June 22nd 2020
Our morning started out very early, but if I’m being honest neither Kyler or I got much sleep that night. We were too excited! We had to be at Hi-Desert Medical at 5:00am to check in and get ready for our baby girl to make her grand entrance. We finished packing up our last minute things and said goodbye to my mom who was staying with Harper while we were at the hospital. Thank goodness for her! I remember the 10 minute drive to the hospital, being so excited and seeing a beautiful morning sunrise. I knew it was a good day to have a baby!
When we got to the hospital there was only one other couple there with us having their baby. I joked with Kyler that the race was on to see who had their baby first that day. They checked our temperatures before letting us into Labor and Delivery. Both Kyler and I had the exact same temperature, and the nurse thought that was cute. They led us to our room and gave me my robe to change into. The sun was just coming up at that point. It was now 7am before they even began anything. After getting comfortable they checked me, and I was barely at 2. They decided to start with a pill called cytotec to help stretch out my cervix. Dr. Truong told them to let me have breakfast which I was excited about because I didn’t think I would be able to eat anything since I was being induced. They gave me a croissant, fruit, cereal and some apple juice. After 2 hours I had dilated closer to a 3, so the pill was slowly working and I got a second one inserted.
Lunchtime came around and Dr. Truong also said I could have that! Hooray! I wasn’t going to be starving when I had this baby! They brought me in a yummy sandwich, soup, fruit, and another juice-box. Kyler ran to the cafeteria and got himself a bacon burger with some seasoned fries. As we were having lunch Dr. Truong stopped by to check on my progress and decided she wanted to try a
Foley balloon. They inserted it inside of me, and once inflated it puts pressure on my cervix to encourage dilation. I really think this is where my labor started to progress quickly. The Foley Balloon was doing it’s job.
The hours came and went. Slowly dilating further and further. Kyler and I watched The Price is Right, Family Feud, and lots of episodes of Home Town. It really passed the time! Unlike when we had Harper and there was nothing to watch on tv. I also bounced on the peanut ball for a bit (looks exactly like a peanut) and that was fun. Around 6 or so I really started to feel my contractions coming on. Nothing I couldn’t handle I told myself, and tried to keep distracted with the home remodel show. It was around this time Dr. Truong also wanted to start me on Pitocin, but I never really had much of it as my body was just going into labor without it. The contractions started to get 5 minutes apart and I knew I needed to ask for the epidural. I told the nurse I would like it soon, and she let the anesthesiologist know. But before I could have it I needed to go through one more bag of fluids. That was a long 45 minutes! The contractions were almost unbearable!
I needed to pee after all these fluids. I waddled to the bathroom and that is when the anesthesiologist came in. While in the bathroom I had 2 more very painful contractions. I could hear the anesthesiologist tell Kyler he would have to wait in the waiting room while I got my epidural, too many husbands had passed out before and it was now the rule. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Kyler. When I came out of the bathroom I went straight to the edge of the bed ready for this big needle. My contractions were now only 1 minute apart and it’s at this point I wish I would have asked for it sooner! The dr was very nice as he told me to hold still as he needed to get the needle in the right spot. Waiting for a contraction to be over he went for it. Seconds passed and I could tell he was frustrated. He didn’t like where the needle went. He asked me if I could move my legs and toes. Thankfully I could! We waited a few minutes but those contractions never got better. Trying not to scream, the nurse holding me said how well I was doing. The dr then realized the epidural must have hit tissue, and that we were going to try it again. Great! Another contraction and trying my best to hold still without my husband there to hold me. I could feel pressure and boom. Almost instantly the epidural started doing its job. I couldn’t even believe it, as I was gearing myself up for having to do a natural labor. It had almost been an hour at this time, close to 8:30pm. I knew Kyler was probably having a heart attack, thinking something had gone wrong. I told one of the nurses to please tell him I was okay as they put my catheter in. He came in a few minutes later with tears in his eyes, you could tell he had been anxiously worried about me. But finally we were together again, and now the real party was about to get started!
The nurses stayed by my side, since baby’s heartbeat kept going up and down. They continued to move me to my left side then to my right, then back again. Baby wasn’t having any of it. And since I couldn’t move from the waist down, it was all dependent on them moving me back and forth. They called Dr. Truong and she was at the hospital around 9:00. She checked me and said the only thing holding my baby inside of me was my water that hadn’t broken yet. So yup you guessed it, they broke my water and it was go time.
They wheeled in the tools and Dr. Truong got in her gear. They lifted my legs up. Everything was ready. I felt the need to push but they wanted me to wait. Finally they were ready and I could start pushing. It’s 9:28pm
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Great job! Breathe! Next contraction do it again! You’re doing amazing!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Baby is coming! I can see her! The cord is wrapped around her neck, wait just one second. Dr. Truong then reached inside and did the weirdest feeling which I can only assume was flip baby around inside of me to unwrap the cord. This is why baby’s heartbeat was so up and down.
Okay here we go again. Last time. Baby is so close!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3 pushes. 5 minutes. That’s all it took and our baby girl was finally here! I looked at Kyler with tears in his eyes. We had done it! And this girl wasn’t waiting a minute longer.
Haven Mae Webb
Born June 22nd 2020 at 9:33pm
Weighing 6lbs 5oz and 17.5 inches long
She was perfect. I could feel heaven so near. She was the new addition to our family that we had been missing. And she was finally here!
I couldn’t believe how fast she came! I was so coherent, another blessing because I don’t remember much of Harpers birth since I was so exhausted.
This birth was definitely different, especially during a world pandemic. But the Dr’s and nurses made us feel so loved and cared for. I completely forgot the world outside. We stayed in the hospital for 2 nights and were treated like royalty. It was only us and the other couple that had the babies (and yes she beat me by 2 hours, danget!) so we really had all the attention on us. The time there was perfect. Spending time with just the 3 of us. I can’t thank the nurses enough for making our experience such a wonderful one. This was by far the best part of living in Joshua Tree.
Her name is very special to us, being born into a world with so much uncertainty right now, she has been our “safe haven” from the very beginning and through all of the unknowns. There were times I have been terrified to bring a baby into this crazy world, but something always felt right knowing she was in-fact exactly what the world needed. She has brought us so much peace and joy and we couldn’t be happier that she is part of our family. We love you sweet Haven Mae💛
