Amanda Forbes: Aubrey's Birth Story. Part 1: Labor & Delivery

I use this blog as an online scrapbook/journal to document mine and Brandon's life. This is a birth story and I will be sharing in full detail everything that happened. You may laugh, cry and even make fun of how big of a wimp I was with natural child birth... {Just kidding I totally rocked it!!}

//Caution: Read at your own risk!//

When I had Bennett I chose to be induced. I was very particular about wanting my doctor, so with him I got induced. You can read his birth story here: Bennett's Birth Story

Friday June 19th was move-in-day for my mother in law as she had just got to Tennessee the night before. I was at her house dropping Bennett off with her, Brandon and my dad while I go to the chiropractor. It was 9am and I used the restroom before I was getting ready to leave and my mucus plug fell out. I stared at it... 'Uh.. I think this is what it is.' I thought. I called Brandon into the bathroom and we both just stared. I got really nervous and picked up the phone to call my doctor. I told the receptionist, which I had grown a friendship with because she goes to our church and I was seeing her weekly with my appointments, I told her what happened and she told me to go to the 3rd floor L&D {Labor & Delivery} at the hospital and have them check me. I asked her who was there and who would delivery me if it was time. I was thrilled to hear that it was another female doctor who not only did I just see that Monday, but I saw her multiple times through out my pregnancy when my doctor wasn't available-including my ER follow up visit from having the hemorrhage.

Brandon and dad unloaded the last few big items off the U-Haul. We ran over to my mom's house, a block away, and since Brandon had gone to the gym early that morning, he jumped in the shower. I snapped this last belly pic...

I called mom and told her what was going on, had her call and cancel my chiro apt..which I HAD to go to that apt because I was supposed to deliver a 10 Day Cleanse to the receptionist that I had just met the day before, so mom was able to explain what was going on, why I couldn't make the apt and she obviously understood. :)

We got in the Explorer leaving mom's and headed to the hospital. On the way to the hospital I was thinking about how I just knew this was the day. I could feel it. God had really lined everything up.. Like how I started the dishwasher before I left the house..Ha! I shaved my legs that morning (priorities), the day before we got the car seat installed, etc. When we pulled up at the Main Entrance for Brandon to drop me off he held my hand and said a prayer. I hopped out, went inside and started to get registered. We went upstairs to the 3rd floor and walked in. They said they were really busy and had us sit in a waiting area while they got an overflow room ready.

They came and got us and had brought us into the room. I had to put on a gown and get on the bed, they hooked me up to the monitors and started checking everything out. The nurse asked me a million questions. I was only dilated to 2CM. They told us that they would monitor me for 2 hours and if nothing changed they would send me home. In the process I had 2 contractions and after 1 hour of not progressing through dilating, they sent me packing! They told me not to come back unless my contractions were consistently 3-4 minutes apart or if the pain was unbearable.

Mom said, 'Ok! We're going to the mall to walk!' So we left the hospital, grabbed some lunch and started our adventure. It was an adventure. My niece joined us for some of it. At lunch I started realizing I was still having contractions. I pulled up the notes app on my phone and started timing them. We left the restaurant and went to the mall. We started walking at 1:33. We walked the mall. Every inch. Every store. That day I got asked if I wanted to remodel my house with new siding, if I wanted perfume, jewelry, etc. This one guy even said that Dick's wanted their basketball back. (Haha funny guy... if only you knew I was walking to get it out!) During that time we ONLY stopped to use the bathroom and I stopped and grabbed a cookies & cream milkshake. I grabbed the shake because at that point I thought my contractions had slowed down so I drank the shake to wake Aubrey up and it worked! She was bouncing all over the place after that. At 4:00 the contractions really started to pick up. Big time. At times I was having to stand at the clothes rack and breathe through them. At 4:45 Sammie left and we took a seat on a coach and watched the weather, right in front of a nail salon and my feet were screaming for me to go in there and get a rub down. But no! Nothing was stopping me from getting this baby out.

