Camden's Birth Story

Long time, no blog! It's been almost a year and a half since I published my last blog, but it feels good to be back. A lot has happened since the last time I blogged back in November of 2017. Grayson is now 4 years old, Emerson is 2.5 years old, and we've recently added a new baby, Camden James, to our family! We are now a family of 5 which seems crazy to me. When I first started this blog, I was newly married with no children, so life has definitely changed! I was really good about blogging through my other two pregnancies and also documenting all of the monthly updates. For a few different reasons, I didn't do any pregnancy updates this time around. I really wanted to write Camden's birth story down because I already love going back and reading Grayson and Emerson's birth stories and all the other updates I did for them. It's crazy how quickly you forget all the details unless you write it down. I don't know how often I will update, but I would love to get back into blogging all of Camden's monthly updates. I have no idea who this would interest, but at the very least, I like to write it all down for myself to look back on! All that to say: here is Camden's birth story! (Lots of TMI and birth details in this blog, just a warning!)

Walking into the hospital for my induction -- last pregnancy picture!

My first picture with Camden right after he was born -- feeling all the emotions!
 

From the start, this pregnancy was stressful for me. It was definitely different from my other pregnancies, and it was by far the most challenging for me mentally, physically, and emotionally. There seemed to be small bumps in the road from the beginning including being told this was possibily a chemical pregnancy and that I would likely lose the baby to a very painful cyst on my ovary throughout the entire first trimester to crippling anxiety at the thought of anything happening to the baby to intense and chronic pelvic pain. By the grace of God, I made it through each of these trials and the baby remained healthy and growing! At my 20 week ultrasound back in December, I was told I had placenta previa. The baby looked great, but I would have to come back at 32 weeks to see if my placenta had moved out of the way. If it hadn't, then I would have a c-section at 36 weeks. I spent the next few months on pelvic rest (no lifting my other kids) and worrying that I may have to have an early c-section. At 32 weeks, I went in for my ultrasound and was relieved to find out that my placenta had completely moved out of the way. I was in the clear! Or so I thought. I happened to ask about the baby's size while they were doing the ultrasound. The tech checked the size of the baby's belly just for fun to give me an estimate on how much the baby was weighing. She immediately looked concerned and said the baby's belly was measuring 3 weeks behind, and overall, the baby was measuring 1 week behind. After talking to my doctor, she did a few more tests, and I was diagnosed with IUGR (growth restriction). I had the exact same thing in my pregnancy with Emerson, so while I was nervous, I was also pretty comfortable with the diagnosis. I know this meant more monitoring and possibly an early induction. After talking to my doctor, I found out that I would be induced between 38-39 weeks as long as everything they were monitoring (blood flow through the umbilical cord, baby's movements, etc.) continued to look okay. I was supposed to be induced early with Emerson also, but I went into labor on my own at 37.5 weeks, so it never happened. The next few weeks went by, and everything looked good at my appointments. I assumed they would let me go to 38-39 weeks and that I would probably go into labor on my own before then.

So happy that he is finally here!

He weighed 5 lbs 4.7 oz.

