Brooklyn's Birth Story

It's been busy, busy these past few days. Lindsey was under strict instructions to let me know if there was any indication that she was going into labor. Her original due date was May 25th, but got moved back to May 22nd, so I'd been on pins and needles worrying about whether or not she was going into labor and if I'd make it to Boise in time to help her through the labor. Last Thursday afternoon, May 24th, I got a text from Lindsey around 2 p.m. indicating that she'd lost her mucous plug that morning. When she and I talked later (in the midst of a leaky bathtub plumbing repair at one of the rental units) we came to an agreement that I'd wait until she called to tell me she was having labor pains. After talking to her and Darvin I started worrying a bit about that decision as I had Erin the day I lost my mucous plug. I called Erin and Briana to help me remember their experience with the same. They'd both had the babies very soon after, so I changed my mind, called her back and told her I'd head to Boise on Thursday night. After going home, finishing some last minute chores, getting ahold of Gums, dropping Bear off at Gums, etc. it was about 6 p.m. before I was able to head out of town.

I arrived in Boise about 1 a.m. MST. Thomas let me in the apartment and we went to bed. Not long after I started hearing noises. I kept thinking Lindsey and Thomas would be coming in anytime to wake me up and tell me we were heading to the hospital. It turns out that Lindsey woke up around 3 a.m. having contractions that she couldn't sleep through. I was hearing her get up to go to the bathroom. She determined that she'd wait until 7 a.m. before waking us. We (Thomas and I) actually slept until around 8 a.m. Got ourselves up, showered and grabbed some breakfast and then headed to the hospital around 9 a.m.

We went to the maternity triage unit on the 2nd floor of St. Luke's Hospital. They took Lindsey and Thomas back to one of the exam rooms where they put her on the fetal monitor for about 1/2 hour before they'd check her. When they checked her she was still at 1 cm dilated (the same as her appointment the previous Tuesday), although she was 80% effaced with was progress from the 50% effaced on her appointment. So they sent us home! Lindsey was thoroughly disappointed and sure she should be further along for the amount of pain she was in!

We headed to IHOP for breakfast and then went to Michael's to pick up some Weathered Wood bulletin board paper for Briana to use as a 'floor' to take pictures of Brooklyn. Then we headed over to Cabela's to buy a few running t-shirts that were on the Memorial Day weekend sale & watched them feed the fish. We went to walk the mall, then headed to the church distribution center to check out their selection of scriptures. They were already closed, so then we went to Deseret Books. When we finished there we ate dinner at Subway and then headed back to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital around 6:30 p.m. We went back to the triage labor area. They monitored Lindsey again for about 30 minutes and then checked her. This time they told her she was at 90% effaced but still dilated to 1 cm. They asked her if she wanted to spend some time in the jacuzzi tub for about an hour and then they could check her again. So we went to a room where Lindsey labored in the tub. After the hour was up they took us back to the exam room. When they checked her again. This time they said she was only 80% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated (different nurse checked her). She was frustrated and said she'd die if they sent her home.

They let her get back in the jacuzzi tub and when they re-checked her a little after 9 p.m. she was dilated to 2 cm. The nurse called the doctor who OK'd Lindsey staying another hour to see if she would dilate to 3 cm (the magic number to be admitted!). After a little more than an hour in the jacuzzi tub we went back to the exam room. At almost 11 p.m when the nurse checked her she asked Lindsey what her numbers were previously and then told Lindsey she was at 2.5 cm and then said, I'll give you 3 cm. HOORAY!! We were IN! I asked the nurse if it was possible to strip Lindsey's membranes and she said "Let me help you out" and proceeded to do so. The nurse asked Lindsey when she wanted the epidural and Lindsey said "Now"! So they started an IV, which they had to fully administer before they could give her the epidural, and started the admitting process. They took us to a labor room. Where we waited for a little while until Brock, the nurse anesthetist, arrived. He gave her the epidural around 12:15 a.m. Watching him give her the epidural was a little creepy! I admit, I decided to sit down after awhile as he was poking some wire like thing in and out of the 'hose' in her back! One of these days I'm going to watch a youtube video of someone receiving an epidural so I can get the commentary to understand exactly what he was doing in each step.

Amy, the labor and delivery nurse, checked her again around 12:50 a.m. and miraculously she was dilated to 5 cm! At 2:55 a.m. as we were all taking a little nap all of a sudden there was a swarm of nurses (3) rushing into our room. They'd turned down the fetal monitor in our room, but apparently the baby's heart rate had dropped. So they got Lindsey up on her rubbery/numb legs and onto all fours. They put an oxygen mask on her, gave her some ephedrine(?) in her iv to increase Lindsey's blood pressure. They left her there for a little while monitoring the baby. Everything went back to normal so they had Lindsey lay back down and the nurse checked her again and she was 9 1/2 cm dilated and told Lindsey that her 'water' was bulging and that if Amy pushed hard enough she'd break the water! At this point Amy said she was going to call the doctor. Thomas followed the nurse out of the room to refill Lindsey's water bottle.Lindsey and I heard this giant 'pop',Lindsey jumped and she felt a huge gush of amniotic fluid! She and I started laughing!! Amy checked her (3:20 a.m.) and noticed there was some meconium in the fluid so she told us that she'd have the NICU staff come down in case Brooklyn swallowed any of the meconium.

At 3:45 a.m. Amy had Lindsey start pushing. It was a bit of a slow go to begin with since Lindsey was numb from the epidural. Amy was an awesome coach in teaching Lindsey how to push correctly and Lindsey was a quick study. When the baby crowned you could see that she had a head of dark hair and it looked like she had a pointy cone head.

I'd never seen such a point on the crown of a baby's head! At 5:09 a.m. sweet little Brooklyn was born at St. Luke's hospital. She was 20 inches long, 7 pounds 8 ounces and her head circumference was 13 3/4 inches. We're so happy to welcome this beautiful little princess into our family!