Birth Story

Baby Julia is here! Here are the details on the birth of our precious baby girl:

I went into the hospital on Monday, June 8th to start the induction process. We arrived at 7 and it took about an hour to get fully checked in. We got to our room and got all cozy thinking that we would be there for the night before getting the pitocin drip in the morning. After getting my cervix checked (0 dialation) and getting my IV started I got the cervadil placed inside of me. This was about 9:30 pm.

Brian pulled out his little couch bed and set it all up beside the hospital bed. We turned the tv on and starting watching a home show on PBS. At about midnight I starting having really painful contractions. My entire body was shaking with each one, I thought for sure that I was going to vomit and that all the bones in my pelvis were breaking. We started to get kind of worried since we had 12 hours of this. My nurse came in to give me some medication for the nausea and decided that she should check my cervix. At this point I 5 cm dialated. I had gone from 0-5 in about 2 hours. The nurses started to freak out a little bit and decided to take the cervidil out and let us wait it out.

They went to call my midwife to let her know that it was about time and that I was progressing quickly. By that time I had another horrendous contraction, they checked me again-I was at 7 cm. dialation. Then the next contraction came-9cm dialated!

The room filled with residents, the nurses were all scrambling around. I could hear them on the phone with my midwife-she was on her way, she was rushing. I had to push-I told the nurse I couldn't stop it. The resident scrubbed down and set everything up at the foot of my bed. My body starting to push on it's on. Brian and the nurses started coaching me through the pushes. The nurse from family beginnings came in and she was right up in my face telling me what to do.

After I did one set of pushes my Midwife Margie showed up. I was relieved to see her, but at that point it didn't matter-the room was filled with nurses and residents, the NICU team and students. I didn't care who was in that room by this time, I was going to have my baby!

Brian held my leg and gave me the play by play, he kept telling me that I was doing it and that Julia would be here soon. At 3:05 am the nurse looked at the clock and asked me what time we thought our baby would arrive. She guessed 3:12, I thought she was joking. I said, "You are just saying that to make me feel better!"

Well after another sets of pushes her head was out, one more push and her body was out-She was here! Brian cut the cord and Margie put her up on my chest, she was beautiful. Her eyes were open and she was looking all around at everything. Brian and I were still in shock that we actually had our baby in our arms.

They quickly took her over to the side to do all of her tests. The NICU team wanted to take her away but Brian protested telling them that they could do all of her testing in our room with us. Of course they were able to do that, we had been told that we would never have to be separated from our baby. The tests seemed to take forever, she was screaming the entire time!

During all of this Brian was standing over by Julia while Margie and I were waiting for my placenta. I felt like I was gushing a ton of liquid all over the place. I'm sure that I was. Margie pressed on my abdomen and with a tiny push the placenta came out. It was as big as Julia! She put it in a pan and we looked at it. Pretty gross but still pretty cool.

The nurse got me up and we went to the bathroom. I was surprised that I was able to urinate right away-so happy that I didn't have to get a catheter. I got all cleaned up, we got back into bed and held our little girl. They brought me a boxed lunch and I was able to eat and enjoy Julia. After a few hours they moved us to a much smaller room where we stayed until Thursday.

Julia is just perfect. The nurses were all amazed that I was able to deliver her without any medications, I don't think anybody thought that I had it in me. But we did it, and now we have this precious baby girl.

Brian and I thank the Lord for blessing us with this little miracle. There is nothing like sharing her with the man that I love so much-she is ours and she is perfect.

First family picture, minutes after birth

Julia Claire Eversole June 9th, 2009

3:22 am 4 pounds 14 ounces 18.5 inches long