Crystal's birth story with Jayden

Thank you for writing your story down, even though I was there I still forget some things.


Birth Story Jayden!

I'm very tired so we will see if I can get this typed while it is still fresh in my mind.

I had a doctors appointment Wednesday, July 26th and Dr. Huish told me that I was 1.5 cm and about 50% efface. While the head was down it was still floating. I wasn't in a big hurry to have her because the pregnancy had been a dream from day one. I had no morning sickness, back aches or even the relentless braxton hicks that had plagued me at six weeks of pregnancy to the very end. She didn't lay in my ribs and kick me or lay so high up that I couldn't breathe. While I did have braxton hicks the last month they were nothing in intensity as I had suffered in the past. Although I was excited to meat my daughter I knew that she would arrive when she was ready and would be healthier the longer I carried her. Besides I still didn't have a car seat! I recall one emotional day when I was afraid they wouldn't let me take my daughter home because I didn't have a car seat. Other than that things were perfect and I knew that the days of carrying my first daughter would be over soon enough.

The next day I went shopping with Spencer looking for a "PINK" car seat. A blue one would not do it absolutely had to be PINK! After locating a car seat we went to the Olive Garden to eat and after dinner I went to the bathroom to discover that I had lost some of my mucus plug, no bleeding just mucus. So I kept my "Secret" to myself, but called my mother of course. I was trying not to get too excited because I new it could be another week or two before I went into labor. Besides I had a baby shower to look forward to on Saturday.

I had my shower and really enjoyed seeing everybody and showing them my nursery that I had worked so hard on. I was so overwhelmed by the out pouring of love and all of the beautiful dresses that I received! I swear my house threw up "PINK"! It was so fun. I just sat and marveled at all many ways they could make a pair of jeans look so adorable! Who knew!

My mom said she would start staying with me on the days that Spencer worked nights because it was my fourth baby and we live so far away from the hospital. Every night that nothing happened I found myself apologizing to my mom because I felt guilty. Even though she kept reassuring me that it was no big deal that she would come when she was ready. Then I started cramping and having lower back pains early the Monday morning on July 31st. Then some time in the afternoon the contractions started coming about one every hour then finally every 10 minutes. I woke my mom up about Midnight and we put in a movie, Nanny McPhee, and sat in bed timing the contractions until about 4 in the morning. We went to sleep and when I woke up the contractions were gone! I was so sad but mom kept reassuring me that they would come back and I would have my baby soon enough. Mom took me to my doctor appointment the next morning and I was trying really hard not to get too excited about what he would find. I was sure I had to be dilated to at least an 8 with all the pains I had been having! I know that's wishful thinking but come on give me a 3! Instead the doctor told me I was about a 2 and 75% effaced. Now I know that I had progressed but not enough to satisfy me after all I had been in labor for over 24 hours. When Spencer was back at home I didn't want to let mom go so I asked her to stay with me. We took pictures and folded baby clothes and chatted for hours. All the while the cramping and lower back pain had not stopped. Then I woke up Thursday morning and my Mom said we were going to walk "all day" to get this going. I was passing lots of mucus and had terrible diahrea all a sign of labor. Spencer, Mom and I took the kids to the mall and we walked all over the place. Then my mom's friend called and said she was coming to town and could she come stay the through the weekend. Then my brother DJ called and said that his tickets to Italy came through and he had to be at the airport by 5pm. So we went home and helped DJ get ready then took him to the airport. He asked me to hold his sun glasses and I left them on the dash of the truck. So there we are in the airport after walking from the parking lot through the heat when he asks me where his glasses are! I said, "Crap DJ I left them in the truck!" My sweet mom says you need to walk so you can go get them. So off I go back to the truck and wouldn't you know it I got lost and ended up walking all over level five looking for that truck. But I found it and I have to admit the contractions were starting to come quite regular and much more intense. I said goodbye to my brother then we went to WalMart to buy groceries for my mom's company. Then we went and picked Jerrie up at her sons house. I asked Jerrie if she wanted to be in the delivery room with us and she was so excited. My mom and Jerrie have been friends since they were teenagers so we are very close.

