Payton Jeanne: Birth Story

“For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted the desires of my heart.” 1 Samuel 1:27

The last week of my pregnancy I was pretty grouchy… just being honest! I was so uncomfortable, barely sleeping, and the waiting game was driving me a little nuts. I kept telling myself I knew Payton would come when she was ready but that was only getting me so far. Little did I know she had planned to make her entrance into the world on her exact due date!

Around 5:30am on July 27th, I had gotten up to go to the bathroom and right when I stood up out of bed, I felt like I wet my pants or something! I went to the bathroom and thought, there is no way I just wet my pants… did my water just start leaking? I decided to put a pad on and head back to bed. I googled a bunch of water breaking stories to see if mine matched up with any and then went back to sleep. Around 6:45am I woke up and decided to stand up to see if anything would happen and the same thing happened again! I couldn’t control it, so I was pretty positive I had amniotic fluid leaking. I told Jeff to head up to work anyways because I didn’t think anything would officially be happening anytime soon. I called the OB Department around 8:00am to see what I should do, and they said to come on in and get checked out just to be safe! I had my dad come over to watch Carter.

When I got to the hospital I registered and headed back to the OB Department. They had me put on a hospital gown and got me all checked up. I had to give them a urine sample and then it was just a waiting game to get some results back. Well! Apparently it wasn’t amniotic fluid leaking, so I got dressed and headed back home! On the way home I almost stopped for an iced coffee but decided to get back to Carter instead.

Well it was a good thing I didn’t stop. I pulled into the driveway, walked into our front door, and BAM! My water absolutely broke this time. I booked it to the bathroom and felt like I flooded the whole room (Sorry TMI!), but I didn’t have a “water breaking” experience with Carter because I was induced, so this was a whole new experience for me! I got all cleaned up, changed my clothes, and then called the OB department back. They were happy to hear from me again and said head back in! I made some toast quick, and then got back in the car. I got ahold of Jeff, and he started leaving work to meet me there too!

I got all settled back into my room. We did most of the same tests again, and then I got into my hospital gown. Instead of having a normal hospital gown, I had a “Posh Pushers Hospital Gown” to make me feel a little more like myself during labor! If you’re looking for a gift to give a pregnant mommy-to-be, getting them a personalized hospital gown is a great idea!

Around 1:00pm, the nurses checked me again. I was dilated about four centimeters. I was having contractions but they weren’t super painful yet. Jeff and I watched a few things on TV and were updating our friends and families on our phones. Around 2:00, my contractions seemed to be getting more painful and uncomfortable. They kept coming and I said to Jeff, I think I need to get the epidural. I waited a few more contractions then decided when the nurse came back in I would let her know. She came back in to check on me and I made a comment that these contractions were getting really uncomfortable and if I’m not progressing dilation wise, I’m going to need the juice, aka the epidural. She checked me and I was close to 5cm but not quite. In my mind I knew there was no way I could keep going without some type of pain management, and my goodness it’s a good thing we got things going right then. It took about twenty minutes for the doctor to get there to give me the epidural. I personally thought it felt like three hours LOL. These contractions were no joke!! The doctor who was going to deliver Payton was asking me questions and making small talk, and I was having such a hard time answering them because these contractions just kept getting stronger and closer together. I was squeezing Jeff’s hand through each of them which seemed to help a little bit.

Finally! Time to get this epidural placed. My nurse helped me sit up at the edge of the bed, with my feet flat on a chair. It was SO hard to sit up because the more I moved the more I felt the contractions. I didn’t realize that it’s quite a little process, well it felt like it anyways, to get the epidural and to get to the pain relief. I honestly don’t know how in the world I would have made it through the contractions without my nurse, Deidra. She is literally a SAINT. I’ll never forget her support and help to get through the worst part of my labor! I also had Nurse Becky who was also so amazing and helped me stay strong during the pain. Labor and delivery nurses are true angels, I am so thankful for the both of them that day!

Back to the epidural! I had to arch my back with my shoulders relaxed, and stay very still. Jeff had to leave the room so it was a sterile environment, and I think it was kind of a good thing he didn’t see me in the worst pain of the day. I remember our birth with Carter afterwards Jeff said that was the hardest part of our labor. The epidural was placed PERFECTLY. It slowly started working and I laid back down into the bed and felt like a new woman!! My smile came back, and I was in literal shock at how much better I felt. Scott the Anesthesiologist, I will never forget you! The doctor came in to see how I was doing right away and checked my cervix. NINE CENTIMETERS! Baby girl was ready to come out! All of those awful contractions while waiting for the epidural was her trying to move on out. All of a sudden the doctor checked me again and asked if I was ready to push. WHAT! SHE’S COMING ALREADY?!

So many emotions. Everyone was gloved and masked up, and they asked Jeff to hold my other leg. It was time. I assumed it’d take a while to push like it did with Carter, but listen to this. I started pushing at 4:09pm, and our precious baby girl was born at 4:12pm. SO FAST. SO DANG FAST. She was here!!!!!

I will never forget that first cry. I actually was able to feel the entire delivery, but had no pain at all which was incredible. We were a family of four, I couldn’t believe it! Welcome to the world, Payton Jeanne! A few people asked where we got the name from, and honestly I’ve always loved the name Payton for a girl, and Jeanne is my middle name. The next few moments involved getting her all cleaned up so I could do skin-to-skin right away. When they placed her on my chest I literally felt like I was in heaven. The joy this moment brought me was indescribable. It took me back to when Carter was born and how amazing that was. I could feel God and our guardian angels watching down and beaming seeing us with our baby girl too. We waited so long for this moment. I couldn’t stop tearing up. Eight pounds and three ounces of love!

About an hour after Payton was born, Jeff went and got Carter so he could meet his baby sister. While I had a vision in my head of him holding her, he was mainly excited to see mommy! I felt overwhelmed but it was such an awesome moment having Jeff walk into our delivery room with Carter. My mom came shortly after and that was such a special moment too!

I think what I keep telling myself is how fast this labor and delivery was. I went in at 11:00am after my water broke and Payton was here at 4:12pm, I didn’t expect that at all! But because Payton did make such a fast arrival she sort of had a tough transition period that was a little scary for a while. She had much better color and was doing way better the next morning after we had her. I am forever grateful for my nurses who got me through the entire journey that weekend, I will never forget how incredible they were! Deidra and Becky, you gals are both rockstars!! And to Dr. Elowsky, who delivered Payton into this world, thank you!! We are so in love, and so thankful for all of the wonderful support we have received from everyone else as well.

Coming soon, a blog post about how Carter is adjusting as a big brother, along with some advice for parents adding a baby to the family with a toddler!

Lots of love and God Bless,

Alyssa