Leading up to giving birth, I was fully convinced that I was going to deliver before 40 weeks. I had been doing ALL the things (dates, red raspberry leaf tea, 5 week formula, curb walking, etc.) and I also had two different instances around 38 and 39 weeks where I thought I was in labor, but then contractions would slowly subside and end up stopping. I had my 40 week appointment on 7/1 and decided to get my membranes swept to see if it could help get things moving. At that appointment I also had to set an induction date for 41 weeks, since that was the longest they would let me go. I was hoping and praying I wouldn’t make it to my induction date. After the membrane sweep, I literally felt nothing. No contractions, no cramping, no nothing. I decided that afternoon to go to burn boot camp since Andrew told me it was a really hard one. That 100% motivated me to go, and to go hard haha. Not kidding, I said multiple times during the workout that if this doesn’t put me into labor, I don’t know what will! After the workout I still didn’t really feel anything, but went to bed that night and noticed a few Braxton hicks contractions coming on. I didn’t want to get excited, so I went to bed as normal and just tried to get some rest. I remember waking up a few times during the night and thinking “oh wow I could maybe be in labor.” However, my contractions weren’t super intense or consistent, so I fell back asleep and tried to get a good nights rest.
That morning at 5:15am I woke up to a super intense contraction. I had had Braxton hicks contractions since around 22 weeks, so I was very familiar with how they felt. This was definitely different. A rush of excitement and energy ran through my body. I didn’t want to wake Andrew up yet, so I continued to lay in bed and began timing things. At this point, my contractions were about 10 minutes apart. I texted my doula to let her know that I thought labor was starting. Andrew woke up around 6:30am and I let him know what was going on. He didn’t want to get too excited since this had happened before, but I kept telling him that this just felt different. I didn’t like laying in bed during contractions, so I got out of bed and started bouncing on my ball. When a contraction would hit I would stop bouncing and lean over the end of my bed and breathe through it. Around 8:30am, my contractions were 5 minutes apart. I felt really good at this point and didn’t feel like I needed any assistance during contractions. I would just lean over my bed, the stairs, or the counter, close my eyes, and breathe. However, I remember sitting on our barstools trying to eat breakfast and literally having to jump out of the chair because sitting on my butt during a contraction was quite possibly the most uncomfortable position ever. I decided to call my mom and have her come get Vinny because I wasn’t really sure how fast things were going to progress. We got Vinny all packed up and ready and gave him the biggest hug and kiss and told him that baby sis was finally coming! I couldn’t believe that when we saw him next we would have another baby… so many mixed emotions.
After he left, I filled up the tub and turned on my meditations. I laid in the tub and labored for about an hour. The water felt so good. I still was just kind of in my own world and didn’t really want or need help from anyone. With each contraction that came, I would just breathe in for 4s and out for 8s.
Around 10am my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and lasting 50-60 seconds. 11am hit and I officially needed help from Andrew to get through each contraction. They had definitely intensified and things were progressing. I was able to get the most relief during contractions with him doing the sacral counter press. I would just get on my hands and knees and with every contraction Andrew was right there applying pressure. At this point, I told Andrew to pack up the car and get everything ready to go. My contractions were about 2 minutes apart so as soon as one was over, he would run as fast as he could to put stuff in the car and then run right back to me to help me through the next one. At 11:45am I texted my doula and told her we were ready for her to come, so she began driving to our house. I walked into our kitchen because Andrew had made me some lunch, but with the intensity and short time between each contraction, I couldn’t get one bite in. With each contraction, I would drop down to my hands and knees and Andrew immediately would stop what he was doing and run over to me. After many contractions, I found myself on our kitchen floor, not feeling like I could even get up and walk. I told Andrew we needed to get to the hospital ASAP and texted my doula to just meet us at the hospital. I still remained very calm and found that making jokes and laughing through all of it was the best thing that we could do haha! at 12:20pm, after an intense contraction passed, I walked to the car as fast as I could. I was so nervous for the drive to the hospital because I knew that sitting wasn’t going to be an option. I decided to lay the seat back a little and I turned around and put my knees on the chair and rested my head on the head rest. Wasn’t the most ideal positioning, but it was better than sitting.
