-Olivia Jade's Birth Story-

On Tuesday, August 25th, I went in for my weekly OB check at 38 weeks. I was dilated 4 cm and 90% effaced. My doctor said that my cervix was ready and that he was going out of town that Friday for 10 days. He stripped my membranes and expected me to go into labor that night or early the next morning. If I didn't, he wanted to see me first thing Thursday morning to check me again and that we would most likely have a baby that day. First of all, stripping the membranes hurts SO bad! After I left the doctor's office I called my parents and Bradley to tell them that it could happen anytime within the next two days. Once I got home Bradley and I walked around our neighborhood for an hour and I bounced on my exercise ball all night. Other than being really sore, I really wasn't feeling any regular/consistent contractions. The next day; my mom, grandma, and I went walking around town to pick up some last minute items for the hospital. By noon I was completely exhausted and was having some back labor. Around 2:00 pm I lost my mucus plug and continued to lose it the rest of the night with minor contractions.

On Thursday morning we headed to the doctor around 8:30 am. i was still dilated to 4 cm and 100% effaced. I was officially in "active labor" with cramping and irregular contractions. He stripped my membranes again to get things started. He sent us over to the hospital to check in.

We got checked in around 9:50 am and they began getting all my IV's and monitors hooked up. My doctor came over and broke my water at 11:30 am and started a small drip of pitocin to regulate my contractions. After that my contractions were getting super intense about 3-5 minutes apart. The anesthesiologist was doing a c-section and would be right in as soon as he could for my epidural. I labored with intense contractions for an hour and a half before he finally came in a little after 1:00pm. They checked me and I was still at 4 cm right after my epidural. Those epidurals are magic and such a life saver. I could still feel but it was completely bearable rather than before. About an hour after my epidural they checked me again and I was at 6 cm. I was able to rest and until about 3:00 pm when I was dilated to 10 cm and was ready to labor down. When the nurse sat me up, Olivia was completely on my left side and I could feel my contractions again. I had a "lip" blocking my cervix and she needed to labor down a little to be able to push through it. I started pushing around 3:30 with the nurses and they had to call my doctor because her head was already there. He was so impressed that I had progressed that fast.

When he got there he immediately started stretching me and performed an episiotomy. I kept pushing and our beautiful baby girl was born at 4:11 pm. She barely cried when she came out and it scared me but he said she was perfect and was responding well to everything. Our doctor was so amazing! I can't brag on him enough. We loved him from the first time we met him and he was so excited to deliver Liv. When she came out he rubbed noses with her, with the vernix and everything still all over her. That moment will always remain a memory in my mind. We are so thankful for our whole team that helped get our baby girl here. I can't believe I'm a momma.