Emerson's Birth Story

So if you've followed my pregnancy with Emerson for any length of time, then you know that from the beginning nothing has gone as planned. From a large hemorrhage, two emergency room visits, a cyst on my ovary formed from the pregnancy, to basically living at the specialist and OBGYN, growth issues in the third trimester, and many other small and large bumps along the way....I should have known that her birth would be just that: unexpected and full of surprises. This little girl has her own agenda. We are so thankful that our sweet Emerson Faith Gale is here with us. She's safe, healthy, and beautiful! I wanted to share her birth story and of course, I want to have it documented for myself, so that I never forget the details of that life changing day.

At the end of the second trimester, my hemorrhage finally healed, but I continued to see the specialist for a follow-up visit. At that visit, I expected them to say that I was finally released from the specialist and all the issues we had would finally be over. Well at that appointment, Emerson had started measuring behind. Her belly growth was slightly lagging and they wanted to continue to closely monitor her growth. I continued to see the specialist every few weeks and her growth continued to lag, but only slightly. At my 34 week appointment, she started measuring way behind. She was barely in the 10th percentile and the specialist was a lot more concerned. They wanted to see me twice a week for the remainder of the pregnancy. Not only was that stressful, but we had also just moved almost 2 hours away from the doctor and hospital. I knew I had a lot of driving and stress in store for the end of this pregnancy. So each week I went to an ultrasound appointment on Tuesdays and a non-stress test on Fridays. At every appointment, there was a chance for an early induction. Basically, if she didn't grow how they wanted or if her vitals were off, then I would be sent over to Labor & Delivery ASAP. Talk about nerve-racking! Thankfully, our little fighter kept growing enough and was always super active during the non-stress tests, so my specialist allowed me to "keep going" in the pregnancy.

Although Emerson was growing, she was still measuring very small (10th-13th percentile) and my doctor didn't want me going past 38.5-39 weeks because of her "restricted growth". He felt at that point, she would be better off outside the womb. So of course in my planner mind-set, I was pumped. I would get a scheduled induction and be able to plan out the details of her birth. After every appointment being full of surprises, I finally had something concrete to hold on to. Or so I thought. Instead of going to each appointment not knowing what would happen, I would get to choose the date of her birth, have Grayson completely taken care of, and not have to worry about making it to the hospital on time with the long drive and traffic. I felt more in control knowing all that than I had my entire pregnancy. So I prepared as much as I could and waited to schedule the induction, assuming it would be this week. Never once did it occur to me that I could go into labor on my own before that scheduled date. Okay, maybe I thought about it for a second and then thought, "NAH, won't happen." Well to true Emerson fashion, she proved me wrong and completely took me off guard.

On Tuesday August 16, I went up to the appointments at Kennestone Hospital. The specialist visit went well and he said he wanted me to go ahead and schedule the induction with my OBGYN. At the OBGYN, they told me I could schedule my induction for the following week. They did a cervical check and informed me that I was already 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I had also lost my mucus plug a few days prior. The doctor immediately told me that I may not make it to the induction. I honestly just thought, well good by the time I get induced my body will be ready to go. I was 37 weeks 2 days, so I thought I had time left. Although my doctor considered me "full term" at that point. I really thought my body was just preparing for labor and it was, but a little sooner than expected.

So I drove home from the doctor and started to feel crampy. I had felt that way before after a cervix exam and just assumed it was from that. I got home and continued to feel crampy that evening. The pain was all in my lower back and felt like period pains. But they were minor and I could still function completely normally. I mentioned it to Josh, but we continued on with our evening. We went to the mall that night to exchange a few baby clothes for Emerson and while I was there, the crampy feeling persisted and got a little worse. I called my doctor and she basically said I was "on the line" of going into labor when I was checked earlier in the day and at this point, we just had to wait and see if things picked up or died down. I got home around 8pm and started to feel more normal. I assumed things were going to die down at that point. Being that I was only 37 weeks, I really wanted the baby to grow a little more before delivery, so a part of me was scared of going into labor at this point. Then I got my first real contraction. And I had my first "oh crap, this might really be happening" moment!

Up until this point, I think I was in denial. I pulled out a piece of paper and started timing the contractions. A lot of time would go by in-between them, so I began to relax thinking this wasn't really it. The contractions also felt much different than they had with Grayson. The whole experience felt different which is why I was so unsure if I was in actual labor for so long. With Grayson, I had pitocin, but this was a much slower progression and much more natural. It was also much less painful and felt very different than it had with my first labor. Again, all these factors made me question if I was actually going into labor....until the contractions started to gain some regularity. I started to really time them at 10 pm and by 11 pm, they were 10 minutes apart. Once Josh realized what was going on, he insisted that we leave for the hospital. Of course, I was hesitant because there was still so much time in-between the contractions, but figured we should head that way just in case. I still questioned if they would even admit me that this point...I have no idea what was wrong with me! Everyone knew I was in labor except for me! Thankfully, everything was basically packed in the car and ready for the hospital and had been for a few weeks. We scooped Grayson out of bed, grabbed a few things, and headed to Kennestone Hospital.

