Rebel (Paige's) Birth Story

Baby Rebel, aka Paige Juliette made her appearance into the world at 3:07 this afternoon after a grand total of 3 official hours in labor!


She came at a little before 38 weeks, weighed in at 6 pounds 8 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long.

Pink and healthy and took to breastfeeding like a pro!

I'm doing well. No complications, vaginal delivery.

We went in for my regular doctor’s visit and I was having some contractions so the doctor had me hook up to a monitor to check them out. They came at 8 minutes, 8 mins, 6 min, 5 mins, so inconsistent.

Since he figured I'd probably go today (I was already at 4cm and 75% effaced) he gave me the option of going home and chilling out there for awhile or admitting me to Triage to have them monitor me for a few hours.

I said, since my last birth picked up speed pretty quick and we are due for a snow storm, I'd take the Triage option and see how things go.

Got to Triage at about 11:30. Triage nurse was going to hook me up to a monitor for about 15 minutes, then at noon, send me to walk around until 1. Come back, monitor for awhile, walk for another hour... etc etc until either I progressed further, stopped progressing, or was officially in labor. So hooked up I got and there we sat.

The contractions were pretty off and on, nothing consistent so the nurse thought it might just be Braxton hicks. Had a couple pretty good ones but still nothing at the level they want or as close together as they want. Nurse was actually on her way into the room to take me off the monitors when the baby's heartbeat starting dipping and scaring her. Here's where things pick up the pace :-)

Hubby and I had noticed when we were in the doctor’s office on their monitor that the heartbeat had dipped down a few times too, and he even asked me about it. I just said, I don't know, maybe contractions or something cause it? But no one came in and said anything, so didn't even think about it. I guess their monitor you can hear the heartbeat but it was really only tracking contractions.

In Triage the heartbeat was dramatically dipping. Like from 140 all the way down to 50 at some point my husband said. The nurse bustled out of the room, came back with an oxygen mask, rolled me over on my side and called for someone else to call my doctor. (All the while looking much panicked but telling me, "its fine. Don't stress".... (Yeah okay) She said, "The baby's heartbeat is dropping and dipping and we don't know why, so you're not going to be walking around. You’re going straight to labor and delivery" My husband asked if the baby's heartbeat dropping like that was "Good, bad, scary..." She said, "Umm yeah, scary... very scary, but don't worry, it'll be fine"
Wish we would have brought it up at the doctor's office. But thank goodness I took the option to hang out in Triage instead of going back home!

They wheeled me straight over to labor and delivery, my doctor comes in, looks at me and says, "Well aren't you being difficult!" (Don't worry; we talk like that with each other.) I said, "Psh, it's not me, it's Baby Rebel in here, she didn't get that nickname for no reason remember!" He said we were concerned about the heartbeat for sure and he wanted to get the baby out as soon as possible. Since we didn't know what was causing the distress and if it would happen again, it was safer that way. So he said we would start by breaking my water and putting me on a low dose of pitocin (Since he knew I was kind of anti induction) and see how quick things pick up. I'm sure if it didn't c-section was the next plan, and I'm glad we didn't get there.

This was, oh, a little afternoon. So maybe by 12:30-12:45 my water was broke and pitocin started once the IV got in. I was doing fine. Baby's heartbeat was remaining steady. They weren't concerned until it started to drop and dip again and that was about 1:30-2:00, I'm not positive.

They came in, and put me back on the oxygen, rolled me over this way and that again and said they were going to up the pitocin a bit since my contractions were still not 'regular' and close and try to get it moving along a little quicker. I had actually not changed in dilation at all; I was still right around a 4-5. But effacement they said was moving, I just don't remember what % they gave me then.

It started to suck shortly thereafter. (Haha) I was not doing well with the contractions and it was moving crazy fast. The nurse came in to check me and said I was at a 6. Left and I had two crazy big hard contractions. I looked at my husband when they had ended and said to tell her to come back with something for pain. I didn't know how long it was going to last, but those pitocin induced contractions were way more intense then my natural labor with my first. I was hurting.

The nurse came in and checked me again and said I was moving quickly. I had went from 6 to 8 with those two contractions and fully effaced. She said she could have something put in my IV or just go with the epidural, and she recommended the epidural. Because there wouldn't be time for it later if I changed my mind then. So I said, screw it. I don't care at this point! I didn't want it but I hurt and I was scared.

So the anestiologist came in with the epidural and they had me (Tried I should say) sit up in bed with my feet over one side and rest my chin on my chest and curve out my back and all that and hold real still. Okay, seriously, whoever thought up this epidural thing was a sadistic. I don't care what you say. This was by far, the worst part or my labor/delivery. Trying to hold still all crunched up like that, in a not labor friendly position while that guy was trying to shove a needle in my spine was horrible. It seemed like it took an hour. I know I went through at least 4 large contractions while he was there. Trying not to move through the most intense part of my contractions was soo bad. BUT he finally got it in, and they checked me real quick to find there wasn't even time to hook it to the pump, baby was fully ready and there! So he just put a little vile or something and said it should do for a few minutes.

They went to get my doctor and were trying to get me "Comfortable" before I started pushing. Which was fine. I could still feel the contractions and was still in pain, but not as bad as before. I guess I was under the delusion I wouldn't really feel anything with the epidural. OR maybe it was because there just wasn't time for it after all and it hadn't really kicked in. My toes were starting to get very tingly which means it must have been working.

Doctor comes in and makes some more jokes about me being difficult. He had apparently thought when he broke my water that I'd at least by laboring for a while, and they would just be keeping a close on the baby's heartbeat... but we proved him wrong. He was shocked we were all ready to go! So he got everything ready, pulled my legs up and told me to get ready. The nurse said to push with the next contraction and did the 10 count three times and there came Rebel!

She was very pink and sounded great! Crying without any difficulty and healthy! I had to have 3 stitches on the inside, no tears or anything outside. So they started taking care of me while getting her cleaned up. A few minutes later they handed her over to have her start trying to feed and she took to it right away! She was even very awake and alert and kept her eyes open looking around. She knew Daddy's voice which I thought was awesome. When he would talk she would look in that direction for him!

She weighed 6 pounds and 8 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. Born about 17 days early a little before the 38th week.

We are both doing great and very lucky things went wonderfully! So glad I decided to hang out in the hospital afraid of the snow! Which by the way, actually DID come. There is a big lovely blanket of snow on the ground and no one can make it out to the hospital to visit, lol, but that's okay. It like, never, snows in Knoxville... So this is a special day indeed!