Everly's Birth Story

A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks so I am going to do my best to recall all of the events that led up to the birth of our sweet Everly Lily. Let's rewind the clock two weeks and go back to September 6th. We had two different appointments with our doctors and we were hopeful that we would find out if Everly would be arriving early. Our first appointment was for an ultrasound to find out how big Everly was at this stage of the pregnancy. We were relieved to hear that her estimated weight was between 7.5 & 7.12 ounces at 38 weeks. The specialist who read the ultrasound was pleased with this information and did not see any reason to recommend an induction for this week. We were so excited to learn that she wasn't a watermelon baby because earlier reports indicated that there was a possibility that she could already weigh between 8-9 pounds at this point. We also discovered that she has adorable chubby cheeks and a head full of hair. On a side note, the doctor said I looked like I was carrying a big baby simply because my frame is small. I can't tell you how good that made me feel because for the past 4 months complete strangers, as well as some people I actually know, thought that it was appropriate to tell me how big I looked. There was one guy at the movie theater last week that walked past me and then asked, "Twins???” I was outraged. What the hell is wrong with people?

I didn't think the day could get any better after we left the specialist's office, but upon arrival at our regular doctor's office we learned the official date that Everly would arrive in this world. I could not believe it! The doctor said that I was dilated to 1 cm, about 75% effaced, and that my cervix was ripe. She said that Everly was in position and at the ideal weight for an induction at 39 weeks if we were ready. She suggested the induction because even though Everly's current weight was normal, she was afraid that anything larger than 8 pounds would present issues for a vaginal delivery since my birth canal is somewhat narrow (or to quote the doctor, "It's not bad, but I've seen better"). Of course I was all for this scheduled induction because I really wanted to have a vaginal birth if at all possible. Within minutes we were in the front of the office scheduling an induction for the following week. It was official...Everly would be born on September 13th.

On the drive home from the doctor's office Danny and I were both quiet. Even though we were about to explode with excitement on the inside there was something very surreal and scary about having an actual date. In the blink of an eye everything changed. We went to one of our favorite lunch spots, Lulus, to celebrate and process the news. By the end of lunch we could hardly wait to get home and start tackling the "to do" lists that were hanging over our heads. The rest of the week was somewhat of a blur as we both raced around trying to get everything ready for our little angel's arrival. By the time the following Monday night arrived we were both exhausted.

39 weeks - We snapped these pictures right before they started the induction process.

At 10:00 p.m. on Monday, September 12th, under the light of a full moon, Danny and I checked into Cedars Sinai Medical Center and a short time later began the magical and scary process that eventually led up to the birth of our baby girl. I was anxious, but ready. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and that was probably best. I promised myself that I would not have any expectations for this process because I knew that I was not in control. If there is one thing that I have learned over the years it is that you should never set yourself up for unrealistic expectations in situations that you cannot control. Danny and I agreed that we would do our best to be present in the moment and enjoy the ride.

After we checked in with labor and delivery we were placed in a small room and the process to jump start my labor began. First, the nurse did an internal exam and reported that I was still dilated to 1 cm and about 75-80% effaced. Next, she started my IV and administered the first bag of Pitocin. I was actually surprised that my contractions started so quickly. They weren't bad or anything, similar to mild cramps, and very inconsistent for the first couple of hours. After the IV and Pitocin, the worst procedure of the entire birth process took place. To help my cervix dilate to at least a 4 cm the next step was to insert a small catheter into my cervix and blow up a small balloon with saline. When I first heard about this procedure it really didn't sound that bad. However, that was before I learned that Cedars is a teaching hospital and that residents, think, "cast of Gray's Anatomy", would be practicing their techniques on me. The first resident (yes, there was more than one involved with this procedure), let's call her Meredith Gray, had no idea what she was doing. She attempted to stick this large tube into my cervix multiple times over the course of about 20 minutes while I writhed and moaned in pain. After making me bleed like a stuck pig and inflicting excruciating pain, the doctor who was coaching her through the process finally decided to call it and give me a rest. Gee, thanks. Whose ready for actual labor now? It took me about 15 minutes to gain my composure after they left the room and just when I thought it was safe to try and focus on breathing through the contractions that were starting to increase in duration and intensity, resident #2, let's call her Christina Yang, bee-bopped into the room and informed me that she had never failed at this procedure and that she would like to try and get the catheter in place to increase my chances for cervical dilation. Did I really have a choice? No. So I took a deep breath and went to my happy place. In her defense, she knew exactly what she was doing and managed to insert the device with little trouble in less than 5 minutes. Poor Meredith Gray had to stand in the corner in shame as she watched her colleague breeze through the procedure without the slightest problem.

