Belle's Birth Story

I have missed writing and sharing my family stories.

I haven't wrote in a few years but I absolutely LOVE looking back and reading about what was going on in our life years ago.

So...I'm back!

Starting off with Belle's Birth Story.

Boy oh boy was this pregnancy an awful one. I can not even explain how sick I was. I puked and puked and puked some more. My poor boys are probably so scarred. There were many "Justin, pull over NOW!" trips in the car. Lots of side of the road action. Ha. I do not know how I made it through baseball season. But I managed to not miss a single game!

By the end of the pregnancy I was only 5 lbs heavier that what I was when I got pregnant. Yeh. That's how sick I was. It lasted for a long time at the beginning. I thought it was just a horrible case of morning sickness. It went away for a few weeks. Then it came back and never left again. It got even worse towards the end. Like violently sick. I felt so alone. I do not know how some days I made it through work. Lots of time spent in that bathroom as well. I would work, come home, and immediately get in bed and never leave it. I was beginning to feel the guilt of not being the 100% there Mom. But the kids and husband were very sympathetic and understanding during the whole pregnancy. All three boys were always taking care of me. I could hardly eat, but I was ADDICTED to ice water with a straw. Weird. I know. So the kiddos would make me ice waters all the time to bring me in bed without even me asking them to. They were the sweetest. 

I tried everything to feel better, but nothing worked. I was completely miserable. If this would have been my first pregnancy, I would have never gotten pregnant again. I thought my body was going to break down.

Towards the end of the pregnancy I also started getting high blood pressure. I had this same issue with Drew 10 years ago, so I was no stranger to how this worked. I do not know if that is what made me even more sick towards the end, all I know is that I felt like I was going to die I felt so bad. 

I tried blood pressure meds, didn't work. Sis was measuring a little small so in my mind  I did not want to be induced because of the blood pressure. I was set on not being induced. I wanted her to stay in as long as she could so she wouldn't have to go to NICU when she was born. But at 37 weeks the Dr. said induction. I was okay with the decision at this point.  Drew was born at 37 weeks and was completely fine. But this little gal was little, so that worried me some. We did another ultrasound I think the Friday before induction and she measured around 5 lbs. So that made me feel even more comfortable. I was so miserable at this point that all the "I am NOT getting induced. I am going into labor on my own!" went out the window.
I knew that my blood pressure getting high during labor was serious and it was the right call and what was best not only for the baby, but for my own health as well.

I had remembered how dangerous it was with Drew, so I was at peace with it.

So, after that appointment I headed home to get the house cleaned and everything situated for the boys while we were at the hospital. And Sunday morning we went in bright and early to begin induction.

Or so we thought...

For some reason everyone decided to go into labor that day. So right as she is about to start the IV, she gets a call bedside next to me saying "hold all inductions," Gahhhh...Really?

So we waited and waited and waited and finally way later in the day we got started.

I was bound and determined to make it as long as I could without an epidural. I REALLY wanted to do it without an epidural, however, I was terrified I would have to have stitches and that I would feel the needles. (I hate needles.) So, I left the epidural option open. But was going to try real hard NOT to get it. 

I contracted for a few hours and was really breathing through them good. I just mentally prepared for each one breathing through knowing when it got to the peak then I could start to relax knowing it was almost over. They started to get more and more and more intense. Everyone kept pushing for the epidural. But I was set on not having it. Then the DR came in to check me, I was at a 5 and he said I was VERY thinned out so I would be delivering within the hour. So panic kind of sank in about those dang needles for stitches. So I said yes to epidural.

The nurses wanted me to get up and go to the bathroom before I got epidural. So I did. I labored in the bathroom on the toilet for a good bit because it was hard to stand up. Once I stood up to sit on the bed, the anesthesiologist was there to do epidural. I kept telling them she was low. I kept feeling like she was about to fall out of me. I was feeling very very intense pain in my lower back tailbone region. The nurses kept saying "we just checked you. there is a very unlikely chance she moved that much." So we did the epidural. Such a quick process and I laid down. They went to put the heart monitor on her head and the nurse was like "Yeh, I think it's time to push."

Yeh, duh! I told you I felt like she was going to fall out!!!
*not saying in a mean way..I loved my nurses. :)

So it was time. The epidural was not in for very long at all, so it wasn't in full effect and it was time to push. Mind you, I only pushed for like 5-7 minutes MAYBE with Drew and Dylan. I pushed for about 12 minutes this time. Justin and the nurses and Dr. were laughing at me because I said it was taking too long. 

Finally, her head was coming out, sunny side up might I add. (Which I later learned that's why I felt so much tailbone pain and felt that she was going to come out a different...well, you know. ;) ) The Dr. told me to stop pushing so Justin could catch her. I literally felt everything. Holy pain!!! That ring of fire is real, y'all! 

But it was ALL worth it because she was born and in Daddy's hands!

I love the new skin to skin rule. She came straight to my chest. I really thought I would know her name when I looked at her, but I didn't. I wanted the decision to be made with the boys in the room too. 

Her weight was perfect. 5 lbs 11oz. She was perfect, so no NICU like I was worried about.

Everything could not have gone any more perfect in labor and delivery. Call me crazy but I am SO glad I toughed it out and made it to the end then got the epidural. It's just an amazing feeling that strong ol' you just birthed a baby without hardly any drugs. It's an indescribable feeling, one that some people don't understand and think I am nutso for.

Justin went and got the boys and it was just our little family of 5 with her for her first hour born. I couldn't imagine the boys not being the first one to meet her, so we decided to keep the birth private this time around and let the boys have their special time with just us before anyone else got to meet her.

Little Miss did not have a name going into delivery. We had a list of 10 names going in. Belle had always been a named I loved, but then too many names similar to that became popular so it honestly was not even on the list again until I was 32 weeks pregnant and saw her in her 4D ultrasound and immediately thought "She's beautiful."

Us 5 never agreed on a name the whole time I was pregnant. But that day, I asked them if Belle Alexandria was her name and literally we.all.agreed. It was like a miracle. It was meant to be.

Our little Baby Belle.

What a wonderful wonderful day 08.27.17 was. 

(PS-I called this day would be her birthday from day one. #mamasinstincts) 

We all totally fell in love with Miss Belle Alexandria. 

Mommy immediately felt better. Like, I knew I felt bad, but holy moly I did not realize just how bad I felt until I felt good. Life was good and we were ready to bring this little angel baby home.

She totally completes us. 

Thank you Savannah Kathleen Photography for capturing these sweet moments of Belle's first minutes of life.