Our Rainbow Baby: Lily Jane

Our rainbow baby has officially joined us Earth side. Lily Jane (aka Sister) made her arrival into this world July 15^th at 3:20 AM and we could not be more overjoyed as she completes our family of four.

It is hard for me to believe that two pregnancies could be so different, but they were. Physically, this pregnancy was a lot harder than with Levi. I don’t know if it is because I am older, because it is my second, or just the nature of this pregnancy, but it was much different than my pregnancy with Levi. Medically, however, this pregnancy was a breeze. No issues with her anatomy scan, no gestational diabetes, no group B strep – literally nothing of concern medically my entire pregnancy, which during this pandemic, I am so thankful for. Due to no concerns medically, my OB felt comfortable with letting me go to 41 weeks to wait for baby Sister to make her arrival. With Levi, I had a scheduled induction date thanks to gestational diabetes, but thankfully, he decided to come on his own time before my induction date. While my OB did chat induction with me with Sister, I was adamant that she would come on her own time and was fine with waiting until she did.

While we awaited the arrival of Sister, I began to mentally prepare for her coming as quickly or more quickly than Levi. I was in labor with Levi for about 9 hours and even my OB told me that second babies come quicker. With our long distance to the hospital, I prepared myself that an epidural may not be an option for me this time around and I really needed to be prepared for a natural birth in the case that is how things went down. I took an online hynobirthing class from the Positive Birth Company, read two incredible books, and downloaded an amazing hypnobirthing app called Freya as resources to help me along.

Sister always preferred to sit pretty high, but around 36 weeks she finally dropped. My OB couldn’t believe how low she was for 36 weeks, but I had no dilation. This didn’t surprise me as I didn’t ever dilate before I went into labor with Levi, but still went into labor naturally with him just fine. My 38 week and 39 week appointment was the same story. Still no more dilation and no really definite activity when it came to regular contractions.  That weekend, my OB told me she was on call and would have loved for me to have a baby, but still no baby.

I hit 39 weeks 3 days, which is the gestational age at which Levi was born, and still no baby. It was officially the longest I have ever been pregnant, but not by much. My 40 week appointment was scheduled for Tuesday, that Monday I was almost positive I was going to go into labor but I didn’t. I honestly would have rather had a baby than go to that appointment, but I didn’t get so lucky. Mark decided to join me for that appointment and thankfully, we also packed our bags to take along with us, just in case. I was having contractions now for two days, but they hadn’t yet picked up or become regular. There were also not as intense as when I was in labor with Levi, so I chalked it up to false labor and figured we would have more days ahead of us.

At my appointment, my OB was floored at the change in just a week. I went from no dilation to almost 4 cm. She even asked me, “are you sure you aren’t in labor?” She recommended that we don’t stray too far and that she would be seeing me in 24 hours to deliver a baby. Mark and I left the appointment completely unsure of what to do. We live 120 miles away from the hospital we deliver at, but I also wasn’t in an active state of labor and wanted to avoid the hospital until I really needed to be there. We made some plans for Levi and decided to stay in town. Y’all, it was the weirdest experience and feeling, ever. Being just “stuck” in town waiting to go into active labor.

We ended up deciding to go somewhere I could walk, but was indoors and not out in the July heat of the summer. Of course, Scheels was our go-to. We wandered around Scheels for quite a while, I think I made 3 laps around the store. My contractions picked up some, but I still wasn’t in active labor yet. Mark needed to stop and replenish his stash of beer while we were in town, so we hit up the liquor store and I got to pick out my first alcoholic beverages post baby, while having contractions around the store. Like I said, the weirdest experience, ever. And if I can say, totally fitting for North Dakota.

By the time we left the liquor store and picked up some things at the grocery store, I was ready to not be around people or in public anymore. My contractions were picking up but were still totally manageable. We ended up getting a hotel room which was much more comfortable. By this time, I was starting to time contractions so I laid down and took a nap while I still could. The next couple of hours I spent moving around the hotel room, laboring in various positions, and watching American Pickers on the History channel. We got our “last supper” early in the evening and by 10 PM, things were starting to really pick up. My contractions were 5 mins apart lasting for at least a minute and that had been going on for an hour, so we decided to head to the hospital.

Once we arrived at the hospital, where I literally walked myself up to labor and delivery talking with the nurse who let us in the whole time, they put us into triage. I thought to myself, this is strange because I am in labor, but just went along with the whole process. When the nurse finally checked me, she realized how far along I really was and that I wouldn’t be going home. I was 7 cm dilated and she couldn’t believe that I had just walked myself up at 7 cm. Honestly, my contractions weren’t nearly as intense as they were with Levi at the same stage in labor. I attribute this to two different things: first, Levi was sunny side up which caused a lot of horribly painful back labor, I didn’t experience this with Sister at all because she was face down, the ideal position for birth. Second, my water had not yet broken with Sister and having that water intact absolutely gives a little cushion so you don’t feel the full intensity of the contractions.

