Hayes' Birth Story

I keep telling myself I need to sit down and write this before I forget the details, so while we are all safe in our homes during the coronavirus pandemic, I figure it is a good time to type it out.

For a second pregnancy I was blessed with gestational diabetes. That might sound sarcastic, but it isn’t. Honestly, I have never been a smart or healthy eater and never learned great habits for myself, so GD did make a huge difference for me during pregnancy with monitoring what I ate and making better choices. But that is another story for another day. But also due to gestational diabetes I am able to get induced at 39 weeks if I want, or if I need due to the baby’s size. Somehow I am blessed with very normal size babies even with GD, so I got to decide this time if I wanted to be induced.

Hayes’ original due date was February 25th, so I could get induced as early as February 18th which was a Tuesday. Adam and I decided waiting until a Thursday would be best for his two days off he gets from work so he could be at the hospital and be with us for the first few days home. And lucky for us, that Thursday happened to give Hayes the easiest birthday to remember. 2-20-20.

Basically everything with Hayes mirrored Nixon up until delivery day. The month leading up to induction date I came in for regular non stress tests to monitor Hayes through GD. The week I was scheduled to be induced, I went in on Monday for the NST and to check how far I had progressed. Hayes dropped but for another pregnancy I didn’t dilate so I needed a foley catheter. So on Wednesday I came back into the office for the foley to be placed and a NST to make sure it was all set up well. Luckily this time the cramping only lasted the first hour or so. Dr. West also told me if I “gave it a tug” it would “probably come right out this time”. To which I responded, “Yeah, that won’t be happening”. However, the following morning it did fall out as we were getting ready to leave for the hospital. So there is that!

On the 20th we woke up, showered, got loaded up, and headed to the hospital. I was scheduled for a 6am induction again. And once again… I was running late because what else is new for me? So we got there at about 6:10am. We checked in. Got into our room. And by about 6:45am I was all set up and in baby mode. I had three or four different nurses from the time I got there until the time I left because the floor was so busy. Apparently everyone wanted a 2-20-20 baby. I can’t remember when one came or one left except for one exchange, but I can tell you - they were all phenomenal and I can remember which ones were there for certain parts.

The morning cruised along pretty quickly, since my foley had come out all on it’s own we got to skip the removal part. But at first check I was dilated to a 6. Dr. West told me I was the poster child for the foley balloon because my pregnancies runs so smooth with them. After he left we ordered a little breakfast so I could get all my fluids in and get the Pitocin going.

I had decided that this time I didn’t want to wait on my epidural - the sooner the better. I didn’t get my epidural nap with Nixon so I didn’t want to miss it with Hayes. As soon as I had my fluids and my Pitocin and started feeling small contractions I let my nurse know I was ready for my epidural. At about 9:00am the anesthesiologist came in to get me all set up. Getting the epidural was the most painful part of the pregnancy for me, but that isn’t much to complain about. Shortly after that I got my catheter and Dr. West came to break my water. My pelvis was tilted backward so they had me use the peanut while I napped to help adjust and tilt it to the right place for delivery.

At around 10:30am Dr. West came in between deliveries (apparently he was very busy that day) to check and see how I was progressing. One minor problem, Hayes was resting his hand up on his head. Dr. West tried to pinch his fingers a little so he would pull it back but Hayes was stubborn and wouldn’t move it. The reason his hand on his head is a problem is if his little elbow was sticking out it could cause tearing during delivery. So we just had to hope he moved it on his own. Otherwise it would have been a big bummer for me!

Around 11:30am, I started feeling like it might be time to deliver this baby! So I buzzed my nurse and she actually came in with my new nurse (the one transition I remember) because when she told me her name I freaked! It was the same nurse that help with delivering one of my best friends’ babies a few months before. I had heard so many good things about her so I was pumped. I also semi freaked her out by knowing too much about her. But that’s fine. They checked me again, I was only at about a 7. So basically, Hayes is as stubborn as me. Which makes sense because I am as stubborn as my Dad, and that is who Haye’s had just been hanging out with for 9 months. However, he did move his hand off his head.

Alright. This is where it picks up.

Right after the nurses switched and my new nurse was checking on me, Adam told me he was super hungry. It was about noonish. I had just been told I was only a 7 - so I said well go eat. He said he would just go to the cafeteria. I said he should go somewhere like Chickfila since it was just down the street. My nurse was there for the whole conversation and she agreed, no problem, we have time. Go eat Adam! But Adam didn’t want to risk it and went to the cafeteria. And I was like, oh man, he is such a silly guy.

I had already napped and wasn’t tired anymore, so I decided to use my time while Adam was gone and I was waiting to check my messages, update my friends and family on how things were going, and then play a little Panda Pop. The next little bit of timing is best summed up by my text convo with Adam.

12:26pm - Adam: How are you doing?

12:28pm - Me: Great. Are you full?

12:28pm - Adam: Almost. Why? Do you need me back?

12:29pm - Me: Just wondering. No, I’m about the same. (because in my mind I was because the pressure hadn’t changed at all)

12:29pm - Adam: Can you order more food?

12:30pm - Me: No. Because I can’t eat anything until after I deliver now. But I can order you something when we move rooms. (I assumed he was asking because he was still hungry.)

12:30pm - Adam: Darn. I’ll be full for awhile. It’s way more food than I expected.

12:30pm - Me: What did you get?

12:31pm - Adam: Salad, tots, and chicken tenders

12:31pm - Me: Yummmm

12:31pm - Adam: I made a yummy salad

Dr. West and my nurse both walked into the room so I set down my phone. It was kinda of like an urgent but super chill walk in - which the explanation for that came later. Dr. West checked my progression and I was a 10! While he was checking he asked where Adam was. He said I was fine to hang out at a 10 while Adam finished eating.

12:33pm - Me: I’m a 10 now. Come on up whenever you’re done eating.

12:33pm - Adam: Okay. Are you getting close?

12:34pm - Me: Yeah

12:34pm - Adam: Coming

Dr. West looked at the monitor then said to me, “Actually tell him to come now. This baby wants out.”

12:34pm - Me: This baby is ready

Apparently the reason Dr. West and my nurse both walked in so fast is because Hayes’ heart rate had dropped on the monitor right as Dr. West was walking by my station in the hall. So they wanted to come in and check me. When I was a 10 he figured he would just hang out because I had told him Adam was almost done eating. Then after Adam said he was coming, Hayes’ heart rate dropped again. So Dr. West said to tell Adam to come now instead and he would get everything set up.

It was BABY TIME!

Dr. West set up everything for delivery. Got his gloves on. Set some gloves out for Adam so he could catch Hayes. And got me all ready to deliver. The second Adam walked in the door Dr. West said, “Alright, push. Adam there are gloves over there for you.” Two pushes and one minute later, Hayes Kenneth was born at 12:39pm weighing 7 lbs 12 oz, 20.5” long. FIVE MINUTES after I told Adam to come upstairs. If he had caught a slower elevator he might have missed the whole thing!

The reason for his heart rate dropping Dr. West said was because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his foot. That and he was just ready to come hang out with us.

Hayes was crying from the second he got out because he was hungry. But Adam caught him and we cuddled him with a little skin to skin while Dr. West finished the delivery. I only needed one stitch this round which contributed to a smoother recovery for me too.

There was so much peace and love in the room. I know the veil is thin and I know at that very moment it wasn’t just Adam, Hayes, and me. My Dad was there too. Helping us welcome his newest Grandson into the world. There is no denying that Hayes was an answer to my prayers during what have been the hardest months of my life. And I am so grateful to have a piece of my Dad here with me through Hayes Kenneth.