At 35.5 weeks, I went into my appointment and unfortunately, something was off. The blood flow through the umbilical cord was restricted, and while the baby was okay at the moment, they wanted to induce me right at 37 weeks. I was really torn about it. Obviously, I wanted to do what was best for the baby and would never put the baby in danger. But I also really didn't want to be induced. I ended up having Pitocin in my labor with Grayson, and it was really awful compared to my labor with Emerson which I never had to get Pitocin. I knew there was a good chance I would go into labor early based on my past pregnancies, but also knew I probably wouldn't go into labor on my own before 37 weeks. But whether I liked it or not, I was going to get induced  right at 37 weeks and quickly tried to mentally prepare myself. Thankfully, I was already 1-2 cm dilated and 30% effaced at my 35.5 week appointment, so my body was already slowly preparing for labor. I had multiple appointments over the next 1.5 weeks with the same diagnosis (elevated doppler levels in the umbilical cord) that confirmed that this baby needed to come out at 37 weeks. I spent the next week and a half trying to prepare my body for labor. I went on long walks, drank red raspberry leaf tea, and took evening primrose oil. I also did these things in my previous pregnancies once I hit 36 weeks and felt that they couldn't hurt, but would helpfully help progress things along. At my 36.5 week appointment, I was 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. The doctor was confident that it would be an "easy" induction and that it wouldn't take much Pitocin to get my body going. At the appointment the day before my induction (April 4), I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She also said the baby's head was very low and ready for labor. My doctor felt like it would be a quick induction and it wouldn't take very long. My body seemed to be very close to going into labor on its own anyways. I had been losing my mucus plug slowly for almost 2 weeks at this point and on the evening before my induction, I had my "bloody show." There was a part of me that felt like my body was racing the induction clock! Ha.

 Meeting their baby brother

Emerson was a little unsure at first. When she was done holding him, she basically threw him off of her and said, "All done!". Camden was unharmed and thankfully we have taught Emerson to tell us she is "all done" before moving him off of her. Ha!

We were told to report to the hospital at 11pm on April 4 to begin the induction. I tried to nap throughout the day, but I was way too anxious. We said goodnight to the kids and headed to the hospital soon after. I had never been officially induced, so it was a weird feeling knowing we were going in to have this baby. In a way, it was nice to have it all scheduled and planned, but it was very different for me. When I got to the hospital, I checked in, got settled, and then they started me on antibiotics around midnight, right as I hit 37 weeks. I tested positive for Step B, so I had to have two rounds of antibiotics before they started me on Pitocin. I tried to sleep on the delivery bed, but it was super uncomfortable. I also started having real contractions right around the time we got to the hospital. When they hooked me up to the monitor, I asked if I was having a contraction (I had so many intense Braxton Hicks throughout my pregnancy that it was hard for me to even tell at this point) and the nurse was like, "Yep, you are!". The contractions continued randomly throughout the early morning hours but never grew consistent enough for them not to do Pitocin. The induction was still on, but this was just another sign that my body was ready to have this baby. I truly believe I would have naturally gone into labor very soon on my own especially since I started having many contractions right before the induction. It made me feel a lot better about being induced, like I wasn't kicking the baby out early, but that he/she was ready. At my appointment, the day before, the blood flow through the umbilical cord was the most restricted it had ever been. This was a huge confirmation for me that induction was the right decision. Not that I actually had a choice in the matter, but it reminded me that this was what was best for the baby. And that my preferences ultimately didn't matter. I just wanted a healthy baby in the end! I was really anxious, excited, and nervous when getting to the hospital and even more so after starting to have contractions. So after they started the antibiotics, sleep was just not happening. At 5am, they started me on Pitocin. Finally! I was so ready to get the show on the road!

