Ruth's Birth Story

Look at that cute face. BAH! I miss those kissable swollen cheeks and eyelids. Pure perfection and so grown up now at one year old. I need a another one! (In time haha) 

I am a birth story junkie at heart and so I am so happy to share the birth stories I have had so far. The awesome thing about birth stories is that they are all so different, because every woman and family is different and every pregnancy and baby is different. Here comes a novel of information on this chica's birth story so buckle up!

The Labor

My "birth plan" for Ruth's birth was to go as "natural" as possible.  I don't like using the word natural when it comes to birth because TRULY all birth is natural.The whole pregnancy I was planning on trying for a VBAC, laboring at home pretty much until I needed to push, and then going unmedicated. Why do women even feel the need to make birth plans. They almost  never go exactly the way you imagine they will! Just like with Hyrum, I labored at home on and off but mostly on for about a week. I couldn't take it any more and tried all of the things to get her to come! I even tried the castor oil again but that just led to some unwanted but expected tummy ache and poop. Finally I called my Doctor and scheduled an induction for Sunday morning September 2nd. 

I know there are a lot of women out there anti-induction but let me tell you something! It was great. I woke up sunday and felt great and excited and even did my hair and makeup!

They admitted me at 6am and by 7 started me on pitocin. At this point I wasnt in any pain yet and the nurses wanted to double check on my option to get the epidural, because it would be better to get it then while I wasnt in pain than later when I'd have to stay perfectly still and be screaming in pain. So randomly, after thinking my whole pregnancy that I was going to wait it out and be macho woman and labor in the bath tub until I needed to push, I on the whimiest of whims decided, "sure! why not?!" 

Getting the epidural was, in my mind, the scariest part of giving birth, and honestly probably why I thought I was going to go unmedicated. After Hyrums failed spinal block fiasco I thought, "No way is anyone ever going to stick a needle in my back again!" So the sudden agreeing to get the epidural was probably an angel talking for me knowing that I'd rather the fear of the epidural than suffering all day long. On the second try they successfully placed the epidural and then I waited. And waited. And waited. No one really prepares you for how bored the delivery is if you get an epidural! Sure it’s nice and for the most part a painless day, but it sure is boring! We watched netflix for most of it! They kind of epidural they gave me was just enough to take the pain away without causing total numbness to my legs. I could still move them and feel them!

No I won’t lead you astray by telling you that if you get the epidural, your birth will be bliss! I know plenty of women whose epidurals failed partially or completely. And mine failed on one side! But let me back up.

  When I was admitted I was barely 2cm and it took me until about noonish to get to just 4cm. At that point I stopped progressing. I sat at 4cm for hours. The nurse had me use what they called a peanut ball to help me dilate. It’s basically A peanut shaped yoga ball that they put between your knees and then you lay on one side. However, at about this time, my epidural started to fail on the one side and simultaneously, the peanut ball did its job way too fast. Did you know you can dilate crooked?! I didn’t know that either and honestly I can’t even find anything online about that. That’s just what the nurses were telling me and  MAN did it hurt! One side of my cervix was 6cm and the other 9cm! I was writhing in pain and sobbing with every contraction. AT one point I remember yelling,

“I FEEL LIKE I’M GOING TO POOP A BOULDER!” 

I was very serious, and everyone just busted up laughing!

 They quickly switched the peanut ball to the other side while the anesthesiologist came in to check on the problem. He upped the meds and my legs went 100% numb. Super freaky. 

The Delivery

Once they switched the ball, the other side caught up right away and I was ready to push! When my nurse Kristen told me it was time to push I said something like, “Wait NO! I’m not ready!” I was terrified. But I shouldn’t have been! Andrew helped me get my legs up into leg holder thingies and that was the first time I had looked at my legs--they were HUGE. SO SWOLLEN. Andrew was an angel and the nurses were perfect. The Doctor came in and said, “You ready!? Honestly when I heard you were stuck at 4cm for so long I thought for sure we were going to have a csection today!” I was little thrown off, but hey! I had made it! I was about to push a baby out of my body!

Within 30 minutes Ruth was out! She didn’t cry for a while and I got a little nervous. But finally she let out the cutest scream! Right when they held her up they notived she had a "true knot" which I guess is pretty rare and it was a miracle that she lasted that long with out any side affects! She was beautiful. She was mine. She was ours. 

The human body is so amazing. I am so blown away by the fact that we grow a tiny human, expand to the relative size of a hippo and and then squeeze out that tiny human, and then recover from it all! Thank you Heavenly Father for this gift. Thank you for my healthy babes. 

Ruth Marie Jordan

September 2, 2018

5:55pm

7lbs 14oz

19.75in   

The Recovery

The recovery from a vaginal birth is vastly different from a cscetion recovery. I could walk! I  didn’t have to hunch over!I The only weird thing was that it hurt like heck to pee! I had a 2nd degree tear and so yeah. Going to the bathroom sucked for a long time! But at least I could get there by myself!