The nurse called my OB to let her know I had checked in and discussed breaking my water to speed things up. We ended up deciding to allow my OB to come in and break my water, but with the anticipation that this would also increase the intensity of my labor once my water isn’t there as a cushion. We also had to discuss if I wanted an epidural because it was now or never. I either had to make the decision to take it right then or not take one at all. At that point in my labor, I wasn’t even close to feeling like I needed an epidural and I knew that I had prepared for the option that I wouldn’t have it, so I decided to proceed on without it.

They admitted me into a room, the same exact room that I gave birth to Levi in and at 11 PM, my OB came in and broke my water. Upon check in, my blood pressure was slightly elevated. They continued to check it and unfortunately, it continued to go up. Because of my high blood pressure, I was limited to staying on/in the bed in the case that I had a seizure, even though in my birth plan I had wanted to be mobile and move around more in the case I chose a natural birth. Thankfully, even though I was contained to the bed, the labor and delivery nurses were amazing about utilizing the bed for various positions and kept me moving positions every hour or couple.

They were very cognizant of keeping the lights low, the environment low stress for me, as well as leaving me be to labor on my own for long periods of time, given that my blood pressure finally came down after they administered some meds to me. I labored on hands and knees, sort of leaning over the head of the bed for a while, I labored on one side with the birth peanut in between my legs, and at the height of my labor, I sat in a crown position or basically a seated squat type position like you’d sit on a throne or toilet. At that point, I was literally in a zone. Nothing was really coming in and nothing was really coming out. I was completely focused on the coached breathing via the app I was listening to during a contraction and when I wasn’t having a contraction I was focused on trying to keep relaxed to continue dilation. It was intense and I even felt at certain times like I could fall asleep or did for a little bit. I remember hitting the emotional signpost of denial and thinking I couldn’t do it anymore and certainly couldn’t push out this baby. But I just kept telling myself that the only way to get over it was to birth that baby, at that point, I had no other option or choice. I had to keep going.

The nurse kept asking me if I was feeling pressure as she was trying to gauge if I was feeling the need to push. I had read this part in my natural birthing books and listened to the modules on the hynobirthing class, the part where it discusses how your body just naturally begins to push the baby out. I was HIGHLY skeptical, but let me tell you, it’s true. I was still in the seated position and the nurse came in to check me. I was only 8 cm. When she told me that, I literally couldn’t believe it as I felt like I was so close to transition, I had all the tell tale signs and intuitively something inside me told me I was almost there. She mentioned that my OB may want to introduce Pitocin to speed things up and decided to get me into another position.

We decided to lay me on one side with the birthing peanut again. I could barely lay down, let alone let her check me, it was so intense. The next 2-3 contractions were so intense, I was literally bearing down on the side of the bed each one and then I felt it. I was pushing, my body literally started bearing down and pushing all on its own. I yelled for Mark to go get the nurse and when she came in, everything went into high gear. She didn’t even really need to check me, it was clear baby was coming.

They got me into birthing position and literally 10 minutes and maybe 3 contractions later, Lily Jane was born into this world at 3:20 AM. I immediately reached down for her and they helped me bring her up to my chest. They had to rub her back a little to get her to breathe and much like her brother, she tested out her lungs too. She stayed on me for the next hour and unlike her brother, she was extremely eager and aggressive to latch and start feeding. She fed for the next hour and a half after birth, not sleepy at all. It was incredible. She also surprised us all coming out with a head full of dark brown hair, just like her Momma was born. They were concerned that she had passed her first bowel movement and maybe swallowed the meconium, so NICU was present, however, she ended up being just fine and passed all the necessary protocols without needing any intervention.

Mark and I got to announce her name to the room and of course, everyone coo-ed over the fact we now had Levi and Lily. My OB and her team also commended me on my natural labor, noting that I was so calm and peaceful (up until those last few minutes when she came out – it got a little animalistic at that moment). We enjoyed the next hour just the three of us with periodic checks before they moved us over to recover in Mom & Baby.

Sister has officially been a part of our family for a week now. And with all the anxiety I had over adding another to our family, it hasn’t been anything like my anxiety told me it would. Levi has truly been the best. He has really hit a growth spurt in his speech and responsibility since we brought sister home. He still isn’t super sure about holding her or anything, but he is pretty smitten with her and is adjusting so well.

I still can’t believe we were blessed with a baby girl and that she is finally here. Despite being pregnant during a global pandemic (which is a whole other story for another time), this is a pregnancy, birth, and blessing of life into our family we will never forget or take for granted. God is good, y’all. Thank you for all of your well wishes, comments, and prayers during my pregnancy and for the birth of our baby girl. It is appreciated more than you know. 

Welcome to the world our baby girl and our rainbow baby, Lily!