So, then I looked at mom and said, 'You wanna go over to the Kohls shopping strip and walk around over there? I'm tired of looking at these same stores.' We left and started at Kirklands. I called Brandon and kept telling him that he needed to stick really close, but not to come just yet. Mom picked out a cute new wreath. Then we walked down to Cato, stopped in the As Seen On TV store (Lol) and then Kohls. While in Kohls my contractions got harder and harder They were strong. When I would feel one coming I would lean over a rack or find a place to sit down. I picked out some Minion pajamas for Bennett and mom found a blue necklace that she had been looking for all day. Right before we left I called Brandon and told him it would be a good idea to come meet us. I had decided we would go grab some food at Chick Fil A since it was right by the hospital and I could have my 'last meal' in case I was to get stuck in a bed laboring for hours-so I told him to come on so he could join us. When we left and walked back down the strip to the car I had 3 close, painful contractions. Brandon got there and brought me a Peach AdvoBar that had came in the mail, Yay!!! I chowed down on that thing, barely tasting it and then we headed to eat. In that time frame I had a break in contractions. One was 8 minutes apart and the next was 11.

I got to Chick Fil A and went straight to the booth to sit down. I had 3 contractions 5-6 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds - 1 minute each time. I got half way through my sandwich and said, 'Ok I'm going to the bathroom and then we are going to the hospital.' I barely made it to the car, was grabbing the oh crap handle the whole way to the hospital telling (yelling at) Brandon to hurry but drive safe all at the same time and mom was right behind us!

When we got to the hospital it was 7:45, Brandon dropped me off at the door and I walked in (we had to pray on the go this time!) mom was right behind me. She got a wheel chair and I got in it. At this point the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and they were getting stronger and stronger. Since it was after hours we were told to go to the ER. Mom left me outside the door and walked in to see what the ER was like, she came right back through that door and said, 'No, that place is full of people and germs and it stinks we are going upstairs!' (Lol!!!) Brandon met us at the elevator and we went to the third floor. He picked up the phone to go back and said, 'We were here earlier, we haven't reregistered, but my wife is about to have a baby' They opened the door and then they wheeled me back to that same room I was in earlier that day! I said, 'Oh look the same room.. it was meant to be!'

A nurse came in, I got into my gown and hooked back up. I had a few contractions, telling them to hurry and that I needed the epidural ASAP. A different nurse finally came in at 8:10 to check me and I was a 6/7. I told her I had to have the epidural and I asked what the steps were to get it, because I knew it was going to take a bit. She said, 'We have to get you registered, we need a full bag of fluid to run through and we need to get your blood work done which takes about 30 minutes to have them check it.' Great. So I sat there having contraction after contraction. We attempted to distract me from looking at the clock and the painful contractions by playing Phase 10 dice (that was the original plan while chilling pain free with the epidural...), but that flew out the window. By 8:30 they had the a bag of fluids in me (When they hooked it up I asked if she could squeeze the bag so it would go faster. Lol) and they were working on my blood work. I was staring at the girl as she was writing my information on all the little individual bottles-it felt like slow motion. She was young and poor thing probably saw my death stares burning through her! Meanwhile I'm setting there, 'Ok can she run my blood work downstairs? I need an epidural NOW, I can't wait any longer. I HAVE to have one. Hurry!!' She left the nurse left and at 8:40 another nurse walks in and says, 'Ok honey I'm gonna check you!' I said, 'No, no you can't do that I know it will make me progress and I HAVE to have the epidural.' She said, 'Honey I have to.. I have to make sure the baby isn't trying to come out.' I said, 'Ok but be gentle I have to have the epidural.' She checked me, looked above her glasses, pulled off her glove and walked away saying, 'Ok.... I'm not gonna tell you. (pause) Ok, you're complete.' As soon as she said that I told her, 'I HAVE TO HAVE THE EPIDURAL!!!' Brandon said, 'She's wanting to have the epidural!' The nurse said, 'In all of my years working here I've had 2 people at a 10 hold out for the epidural, you need to prepare to have her naturally.' I said, 'Ok then can you put something in my IV..anything! Can I at least get an extra strength tylonal?!' The nurse said no and that if she gives me anything it would hit the baby. (Crap, well there goes that idea.) So then I began to prepare myself to deliver naturally, meanwhile having painful contractions on and off. My mom was my lamaze partner. Brandon.. bless his heart. He was right by my side telling me how great I was doing, how strong I was being, how brave I am.. He would also rub my leg and arm and he was so nervous his palms were sweaty and I was sweaty and in a ton of pain and blurted out, 'Get your hot sweaty hands off me! I'm sorry I love you but I'm hot!!!' Then on my left side is my mom who is continually fetching me a cool wash rag for my head. I would lock my eyes on hers as she would help me breathe through the most painful 2 minutes I've ever experienced over and over and over. (Side note-When my contractions first started I said, 'Brandon why did we decide to do this again?!' Now as I watch her sleeping peacefully in her mamaroo I remember why!) My nurse was off fetching the doctor. She said they were so busy she had no idea where she was so she was going to have to find her. At 8:45 my water broke. That was crazy... It released a ton of pressure that I was feeling. About that time Dr. Coffee came in with the nurse, I kept saying, 'I'm so glad it's you!!! This was not my plan I was supposed to have an epidural I don't know how I'm going to do this.' Her and my nurse Lisa were so incredible. They coached me through every single second. They broke the bed down. I was terrified. I kept saying how much pain I was in and they said, 'Ok well it's time let's do this' and I realized if I just get started it can be over. I put up my mental block and I was in the zone! I started pushing and they coached me through each contraction counting down when to push and I remember thinking... the more I focus and the harder I push the faster this will all be over. 4 pushes... (and one exercist scream-is what Brandon called it) later.. she was here! At 9:00 pm. During that time of pushing, something hilarious that happened.. 'Brandon walked over to the couch and I said, 'Where are you going?!!!! What are you doing? Come here!!!' He came back with gum in his mouth and said, 'I needed to get some gum all I could smell was my peppers ad onions from Chipotle!' I said, 'I can't even smell the peppers and the last thing I want to smell is your minty gum!' So he took a few big chews and then threw the gum out. Hindsight.. I know he was just trying to be helpful but I honestly couldn't smell the peppers. After everything was over and everything had calmed down my sister found his big half chewed piece of gum on the recliner seat. Ha!