We decided that mom and Jerrie would sleep at our house since the contractions were getting closer together. Now keep in mind that at lunch, at the mall, I ate a huge baked potato piled high with cheese and sour cream. Then later that night I was hungry for a snack so my mom made me some cheese crisps pile high with sour cream. Now for those of you who don't know this I love milk products but I am lactose intolerant. I don't know why I torture myself by continuing to eat the stuff but I do. Ad this to the fact that I was already sick with Diarrhea for the past several days. So we are watching a comedian when my contractions shift into "Shoot me now gear and honey I've changed my mind about all this jazz" so we call my sisters, Richard and Carolyn and my great Aunt Kathy and off to the hospital we go.

I was terrified they would send me home and I really didn't know if I should leave so soon for the hospital. We dropped Will off with my dad so he could take him to school in the morning. Then my dad crawled into the van and gave me the most awesome blessing I have every had! He said everything I needed to hear and more. The spirit was so strong in that van, I especially loved it when he said that I would have her naturally and that Heavenly Father was aware of the pain that lay ahead of me because he had already suffered it for me.

We got to the hospital and they let Spencer and my mom go back into triage. They put me on the monitors for 20 minutes checked me and tells me I am a 4 and said I was a keeper! Yippee I wasn't being sent home! My baby was coming. Then they told me that I had the last delivery room available. Later I would learn just what that meant. Mom and Spencer went with me to my room and we were told that the other's could come back after my IV. Now I have VERY tiny veins that are full of valves and getting blood or doing IV's is almost impossible. I warned the nurse and told her she had to use a butterfly on me and I swear they just take that as a challenge. They tell me how long they have been doing their job and not to worry. Well she stabs the top of my left hand and gets a little blood before hitting a valve and having to pull out. Then she goes for the right hand and this is where I say a few choice words. It hurt so bad and she had this huge bubble the size of a golf ball form on the top of my hand to the back of my wrist! Then I lost it she eeked out a few more drops and offered her apologies. Of course this torture is going on with all the contractions that are now coming every 1 1/2 minutes! So she gives up and goes looking for the pro! Now my Dr. comes in and checks me and declares that I'm still a 2! I'm like WHAT a few minutes ago I was a four. So he decides to break my water. Now I've had my water broke before but this was awful! Due to a tipped uterus he dug around for a good five minutes and just about the time I think I can't take it any more the PRO come in and grabs my right and and start slapping the top of my hand! Then I turn into some body that even I'm afraid of and said, "Could you wait till he's DONE!" She reassures me that she has no needles that she is just looking. Well after several more minutes of digging Dr. Huish finally gets my water broke. Then the other nurse, Pam, sticks my hand and gets it the first time!

Then they ask me if I want an epidural. Now I wanted to try it without one as I have gone to a 10 before without it so why not all the way? But the nurse tells me that due to my past C section they recommend an epidural just in case my uterus ruptures on the old scar line. Then a pain hits me and I'm like yea sure I'll have an epidural. The nurse leaves and all of a sudden some cramping hits me and my mind flashes back to all that cheese and sour cream. I told my mom that I needed to get to the bathroom and now! Just as I was getting out of bed another contraction hit and I didn't make it to the bathroom. I was so humiliated and embarrassed! Mom and Spencer help me to the bathroom they clean me up and change my bed and just as I get back to bed another cramp hits me and so the night would go! It was relentless and I was so embarrassed. Mom went looking for a bed pan and they told her no that they were much to uncomfortable for me. Then the nurse comes in and witnesses it and helps clean me up. Now there I am in horrible pain but I have to keep moving when all I wanted to do was lay there and not be touched my anyone! Then my hero comes in, his name is Joe and he has this amazing little bag full of goodies that makes all the pain go away. Now Mom is holding my hand, there's nothing like sitting on the edge of the bed curled up into a ball with your feet on a chair fighting contractions and dreading the pain of the epidural. Spencer is watching the whole thing from behind when all of a sudden I declare that I need to go to the bathroom and now. So I start to get off the bed and well lets just say it was the most embarrassing moment of my life! I was mortified but good ole Joe was a sweet heart.