Finally we arrived at the hospital and grabbed a few things out of the car and began walking inside. I could feel a contraction coming on so we had to stop at a nearby pillar and pause and breathe, and then resume walking. We made it up to L&D and pushed the button for them to let us in. I didn’t know what to say so I just said “ummmm I’m in labor!!!” Immediately they let me in and a nurse took me to triage to get me checked in and ensure that I was actually in labor (it was a no brainer at this point). She led us to our triage room and I remember her asking me SO many questions. I was getting so frustrated because all I was trying to do was just focus on my contractions and I felt like I couldn’t even think. She had me change into a gown and told me she would be right back. Another nurse came in and told me she was going to check me to see where I was at. To do this she said I needed to lay on the bed. I wasn’t so sure of this but climbed up and tried to remain calm. Surprisingly I was able to lay there and still breathe through each contraction quite comfortably. After one ended, she checked me and told me that I was at a 6+ and baby was super low. She said that they were going to admit me and that she would get a room ready immediately. I told her I wanted a low intervention room and she said that was totally fine and that she would get the tub going ASAP so that I’d be able to labor in there before pushing.
They led me to room 211 and had me climb into the bed again when we got there. My nurse came in and told me her name was Julia. We got talking and I learned more about her and she told me that 3/4 of her kids she delivered naturally. She was amazing and I was so grateful to have her as my nurse. She listened to me and was 100% on my team. She knew exactly what to say, what to have me do, and throughout the whole process just kept telling me how amazing I was. I’ll forever remember her. She set up the bed so that it looked like a queens throne. It felt like I was sitting in a chair and with each contraction, Andrew would push on my knees to help give me some relief. At this point, I remember my breathing began to turn into a super low ooooooo sound. My nurse kept telling me that my breathing was so good and to keep the low oooooos going. The contractions were getting super intense and being able to control my breath and being more audible helped me relax so much more.
The same nurse that checked us into triage came in and inserted an IV in my arm and started running some antibiotics since I was GBS+. I heard the door open again and my doula, Emily, and sister, Alexis, walked in. It was so good seeing their faces, especially my sweet doula! My doula plugged in her crock pot with hot towels and was immediately at my side. She was truly a god send. She kept reminding me to relax my face and body which was so helpful because the first thing you want to do when a contraction comes on is tense up. My sister set up our speaker and turned on the most relaxing playlist. I loved having the soft music play in the background. The tub was filling up, but I wasn’t able to get in until they found the water proof monitor to hook me up to. I was getting a little antsy and wanting to get in the tub ASAP, so they told me to try changing positions. I flipped over on my hands and knees and with each contraction my doula would place a hot towel on my lower back and Andrew or her would apply pressure. It felt SO good having those hot towels on my back. It just took the edge off of each contraction.
Finally they found the monitor they were looking for and got me all hooked up. Before I could get in the bath they wanted to check me again. I was now an 8 but I had a cervical lip that was in the way, so I needed to be lying on my right side to help. My nurse told me that she was a little nervous to let me get in the tub because she was worried things were going to go fast and reminded me that I couldn’t give birth in the water. I told her that I promise I’d tell her if I was feeling pushy at all and make sure to get out before then. Before getting in the bath I needed to pee, I walked into the bathroom and as soon as I sat down I immediately started having a contraction, my doula ran in and got down and immediately applied pressure to my knees and told me to just sink into the toilet and let the contraction pass. Did I mention how amazing she was? She was there for me every step of the way, physically, mentally, and emotionally. So so grateful for her. As soon as it was over I was able to get up and walk to the bath. It felt SO good lying in the warm water. I just fully relaxed my body and continued breathing while Andrew held the shower attachment and let water run on my belly and back, and my doula applied pressure to my knees. I labored in the tub for probably 15-20 minutes before my nurse told me it was probably time to get out and get dried off.
I got out of the bath and climbed into the bed and was lying on my right side with the peanut ball between my legs. At this point my doctor and other nurses came into the room to prepare for the delivery. My nurse asked me if I was feeling pushy at all, but I wasn’t quite yet. However, when the next contraction that hit, I looked at my nurse and said “oh my gosh, now I feel like I need to push!” It was so crazy, my body just like flipped a switch and immediately just knew what to do and started pushing her out.
