JLC:: A Birth Story

This was my first labor that wasn't super clear if I was in labor.

The night before she was born I was up for a couple hours with contractions.

However they went away so I just thought it was another false labor.

During the rest of the day I had contractions periodically.

Nothing that was timeable or progressing in intensity.

By dinner time they were coming in more regular periods but then they would stop for a little bit.

They were feeling more painful but I still wasn't sure I was in labor.

When we tucked the kids in at 7pm the intensity kicked up and then started coming 7 minutes apart.

By the time we tucked Jacob in at 7:30pm I figured we should head to the hospital and walk around the parking lot.

I was bound and determined not to have a car baby!

As we were walking they got more intense so we decided to head in since I was group B strep positive.

In triage my midwife had them check me right away.

I was dilated to a 4.

She said I could wait in triage for anything to progress or be admitted and she would come break my water in an hour if nothing was moving along.

I decided to wait in triage.

While the nurse was calling my midwife to let her know my decision my water broke.

They quickly admitted me and my midwife arrived shortly there after.

I was able to walk around and sit on the birthing ball.

When I was at a 10 I moved back to the bed and about 15 minutes later Jaylee was here!

This labor felt like my most painful and intense.

I'm not sure if it is because I wasn't as prepared mentally or if it is because she was my biggest baby.

Jaylee Lynne Calder weight 8lbs 6oz and was 20.5" long and born at 9:00 pm.

She tested positive for Lewis Antibodies and had high bilirubin levels. 

Her second night they put her under blue lights and she had to stay like that the entire following day.

I hated sitting in the hospital and not being able to hold her.

It was so sad to see her laying naked under the lights with an eye mask on.

It got pretty lonely being there for two full days without any visitors (except for Ryan) thanks to COVID.

I was just happy her levels came down enough that they let us go home.

Thankfully she didn't have any issues after leaving the hospital.