After the catheter with the balloon was finally in place all I had to do was sit and wait. The contractions continued to increase and come closer together and finally around 4 a.m. my cervix was dilated to 4cm and the nurse determined that I had finally reached the beginning of the active labor stage. I managed to deal with the pain pretty well during the first phase of labor and I was beginning to think that the entire labor and delivery process might not be as bad as everyone else had made it out to be. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! By 7 a.m. the contractions were coming at a steady pace, lasting about 30-45 seconds, and were happening about every 3-5 minutes. They moved us to a labor and delivery room at this point and told me to let them know when I was ready for an epidural. I really wanted to hold out as long as I could on the epidural because once they administered it I knew I would be bound to the bed. I continued to labor without any pain medication for about 2.5 hours and at 9:30 decided I would like to have an epidural. I am still not sure if that was a wise decision or not. On one hand it was fabulous because the epidural took away all of the pain. On the other hand it made the day incredibly long and boring as we waited for labor to progress. Finally at 7 p.m. the doctor determined that I was dilated to a 10, 100% effaced, and ready to push. Yay!!!

Now that we are at the pushing phase of the story, let's talk a little bit about the act of pushing. When the doctor tells you to push, it is really hard to figure out exactly how that translates into practice because you can't really feel anything. After finally discovering that you should treat it like you are going to the bathroom, I started to get the hang of it. On a side note, I was terrified that I would poop on the table during labor and I had even warned Danny not to look if it happened. Well, guess what, it happened. Oh the horror! Even though I couldn't feel it, I could judge by the nurse’s actions that it had happened. Oh well, what can you do, right? I secretly giggled to myself when it happened because I could only imagine what Danny was thinking. I have decided that birthing a baby takes away all of your dignity.

After 2.5 hours of pushing I was exhausted. About an hour into the process the doctor had the anesthesiologist turn back the epidural so I could feel the contractions and push through them. Unfortunately, this only increased my pain and did very little to help push Everly down through the birth canal. At 9:30 the doctor finally told me that she thought that we could push all night but the reality of me being able to get Everly through the birth canal was next to impossible. Her head was simply too big. I was crushed. I knew a c-section was a good possibility but I felt so defeated after laboring for almost 24 hours. At this point I knew there was nothing else that could be done. I had tried everything I possibly could to get Everly here the natural way. As tears streamed down my face, I quietly accepted the reality. I tried to focus on the positive though because the end goal was making sure that Everly arrived safely and without complication. Unfortunately, new issues had also popped up during the labor process that made even this goal seem out of reach. About an hour into my pushing I started to run a fever. This was problematic because there was a risk that this could cause Everly to get an infection. She also started to show signs of stress on the monitor. Right after the decision was made to move forward with the c-section the nurse alerted the doctor that there were signs of meconium and that we should get in and get Everly as soon as possible to minimize the likelihood that she would ingest it in my womb. Within minutes they were prepping me for surgery and Danny was being dressed from head to toe in scrubs.

My heart raced as they rolled me into the operating room. I just wanted my baby girl to be ok. I prayed so hard and talked to Everly’s guardian angel and asked him to watch over us. Once we were in the operating room the whole process happened rather quickly. Within minutes they were holding her above the cloth so Danny could take pictures. I waited with baited breath to hear her cry. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she let out the sweetest cry and I finally exhaled. Everything after that moment is a blur. The nurses and doctors were scurrying around and Danny was whisked away to go and be with Everly as they cleaned her. All I could do was lie there on the table and cry. I remember saying, “My baby, my baby, mommy is here.” I could see my baby girl in the incubator out of the corner of my eye and all I could do was ask Danny questions like, “Does she have all of her fingers and toes?” “Is she ok?” “Who does she look like?” “Does she have hair?” I could tell by the Cheshire cat grin on his face that she was perfect. He didn’t have to say a word. He took pictures of her and brought the camera over to me so I could get a glimpse of our beautiful baby girl. Finally they placed her in his arms and he brought her over to me. The second I looked at her I knew that our lives would never be the same again. I cannot even find the words to explain the love I felt for her in that instant. There is nothing like that feeling in the whole entire world. As soon as she heard my voice her eyes started moving back and forth like she was searching for me. She was finally here…at 10:21 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13th…the present that I had been waiting on for the past nine months arrived. My sweet Everly Lily came into this world weighing 7 pounds & 13 ounces and measuring in at 20.5 inches.

Unfortunately, the reunion between the two of us would be short lived. Within a minute or two the pediatrician came over and explained that they would like to take Everly down to the observation nursery because of the fever I developed during labor and because she had ingested quite a bit of meconium. Since I was still being sewn up on the operating table I could not go with her. I felt sick. I told Danny to go with her and stay with her because I could not stand the thought of her being down there alone. In the blink of an eye they were gone. All I remember is lying on the operating table and crying. I felt so helpless and scared. It seemed like an eternity before the doctor finished putting me back together again. After the surgery was over I had to go to recovery and spend the next few hours under observation. At this point it was well after midnight and I had no idea what was going on with Everly. I was in and out of sleep and felt so out of touch with the whole experience. It all felt very cold and lonely in that room. I have never felt more relieved than when I woke up to Danny standing over me with a giant grin on his face. He told me that Everly was fine and that they were going to move all of us to a room shortly. Finally around 2:30 a.m. they put us in a room and brought my baby girl to me. I will never forget the feeling I had when I held her for the first time. She is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I thank God every day for the blessing of Everly and my wonderful family. I can hardly wait to see where this amazing journey is going to lead us next.

Below you will find a sneak peak of the photos taken by our birth photographer, Sandra Correll with Clicky Photography. More photos coming soon! ;)