Ryan and I made the decision with our doctor at our 39 week appointment that it was time to be induced! The induction was scheduled to begin around 8:00 pm on Thursday, March 10, with the hopes of a baby arriving sometime Friday evening. The induction process began with me taking a medication at different points throughout the night to get my body ready for labor and then to start pitocin, a drug that stimulates contractions, at 5:00 am on Friday morning. I must say, contrary to a lot of other birth stories, ours went pretty well as planned. I started out dilated 2 cm and felt mild contractions on and off throughout the night, but none strong enough to really get me anywhere. At 5:00 am, the nurse started me on pitocin which caused my contractions to become stronger and more frequent. By 7:00 Friday morning, I had made it to 3 cm and Dr. Brown broke my water. This really got the ball rolling! My doctor suspected that I would be ready for my epidural around noon and estimated that Payton would arrive sometime Friday evening. Little did she know, I would be completely dilated by noon and ready to start pushing!
Around 9:00 am I had made it to 4-5 cm and was more than ready for my epidural! During my two hours of hard contractions with no pain medication, I remember saying to my mom over and over again, "I don't know how you did this 3 times with no medication." She would kindly respond by saying, "I am just so glad that you don't have to." It was always my plan to have an epidural; I am a firm believer in modern medicine and was not about trying to play it tough. I just never thought about having to endure the pain of the contractions up until that point. I must say, I don't think I have ever felt pain quite like that and have never been so happy to see someone like I was to see my anesthesiologist!
I really think I had the perfect epidural. The pain of the contractions was completely gone, but I could still feel and move my legs. By noon, I had made it to 10 cm, but our nurse decided that since I was so comfortable, we might as well not start pushing just yet and let the contractions do the work. I was definitely ok with that!
At 1:00 pm, we decided to get this show on the road. I started pushing with our nurse around 1:00, Dr. Brown arrived around 2:15 ready for delivery, and Payton was born at 2:26! Words cannot express the flood of emotions felt by both Ryan and I as the doctor laid Payton on my chest and our eyes met for the first time. Ryan kept saying over and over, "Holly, she's really here; she's right there; she's here!" She came out so bright eyed, and we spent the next 15-20 minutes savoring every second of that magical, most precious moment when we instantly became a family of 3. We were completely oblivious to everything else that was going on and everyone else in the room.
Our experience at the Women's Hospital was truly wonderful. We had the best nurses, and after experiencing the care that they give to their patients on a daily basis, I now have an even greater respect for people who choose this as a career path. I will never forget my nurse Donna, who was with us all through labor and delivery. I think God must have had something to do with her being my nurse that day. She was the exact person I needed to help get me through this, and I cried like a baby when her shift was over. She got emotional as well, and we decided that she will be seeing me again in a couple years. :)
Now that Payton is here, the real journey begins! I know I have made some of the greatest memories of my entire life these first couple weeks at home. I have never been so thankful for great family and friends, especially my mom! Thankfully, she stayed with us the first week after Payton was born to make sure we had a clean house and cooked meals every day. By doing this, she enabled Ryan and I to spend every waking moment getting to know our sweet little girl and how to be the best parents for her. The gift of that time is the greatest, most precious gift we could have ever asked for!
As we begin this new chapter in our lives, I hope to never forget the advice given to me by one of my teacher friends, "What you do with your kids is far more important than what you do for them." We are so thankful to God for this amazing gift, and I hope to do my best to enjoy each and every moment. (Yes, this even means the 2 am feedings! haha!) Miss Payton- Thanks for making mommy and daddy the happiest parents on earth, and thanks for your patience, as we are learning right along with you each and every day! Below are some of our favorite pictures.
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