I slowly started having more longer and stronger contractions. Every 15 minutes or so, the nurse would come in and bump the Pitocin up. This only happened a few times though before the baby's heart rate started to decel during the contractions. Basically, the baby's heart rate always drops a little during contractions, but if it drops too much and too often, then it can be an issue. This same thing happened in my labor with Emerson, so at first, I wasn't worried, but then it became a constant issue for the next few hours. My nurse would come in and get me to turn into different positions to get the baby to "handle the contractions" a little better. There were times they thought the baby was playing with or messing with the umbilical cord and that's what was causing it. Changing positions seemed to be the only thing that would temporarily help. I absolutely loved the two nurses I had during my labor and delivery. They were wonderful! They were so encouraging and kind. They really took care of me. They were really good about not scaring me and gently letting me know what was going on and asking me to switch positions. My doctor came in at 7:30am and broke my water. She said my membranes were "bulging" and that it would be very easy to do. She was right. It wasn't bad at all! I was having contractions, but nothing super painful at this point. I expected them to get worse once she broke my water, but I also knew this would speed things along. Over the next 1.5 hours, the nurse and my doctor watched me like a hawk. It was the scariest part of my labor. My contractions were picking up and starting to get more painful, but because the baby's heart rate kept dropping, I was very distracted from the contractions. I was watching the monitor like crazy because I could tell if the baby's heart rate was decelling or if the baby was taking the contractions well. As each contraction started, I watched the monitor and prayed the baby's heart rate wouldn't drop too low. My new nurse came on shift at 7am and she was in my room fairly often getting me to change positions to try to help with the heart rate. My doctor stayed in my room for a while after breaking my water watching the monitor. She very gently told me that she didn't want to do a c-section on me especially because I had never had one, but if the baby's heart rate kept doing this, that it might happen. I was panicking inside because I don't think anyone wants an emergency c-section. At 5am when they started the induction, I was still 3 cm dilated. At about 8am, I was dilated to 4cm which was good because my doctor wanted to make sure I was progressing at this point with the baby's heart rate continuously decelling. Also, they didn't increase my Pitocin much after the first few times because of the heart rate. They basically gave me enough Pitocin to jumpstart labor, and my body did the rest. Which was an answer to prayer because that is exactly what I wanted to happen -- limited Pitocin. Anyone who has ever had Pitocin knows how awful it is! The baby's heart rate kept decelling until about 9am. At that point, I called my mom (who was driving down to the hospital from Atlanta) about in tears because I really thought a c-section was going to happen. She was good about reminding me that they would only do a c-section as a last resort and for the baby's health. I was still really scared and hung up with her because, at that point, the contractions were getting more intense. I sent out a text to a few friends and family and asked them to pray for the baby to be able to tolerate labor and at that point basically let go of "control" of the situation...not that I had any anyways! Ha. It seemed like the prayers were heard pretty immediately. My body was doing better with the new position they had me in -- sitting up completely Indian style. I asked if I could get out of bed and walk around the room at this point. I knew if I was going to handle these contractions without an epidural, I needed to walk around.

Camden's first bath

 

I have been like this in all my labors, and I know some people think it is crazy, but you have to do labor; however, you feel is best for you! For me, I like to go as long as I can before I get the epidural. I had an epidural with both Grayson and Emerson, so I am not against them at all. I just like to get to the point of not being able to go any farther on my own before I get one. So while I was in a good bit of pain, I was feeling good enough to keep going at this point. I walked around for a little bit and then Josh asked me if he could go get a cup of coffee really quickly. He hadn't slept much all night either, and I think he knew that it was now or never. Haha. I told him that he could go, but to come back quickly. He was gone from about 9:45-10am. While he was gone, my contractions got to the point where I was really struggling with them. I could barely walk around, and my legs were shaking during the contractions. I buzzed the nurse while he was gone and told her that I think I wanted the epidural. Josh came back, and so did the nurse. She told me that she wanted to check me and then we could talk about the epidural. At the time, I was annoyed! Haha. I just wanted the epidural, but I let her check me and was shocked at what she said. She said that I was 7cm dilated and that the baby's head was right there. She told me that I could get the epidural, but if I wanted a natural labor, that she believed I could do it and that it wouldn't be much longer. I opted to keep laboring on my own and not get the epidural. She said I was entering "transition" and soon it would be time to push. She said I could have an IV drug if I wanted and I told her that's what I wanted. Over the next 15 minutes or so, I completed the transition. It was definitely extremely painful and intense, but thankfully there were breaks in between the contractions. My eyes were closed most of the time, and I was squeezing the hospital bed for dear life. My arms were actually sore the next day because of how tightly I was squeezing the railing of the bed! Ha! I was yelling out some in pain and was definitely the most vocal I have ever been during a labor. The nurse checked me again around 10:30am and told me I was at "completion." I cried out, "What does that mean?!" because I had no clue. She said I was 10 cm dilated and it was time to push! I couldn't believe it! It seemed that once my body really went into labor, things went really quickly. And just like they say, I suddenly had the urge to push. It just happened all on its own. They told me to try not to push, so that the doctor could make it in time to catch the baby. I couldn't really control that part! I kept pushing, and thankfully the doctor showed up in time. For whatever reason, I thought pushing was going to be the easier part, but because of the baby's positioning (which we didn't know at the time), I was wrong. Pushing was the craziest and weirdest and most painful feeling! It definitely burned like I've heard it described before and it was just extremely uncomfortable. Pushing took about 15 minutes although it felt like an eternity. I felt like I was in an alternate universe. It was like some weird out of body experience. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done! Josh later told me that there were many people in the room at the birth including a few students (which they had mentioned to me at the beginning of labor) and I had no idea! I was so focused on pushing the baby out and managing the pain that I really had no idea what was going on around me! At 10:50am, Camden James Gale was born! He weighed 5 lbs. 4 oz. and was 19 inches long. My doctor was shocked because when he came out, he was "sunny side up" or "face presentation" which means that he was facing the wrong way coming out. That explained why pushing was so difficult. They later told me that if he was in the regular birthing position, I would have pushed him out before my doctor arrived. But because he was turned around, it took a little longer and a little extra work on my part. Thankfully, he was perfectly fine though! It all happened so fast thankfully! Later, my nurse told me that even if I had wanted the epidural, I wouldn't have had time for one. And she never got around to giving me the IV drugs either -- again, no time! Definitely a blessing for a natural birth.

