I came in. I was having contractions but they still weren’t very painful. 

My new nurse was very attentive to me so when I asked for some alternatives to just continuing to up the Pitocin, she went out of her way to help me out. She went and got this fancy wireless monitor that I could wear out of the bed. She also told me that I had to stay monitored because Pitocin can make the baby’s heart drop. That was something that I didn’t know, and after she told me that—I didn’t want to be disconnected from the monitor! All I cared about was making sure that you were safe. 

Now that I could get up, I started bouncing on a birthing ball. I sat bouncing on the ball, chatting with Daddy, Aunt Gretchen, and Aunt Abby and watching my contractions on the monitor. We were laughing because every time I would have one, Daddy and I would high five, and that’s not usually what most moms do during contractions. It was a pretty fun time. Not really how I had imagined birth would be. 

The nurse was getting a little puzzled as to why I still wasn’t feeling anything, and as to why the contractions weren’t really picking up in intensity. They were consistent but just not really progressing. And on top of that, I still wasn’t dilating anymore. She looked at me during one of my high fives with Daddy and said, "I hate to say it, but you're not gonna be the first woman in history to have a painless birth." We all laughed..ish... 

After about an hour on the ball, Mommy was exhausted! I decided to take a break and lay back down. The nurse told me she had an idea if I was willing to try opening up my hips. So she used the leg-holder-thingys (definitely the official name) and laid me on my side with my hips spread apart. 

I laid like that for a half hour on each side. 

Then.

Something happened again.

Almost immediately after she put my second leg back down. NI-AG-RA FALLS. 

My water broke. Again, I guess? I don’t know. I didn’t know then either. Daddy didn’t know. Aunt Gretchen didn’t know. Aunt Abby didn’t know, and honestly I don’t think even the nurse knew. Everyone was in shock as they tried to help the nurse clean up the mess that was going on. I was filling up several “puppy pads” that the nurse and Daddy held beneath the bed like a bucket to catch it. I started crying because it was so scary and awful. It felt like I was puking out of my lady parts. It was also so hot. Like so so hot. I hate being wet. And I was soaked. My gown was wet, the sheets were wet, my legs were wet, the pad I was laying on was wet and it was miserable.

But. There was a bright side. I guess. Ish.

The bright side was that as soon as my water really really broke—the contractions went from zero to 60. 

All of a sudden I was having them so bad that I couldn’t speak other then to ask Daddy to watch the monitor and tell me when they started going back down. And they were pretty close together already. 

Not too long after the nurse came in and asked if I had thought any more about getting the epidural. She said that since the contractions were so so intense, I might not be able to hold still much longer. I had wanted to wait as long as possible. I didn’t want the epidural to slow things down, and I wasn’t even 100% sure I had wanted one. I told her I would think about it for a little while. She said that was fine.

Daddy and I talked about what I should do. While we talked I kept having more contractions and they were definitely getting worse. A couple of times I almost threw up. Auntie Abby and Auntie Gretchen did not like to see me in pain. Daddy and the two aunties helped by rubbing my back and being so so sweet to me; but they also encouraged me to get the epidural if that’s what I wanted to do. They reminded me that there was no shame in it whatsoever. 

I weighed my options. I knew I didn’t have much longer to decide because I was barely able to hold still due to the pain, not to mention if I started to throw up, I knew it would be even harder to hold still. Not to mention I really really didn’t want to throw up. I thought about how long I had been there waiting for you. Almost 9 hours with hardly any progress. There was no way to know that it would speed up. After 9 hours with no progress, there was no end in sight. 

I told Daddy that the next time the nurse came in, to tell her I was ready for the epidural. I was nervous that it would slow things down even more, but I knew I needed to rest and by now it was about 1am. After I got the epidural (which went ok, even though the nurse and Daddy had to help hold me still during my contractions) The nurse checked me and told me that I had already progressed quite a bit.

Soon after that, Grammy got to the hospital with Aunt Lydia, Uncle Joseph, and Auntie Elisabeth. I can’t remember now because I was little out of it, but I think that some of them came and saw me in the room. Grammy asked if she could pray with me. I was so glad that she did! I cried thinking how close I was to meeting you after so so long. And how God was making my dreams come true. 

My contractions then got crazy intense. I could barely feel them and I was not in pain, but my body started involuntarily convulsing. I had no idea what was going on, but my nurse told me that a lot of women have spasms during labor. It’s a lot for your body to handle! I held hands so tight with Daddy because I felt scared. I tried to rest as much as I could, but it was a little hard to do with the spasms and I also had to use a little oxygen because I was feeling very lightheaded.

At about 4am the nurse came in and checked me and told me that I was all the way at 10cm and 100% effaced. I couldn’t believe it! After waiting for so long, I expected barely any change, but she told me that I was almost ready to push. They called Dr Meadors and told her to come. Then my nurse told me to wait a little longer so that you could move down even farther. 

An hour later, at about 5am, the nurse came in and told me it was time. All of the surgical staff came in too. I couldn’t believe how fast the pushing part went! Dr Meadors, Daddy, and the nurse kept telling me that I was doing such a great job. They were like my three personal cheerleaders. 

I’ve never felt quite that level of positive energy in all of my life. I was so excited to do this and I was doing it. This was something I had been terrified of since finding out I was pregnant, but here it was happening. And it just happened so naturally and smoothly and just one push after another and less than an hour later Daddy was excitedly telling me that he could see your head and trying to get me to look! I could see it too! I couldn’t believe I could already see it! Just a couple more pushes and you were out.

I told Daddy to grab his phone and he took so so many pictures of you when you freshly out!

You didn’t cry immediately, but it didn’t take long. You were 7lbs 5oz and 19 inches long. Born at 6:04am on 9/10/17.

Rosalie May McCurdy. The baby we hoped for, longed for, and prayed for! You were absolute perfection. They laid you on my chest and you didn’t cry at all. You were happy to be back with Mama. You just slept. I think you were very tired. I understand because I was tired too!

After a long and exhausting day, Daddy and I were getting ready for bed and all of a sudden we heard some noises and looked out the window to see FIREWORKS over Nashville! Daddy and I could not figure out what the fireworks were for--but I like to think that they were for you! For your very special birthday.

Rosie girl, I hope you find this story interesting and inspiring--but most of all--I hope you see how God brought everything together perfectly to make your birth happen so smoothly and safely and wonderfully. You were loved long before you were born; but that day we truly fell in love with you.

Love you, Rose.

-Mom