On the drive, we continued to watch the clock and time the contractions as we headed up the interstate. God really is good because we ended up driving there so late in the evening that we hit absolutely no traffic and got there in record time (and only part of that was Josh's speeding). We were so thankful for that! As we made our way there, the contractions slowly got closer and closer together and the pain became a little more intense each time. I could see the fear and panic in Josh's eyes as I would tell him, "I'm having another one". He raced up the interstate and got frustrated at anyone who even got remotely in our way. I know his only thought was, "I am NOT delivering this baby on the side of the road!" Haha! Can't say I blame him there. I was very calm the entire time actually. I knew we had time. But Josh was right on track and I was so glad we left when we did because by the time we reached the hospital my contractions were 5 minutes apart, the pain was worsening, and I was glad we were there! My mom met us at the hospital to get Grayson and he thought the whole thing was a blast! Since we woke him up in the middle of the night, he was so excited and was amped up! He was pushing his lawn mower throughout the parking deck thinking we were having a nighttime party all the while having no clue that his world was about to change.

The pain was getting more intense so I went and checked myself in while Josh handed Grayson off to my mom. While I was checking in, they were asking me all sorts of questions and it became more and more difficult to answer them during the contractions. The best moment of all though was entering the hospital. While I was walking to Labor & Delivery, I remembered that day back in February when I had walked through those same doors bleeding heavily and truly believing I had miscarried this baby. Walking through those same doors in labor with a healthy baby was overwhelming...I couldn't help but thank God in that moment for all He had brought us through to make it to that point. By the time Josh got upstairs, I was in a lot more pain and I was ready to have him by my side. They checked me in at 1am. I was at 5cm dilated and the contractions were about 3 minutes apart. I was immediately taken to a room and couldn't believe our little girl was indeed on her way! The contractions were so much different this time even while in active labor. They weren't as intense and there were breaks between them (something that didn't happen when I had pitocin). The contractions were tough but bearable especially with the breaks. I denied the epidural right when I got to the hospital and again when the anesthesiologist came in and personally asked me if I wanted one while he was in the area. But when they told me I was nearing 7-8 cm and getting to the point of no return and no epidural, I immediately asked for the anesthesiologist to return. You natural birthing mamas are amazing! I was too scared to commit to a natural birth at that point -- so I chose the epidural! I was in less pain than last time though and I realized this because I was much more nervous about the epidural. The whole time the doctor was doing it, I was very on edge. It also took a little longer to take affect which scared me. I had always heard about people's epidural not fully working and by that point, I wanted all the help and numbness I could get! Emerson's heart rate decelled a few times in the beginning while I was having contractions. I got very nervous about that, but it soon went away. Thank goodness.

After the epidural, the nurse said she would check my progress in about 45 minutes. I figured it would still be a while. I then realized my water hadn't broke, but within 2 minutes, I felt a lot of pressure and bam. ...water broken. I kept feeling pressure...lots of pressure. I swore it was the head, but the nurse kept saying it was just the baby making her way down. Another 10 minutes of intense pressure and I finally convinced them to check me. At 3am, only 2 hours after I had checked in, I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push! It seriously flew by! The nurses set everything up and I pushed for a while -- longer than I did with Grayson. I started to get discouraged, but just kept pushing (ha!) forward. And at 3:57am, Emerson Faith Gale entered the world! The nurses kept talking about her beautiful dark brown hair and how perfectly tiny and sweet she was. They laid her into my arms and I was so relieved. Everything that had led up to this moment was completely worth meeting my beautiful daughter. She weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. and measured 18 3/4 inches long...and completely healthy! What a praise! I was so fearful for her life and God protected her all the way through my pregnancy, labor, and delivery. It is so emotionally overwhelming when I really think about how God has been working through her life since her conception. She's truly a miracle. Her middle name, "Faith", was inspired by God's faithfulness during my pregnancy and in her life. My pregnancy with Emerson was one of the most challenging experiences, but it has strengthened my faith more than anything I've ever been through before and for that I'm grateful. Emerson's life is already a testimony of God's goodness and I don't ever want to forget that.

We are now adjusting to life as a family of four and it's a whole new world! We are so thankful for our healthy and beautiful children and can't wait to see what our future as a family of four holds! Thank you all for the continuous prayers, encouragement, and love throughout this pregnancy. Our girl is finally here and we are smitten!