Our little Callie made her grand entrance quick and easy on April 14, 2022. Clay and I were both overjoyed she decided to come early and she made the birthing process a breeze for me too. We have now been at home two weeks with our little nugget and are so in love (a little sleep deprived) but so in love.
Callie’s Birth Story
Let me just say, the epidural really worked and I didn’t feel a thing during labor! I started feeling her drop on Wednesday the 13th and by Thursday morning I started having light contractions. Around 8:30 am I was sitting on the couch timing contractions debating going to Sprouts to grab a few things and boom a gush of water! My water had broken! Thank goodness I was home and not at Sprouts!
I called Clay and said “It’s go time” to which he responded and “Okay, I’m coming!” and hung up haha. An hour or so later we were at the doctor and they confirmed my water had broken and I was 1cm dilated to so I waddled on over to labor and delivery and got checked in.
Excited for Callie to arrive!
I delivered at Presperterian St Lukes (PSL) and it was a dream! We loved every nurse/staff purse we engaged with and the labor and delivery wing is also brand new and so nice!
Once I got settled, we started pitocin to see if we could speed up the labor process.
At 11:30 am I was over the contractions and ready for my epidural. It was going to be about thirty minutes for the anesthesiologist to get there so I opted for fentanyl to start. While it doesn’t truly mask the pain, that stuff sure makes you feel good! I was high on life and ready for the baby girl to arrive. Once I got the epidural I was only 3.5 cm dilated (you have to get to 10!) so we were going to have to wait.
Feeling very good after the Epidural
I took a few naps and texted with friends all while rotating my body on this peanut ball. When they checked again around 5:30 I was almost fully dilated and starting to feel the pressure. The epidural takes away all the pain and feeling in your lower half but you still feel the pressure… of well a baby trying to get out of you haha.
I was told the doctor had run home and wouldn’t be back till 7 pm so to just hold tight. When he arrived I was +2 so the baby girl was basically on her way all on her own!
I pushed for eighteen minutes total and honestly I couldn’t tell what I was doing at all! I kept laughing because every time I would “push” the nurse and doctor would tell me that was perfect and to do it again, but I didn’t even know what I had done, to try and do it again. Either way, it worked!
I had asked in advance if I could pull her out – Kourtney Kardashian style – so the moment finally came and I pulled her up onto my chest. Clay and I were both overjoyed as she screamed and cried all her vitals came back totally healthy and we were just in aw.
While delivery was a breeze, the two hours after were not so great. I started to get the shakes on and off and then nonstop for about an hour – kind of like when you’re coming down from fever and your shaking uncontrollably and your teeth are chattering. I couldn’t hold my phone let alone hold Callie so I just watched Clay with her until I was able to take some meds to calm me down. These worked immediately and I wish I had taken them sooner!
So if you get the shakes post-birth – ask for the meds ASAP!
We spent the next two days in the hospital learning everything we could about taking care of a baby and just oooh and ahhing over our little Callie.
Two Weeks with Callie
So far, Callie has been great she eats well and sleeps well. It’s definitely an adjustment to motherhood, the hormones and emotions come fast, breastfeeding is incredibly humbling and the lack of sleep is just the cherry on top. But getting to snuggle and love on this little girl makes it all worth it.
Having an incredibly supportive partner helps too. Clay was meant to be a dad and is a natural, it’s just as fun to watch him love her as it is to love her myself. I know we have many sleepless nights ahead of us but we honestly can’t wait!
