Introducing Ryann Olivia | Birth Story

Our sweet girl, Ryann, arrived on Tuesday evening, September 17th. Here is our birth story.

My due date was actually September 16th. I recall feeling quite proud of myself for making it to my due date. Mainly because so many people said I wouldn't make it. Not sure why they kept saying that so I concluded that they were secretly saying I was huge and they simply couldn't fathom seeing me gain another pound. Or maybe I was just being hormonal, overly sensitive, and thinking the worst. Honestly, it was kind of annoying but I took it in stride. 

My last OB visit was the Thursday before my due date and my doctor mentioned wanting to schedule an induction the Thursday following my due date if the baby hadn't come before then. I was glad to have made it to my due date, but really did not want to be induced so I snapped into action when Monday rolled around with no sign of baby...hubby and I walked about a mile around the neighborhood, we had Mexican food for dinner, I ate an ENTIRE pineapple, and we...well, you know. ;) All of that craziness...and still no sign of baby.

I woke up around 5:30 on Tuesday morning feeling a little...weird. It was a feeling I hadn't felt before so I sat straight up in the bed and figured I must be in labor. At that point, the contractions were manageable and about 10 minutes apart. I woke my hubby up and told him I thought I was in labor. We waited until about 8am to have my OB paged. She called me back and told me to head to the hospital to get checked out since I was past my due date. We arrived at the hospital around 10am and sure enough, I was in labor. I was already 4cm dilated and 50% effaced. 

As much as I was ready for her to come, it still seemed so surreal. I couldn't believe that, in a matter of hours, I was going to finally meet my sweet girl. 

Me & Hubby all checked in to the hospital

I labored for another few hours with little progress so my OB suggested pitocin to help me progress. I was hesitant at first because I really wanted to allow things to progress naturally but eventually decided to go ahead with the pitocin. The nurse administered the pitocin at around 2 o'clock. The pitocin kicked in pretty quickly and those evil contractions started coming fast and furious. I labored for another couple hours until I couldn't handle the pain anymore. And at about 5 o'clock (and to my husband's relief), I requested an epidural.

My mom and mother-in-law arrived at the hospital around 7. The epidural was live and in full effect at that point and I remember uttering something to them about equating the feeling the epidural was giving me to the margarita I'd been craving for the past 9 months. That epidural gave me life. :) Now I will say that the thought of being completely immobile from the waist down freaked me out a little bit. I kept thinking, what if there is an emergency or a FIRE? I had to make a conscious decision NOT to allow myself to focus on that and just relish the fact that I wasn't in any more pain.

I labored for another couple hours. The nurse came in around 9 that evening to check my progress. And I was already 9.5cm dilated and 90% effaced. It was almost time! She called my OB and came back in to help me with what she called a "practice push". Basically, they wanted to be sure I could push properly to avoid hours of pushing.

My OB arrived about an hour later. And suddenly a lot of people were in the room preparing for delivery. A few minutes later, everything was all set up and my OB looked down and said to the main nurse, call the nursery nurses now. Apparently, between the practice push and the hour that had passed, the baby had "labored down" and was ready to come on out. 

Here's the kicker...she pretty much just...slid out.

I literally laid there and didn't even have to push! 

And with that, she was here. My Ryann Olivia. All 7lbs 10oz & 19.5in of her. 

Born Tuesday, September 17th at 10:14 p.m.

Proud Daddy ;)

Ryann & my OB

Daddy soothing his girl

Headed home

I have NEVER felt a love like this before. I feel so incredibly blessed by the opportunity to not only experience a healthy full-term pregnancy but also to be a mother to this little girl. She already has brought so much joy to my world. 

Baby girl's first night home

The past 3 weeks have been exciting, invigorating, but VERY exhausting. In this short time, I've learned so many new things about her, about myself, and about my hubby. And I know this is just the beginning. After all, I'm 30-something and my mom STILL calls to make sure I made it home safely. Which reminds me that a mother's work is never done. I'm also reminded that I can not raise Ryann apart from the guidance of the Lord and a village of people who will love her and want to see her come to know Jesus as Lord & Savior someday. 

Thank you for your support and encouraging words the past few months. It's been a beautiful journey and I'm so glad to have gotten the chance to share it with all of you. I appreciate your continued prayers and encouragement as I figure out this mommy stuff. ;) xo