0 Virginia Claire Woolsey

The amount of time it took for me to remember my log in information for this puppy is slightly embarrassing. Crazy that two short posts ago I was logged in and writing about the birth of my second child and now I'm back less than two years later to write about the birth of our third little Woolsey baby. THREE BABIES.... thats INSANE.

Lets start with a brief history

We didn't find out about this pregnancy until I was around 13 weeks ... I know, crazy. I was still nursing Holden and had yet to get back on my regular cycle so I had no way of knowing. It wasn't until I had one random day where I didnt feel good that I decided to take a test just in case. And what would you know, it was a big fat positive. After confirming it with my Dr. with an ultrasound and finding out that I was not only pregnant but three months pregnant reality started to set in that in 7 short months(ish) we would be adding yet another baby to this crazy family.

My pregnancy FLEW by. Maybe because I missed an entire trimester. Maybe because it took place during the summer and the summer always goes by quick but either way before I knew it it was October and we were counting down to the big day.

At my last two appointments I was 4cm dilated with about 80% effacement. My Drs kept assuring me that I wouldn't need an induction this time around which was a major goal of mine. At my last visit my Dr. told me to call when my contractions were timing around 8-10 min apart because of how quickly my labor progressed with Holden after my water broke. We weren't really trying to have a car baby. Tuesday night I was having pretty regular contractions and they were definitely strong enough to make sure that I wouldn't be getting any sleep. But I still didn't feel like this was 'it' so I took a bath and waited to see what happened. I texted my birth photographer just to keep her posted but I didnt bother letting anyone else know yet. I had never gone into labor on my own and I didn't really know what I was looking for but I really didn't want to tell everyone that this might be it and then have nothing happen so I waited. And then around 3 Am they all but went away and I was left exhausted and babyless.

Then all of Wednesday I was cramping up on and off and having my bloody show (I KNOW I KNOW IM SORRY) its like .... could you maybe think of something slightly less repulsive to describe what's going on down there? anything? Sorry. Moving on. Come Wednesday night the contractions returned and because it was the second night in a row mixed with the occurrences of earlier in the day, I called my Dr. While I waited for her to call back I went downstairs and packed Peytons lunch for the morning and made sure that in case it was 'it' I had everything ready for the wonderful people that would be taking care of our older babies. My Dr. called back and she said to go ahead and come in to be checked because better safe then car baby. Thats what I always say. So I got Mikey up and called my amazing second mom and we packed our things and headed to the hospital.

We checked in triage and I was still at a 4 (sigh) but because of the contractions they had me walk around for a while and said that after a few hours if I had any progression they would check me in. After a loop around the Labor and Delivery unit I laid back down and waited a few hours to be checked again. I progressed half a centimeter. Not a whole lot but enough for them to admit me. And that was that. This baby was coming.

We checked into the labor and delivery room and got settled and my Dr. came to talk about options. She suggested that we break my water to get things rolling and I agreed.

So waters were broken and just like that there was no turning back now!

I called my birth photographer and she made her way over. Not only was she there to capture this life changing time, but she made great company. She helped me get through those early contractions and kept me laughing and distracted.

But then those early contractions turned a little more intense. I moved myself to the labor ball and Mikey found his spot on the edge of the bed to hold my hand. I may or may not have come very close to breaking his fingers a few times, but he was sweet enough to not complain.

Up until a certain point this labor, while not quite as fast, was so similar to Holden's. I pushed through the contractions (this time with a little less cursing) until I reached a point where my body was telling me 'it's almost time.' And then I tried relaying that message to whoever would listen. The tears began to flow and I said 'I need my Dr!' a lot like how when your sick and you need your mom. Unlike Holden's labor where my amazing nurse was there for me the entire time, this nurse was very absent though the thick of it. I know she was out doing her job and probably tending to other patients and it wasn't her fault, but I felt a little neglected. And when I was at a point where I was in so much pain and I knew things would be happening soon I made Mikey go out and try to find someone. It was almost 2 oclock and I hadn't been checked since 7:45. They said they would page my nurse who would call my Dr. Eventually my nurse came in and I told her I needed my Dr and that this baby neeeded to come out and she said that she was in the OR and would be there as soon as she could. My nurse went ahead and checked my progress and I was an 8 and that I couldnt push yet and then she had another nurse come in a give a second opinion. She also said 8. With Holden I was at and 8 too when I had this 'THIS IS IT GET THIS BABY OUT' feeling and my nurse called my Dr and my dr said that I could start with some small pushes if I wanted to and I did and those small pushed turned into big ones and Holden was born two min. later. but this time it was like no one would listen to me. I wasnt allowed to push and that's all that I wanted to do. So I went back to the birthing ball and my nurse basically said I wasn't allowed to be there because the baby was too low and she couldn't pick up her heart rate.

That effing heart rate monitor. It was literally the only time she came in to check on me when that damn thing would lose the beat. I get it, its your job. you're concerned about the baby and that's obviously important, but all I wanted to do was rip that thing off and throw it far away. That and all of those freaking wires. All of them!

So yeah. I was no longer allowed on the ball and if I wasn't allowed to have the baby all I wanted to do was be on that ball. I begged and pleaded but it got me no where. I asked for an epidural then. If they weren't going to let me do what I knew my body needed to do then I was going to need drugs. But I also think I knew in my heart that it wasn't going to be there in time. And it turns out that my platelet counts were low when they drew my blood earlier and they were having issues ordering one. Mikey said they were going to have him sign a consent form that he said he wasn't going to sign. I would have killed him I think. But it didn't matter. They moved me to the bed and instantly my contractions become SO MUCH WORSE and then I was told I couldn't even sit up that I had to lay down and literally nothing seemed worse. She claimed the baby's heart beat was dropping and that I needed oxygen and they were almost holding me down because my god the pain!! But even through the screams and begging and my insistence that I knew this baby not only wanted to be born but NEEDED to be born no one would listen. I felt so defeated. I told Mikey at one point that I was dying. Not that it felt like I was dying, but that I was actually dying. I just wanted to give up.

And then the need to push was so strong that I was like 'IM SORRY I CANT NOT PUSH' like I just couldn't and they had one more nurse come check me. She said I was still and 8 and then while she was still checking my cervix she felt it disappear and with in literally seconds I was fully dilated. I had never wanted to kiss someone more in my life. My Dr. was still in the operating room and so all of a sudden about 10 nurses swarmed in and got the bed ready and I started to push. And it was the best worst feeling ever. And then through all of the pain it was gone and my baby was on my chest and I could breathe. There is no way to describe the relief you feel after the pain is gone. Nothing. It's so amazing.

Emily Gerald Photography 

Now I had my baby and even though they were still poking and prodding and I was delivering the placenta it was OK. everything was OK. I didn't die. I didn't. And I had my baby.

You guys it was so hard. So much harder than Holden's birth. And it really took a toll on my body and mind. But it was so worth it. Natural child birth is unexplainable. It really is. You hate yourself for taking that route while its happening and then when it's over you feel empowered and relieved and strong and basically like you can do anything.

I was able to bond with her for a while before they took her aside to weigh and clean up. And then they handed her back to me and we nursed and bonded some more and then my two big tiny people came in with my parents and they met their new sister. And I had all three of my babies together and it was perfect.

Emily Gerald Photography

And now its over. I can't believe it's all over! And we have this third little perfect life inhabiting our home and our hearts. Thank you for all the support and love and well wishes. We couldn't be happier

Welcome to the world Virginia Claire 9lbs 2oz and 20 3/4 in of perfect baby goodness.