As soon as she came out mom said, 'She is so beautiful!!!!' And I started to cry in relief and said, 'I don't care I'm in so much pain!!' Then her and Brandon said, 'She looks like Bennett!!!!' I watched Brandon cut the cord, which he couldn't do with Bennett because it was around his neck. They put her up on my chest I held her for a minute and they took her to get all fixed up. Then it was over. Wow. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. Something I will do with the next one? I'm not sure.. If I have a chance to get the epidural I might. But then again, if I did it once I can do it again... It's all about the mindset.

Timeline of the day:

9:00am Lost mucus plug

9:55 Arrived at hospital dilated to 2 cm.

12:00 Sent home, no progress, went to Target

12:30 Rafferty's for lunch

12:44 Contractions started

1:30 Went to the mall to walk

1:30-4:30 Contractions were sporadic. Anywhere from 5-11 minutes apart

4:30 First hard contraction

5:00-6:00 Contractions were 6-7 minutes apart 45 seconds long but not consistent

5:00 Left mall and went to Kohls Shopping Center - Contractions got stronger

6:40 Chick Fil A for my 'last supper'

7:45 Arrived at the hospital

8:10 Checked and dilated to 6/7 - Hard contractions

8:30 IV & Bloodwork

8:40 Checked & Dilated to 10 - No epidural

8:45 Water broke

Coaching Began

Broke the bed down

Began pushing

Brandon threw out his gum

9:00PM Aubrey Michelle Forbes was born!

In the midst of everything going on my AWESOME (seriously.. she's incredible) big sister was running around the room taking pics. I know she was like, 'Oh crap, we don't have much time.. Oh I need to take a pic of this and this oh and we talked about this...' Lol! I am so grateful that she was able to capture all of these pictures of things that I missed because I was, well... occupied :)

Room Details:

See.. over flow room. Aubrey said, 'Ain't nobody got time to write on that board!'

Waiting for baby girl!!

Checked in. Contractions 3-4 minutes apart!

The clock that I stared at while waiting for the epidural. At 8:35 my sister moved the baby heater in front of it and blocked it. Which that was probably about the time I dilated to a 10, so it must have been sisters intuition.

8:10.. The first time the nurse checked me.