Daddy is in love.

Mommy and her 3 babies

Grayson's first time holding Camden

Snuggling my girl

The first thing I saw was Camden's face -- in the moment, I just knew it was a BOY! He looked so much like a HE. They laid him on my chest, and I quickly checked -- yep, it was a boy! I had thought it was a boy my entire pregnancy, so I wasn't completely shocked. It was still really fun to wait to find out though! I can't believe I had TWO sons! My initial reaction was different with Camden that it was with the other two purely because I had just had a natural birth. I think I was in shock for a little while after he was born. It was the craziest experience and I couldn't believe I had done it. So while I was so happy to finally meet him, I was also in a very weird headspace and recovering from the intense pain. Camden cried the most out of all my kids right after he was born, but then quickly calmed down and was so relaxed and happy. The hospital let us have an entire uninterrupted hour of skin to skin time right after he was born which was amazing. No one was in the room, not even the nurses, and it was a really special time. I was still really nervous about his health and was anxious to make sure everything was okay. They weighed him, and he was 5 lbs. 4 oz. and 19 inches long. They did all the tests and checked his lungs, and everything was perfect! I had to have 2 steroid shots the week before he was born to make sure his lungs were developed at birth. They had also warned me about a possible NICU stay just because he was born early, so I was prepared for that. I was so relieved to find out he was perfectly healthy!

Grayson was beyond thrilled that he was going to have a brother! He was giddy with excitement and so interested in him!

Grayson checking out Camden's hair

The closest picture we got to all 5 of us! Ha!

The past 9 months and really, the past year (the months leading up to getting pregnant with Camden) were some of the hardest of my life. I dealt with extreme anxiety and fear and a lot of physical pain and restrictions. It tested me in ways I had never been tested before. I was so nervous and scared about so many things, but God was so faithful! He worked together every detail and got our Camden James here safe and sound. The middle name James was inspired by the Bible verse, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." -- James 1:17. I truly believe Camden is a gift from God. I believe that of all my children, but this baby was truly a gift from the Lord and God showing His goodness to us. Camden is so special to me, and his life is so precious. We are truly blessed beyond measure. We are now adjusting to life as a family of 5. Besides lack of sleep, we are doing really well! Camden is the sweetest baby and the perfect addition to our family. Grayson and Emerson are in love with their new baby brother and that has made the transition a lot easier! If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I'm excited to share Camden's updates as the months go on and to hopefully keep this blog updated!

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!