Now my body is shaking every where. Arms, legs and my teeth are chattering so hard I'm afraid I'm going to bite my tongue off! This shaking goes on all night long. It was awful. I kept telling them I could feel pressure and then I would ask, "Should I be feeling this? Because it hurts." After the nurse witnesses how sick I am she decides that a bed pan might be a good thing! Go figure. Then she calls my doctor and he okays a dose of Imodium. Thank goodness.

My epidural was in but I could still feel the contractions so I would push the button to have the dosage upped and it still didn't feel better. My hair is annoying me at this point so mom french braids my hair. The nurse checks me again and I'm still the same and it's been hours. Mom reminds me and informs the nurse that it takes me forever to get to a 5 but after that I go fast. Sure enough about 6 am I'm a 5 and things are a blur from there. I'm contracting fine when all of a sudden three nurses and then later my doctor come rushing in. They lost the babies heart beat. They throw some oxygen on my face and move the monitors around and still no luck so they go in and put one on the top of her head. We could later see where they hit and missed 3 times before finally getting where they wanted it, poor baby. Even after that monitor was in place there was no heart beat so they have me lay on my right side and then all of a sudden there it was a "beat" her monitor goes from 0 to 20 then 33 and finally climbs to 100. Within minutes of breathing in the oxygen my shaking comes to a stop. It was so nice.

Then my nurse checks me and says your a stretchy 8 I'll go get the Doctor. He come in and check me and says your a 10 we are going to have a baby. So they break down the bed and with mom on my left and Spencer on my right I start pushing. Now epidural my fanny I could feel all of it! I asked mom to count for me while I pushed. I was working really hard pushing three times long and hard for every contraction. I take a breath and declare in a calm voice, "This hurts!" My doctor replies, "If your talking your not pushing!" I wanted to push my fingers right through his eye balls. Then at some point just as her head is crowning a nurse comes in and takes Spencer's place and he is now by the Doctor. Now I did not notice this and as I was pushing and feeling myself rip all the while the Dr. is stretching me so I won't rip I reach out for Spencer Shoulders and squeeze the tar out of him. I'm thinking, man he's soft when I hear this nurse screaming, "DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT!" I look at her like who are you and what did you do with my husband! She then says just as I push the baby out that I had grabbed her breast. I did apologize but she was so rude and kind of ruined the moment. But the good news is the Imodium worked and I had no "issues" during the delivery!

They show me a quick peak of my baby girl and rush her off to work on her. They said she swallowed tons of amniotic fluid so they put tubes down her throat and and suctioned 24CC's out of her, plus the tube was full and they got all kinds of stuff out with the bulbed syringe. Then an hour later they did it again. She was so pale before they did that but pinked up shortly after.

Now I didn't get to sleep all day because I was in the bathroom. They finally gave me some more Imodium and that finally stopped it. Now the problem is I haven't been to the bathroom since that last dose and now I'm popping stool softeners like they were candy and dreading the moment when I finally do go.

But I later found out that all 23 delivery rooms were full and that women were birthing on the 7th floor and in the hall way. They just put them on a bed and drug one of those curtained partitions around them. One woman gave birth too early and her baby passed away. My room was directly across from the door to the NICU. My sister Amanda left the room and laying in a bassinet in front of the door was this poor baby. All alone and not even a blanket. Amanda was so upset but no one told me until afterwards.

I'm just so grateful for my sweet little girl. I just stare at her in amazement. She is so tiny, perfect and beautiful. She even sleeps all night long! She really is perfect. I am so blessed to have her here all perfect and healthy. Spencer has been wonderful he is so proud of her and does everything for her. He can't wait for his mom and dad to come see her or for the rest of his family to come visit her