I stayed lying on my right side and lifted up my left leg and held onto it with my arm and began pushing as hard as I could with each contraction. It was during the pushing stage that I started feeling like “okay I need to get this baby out NOW.” I remained calm but my breathing started intensifying in volume and I felt like I began panting a little bit. Two contractions in and I began feeling so much pressure and felt like my body needed a break from pushing. I felt like I was losing a little bit of control because I was just wanting it to be over. This was 100% the hardest part. Finally my body relaxed and I was able to breathe for a minute. I remember It was at this time that my midwife looked at me and said, “you’re going to get to a point where you just want to relax and do nothing, but this is when it’s most important that you push through and keep going.” I loved that she said this because it gave me the motivation that I needed to get through this.
Another contraction hit and I began pushing again, this time I yelled, “is she almost out?!!” My midwife said “yes and I see hair!” She then told me reach down and feel the baby’s head. I reached down and felt the top of her head and felt so much relief knowing she was almost here! I then pushed as hard as I could and out popped her head. INSTANT RELIEF. It was so crazy that the second her head came out, all of the intense pressure I was feeling completely subsided. My midwife told me to give it one more good push and out came her little body. Born at 2:45pm. From start to finish, I pushed for about 15 minutes….but in the moment it felt a lot longer! They placed her little purple body on my belly and began drying her off. She immediately began crying and I became so emotional. I did it. 10 months of preparing for this moment. I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t believe that she was here.
The first thing we noticed about her was her light blonde hair! Was not expecting a little blondie, but we were obsessed. She was so beautiful and had the cutest little stork bite in-between her eyes that traveled down her little button nose. We were so in love! After the cord finished pulsing, Andrew was able to cut it and they then moved her up further onto my chest to do skin to skin. Instantly tears started flowing. Knowing she was here safe and sound was such a relief. I felt so blessed and so grateful. Our sweet girl was finally here.
After about 15 minutes I tried nursing her and she latched right on! She knew exactly what to do. Such a natural. The next few hours consisted of delivering the placenta, getting stitched up (got a lil first degree tear), and snuggling our cute girl. Delivering the placenta might have actually been the worst part because mine was being a little stubborn and not wanting to come out. Because of this, my midwife was having to push so hard on my belly and it was truly the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever felt. Finally it came out and I felt so much relief.
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After about an hour of skin to skin with our sweet girl, they took her over to the warmer and weighed and measured her. 7lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long. It was so cute seeing Andrew over there with her. He is the cutest girl dad. She's quite literally got him wrapped around her fingers ;) I got all cleaned up and we got ready to move up to the mom/baby unit. It was so amazing being able to walk right after delivery. No numb legs, no nausea, no nothing! The only annoying thing was that I got the shakes pretty bad after delivery that lasted about an hour. I could not stop shivering and my teeth just chattered uncontrollably. But I'll take that over other side effects that I experienced when I got an epidural with my last birth.
Once we arrived at the mom/baby unit we had family come visit and meet our sweet girl. I was so excited for Vinny to meet her, but when he came, there was a lot of people in the room and I think he was a little over stimulated. He walked right past both me and her and just wanted to go see his granny and papa who were sitting on the other side of the room. We were laughing so hard. So much anticipation of this moment and absolutely zero acknowledgement of the baby haha! He came around after we told him she brought him a present and decided he would hold her. It was so cute seeing him with her. My sweet babies! He didn't want to hold her long, but my heart melted for the little time that he did hold her. I can't wait for them to be best friends one day.
The rest of our stay was so great and my amazing coworkers took such great care of us. We were supposed to stay 48 hours since I wasn’t fully treated for GBS since she came so quick, but my pediatrician was amazing and said we could go home after 24 hours and just told us to monitor for any signs of infection.
Everyone kept asking us what her name was going to be but we were having the hardest time deciding. We had two names that we were debating between (Sunny & Rosie), but from the second she came out with that blonde hair, I felt like Sunny was going to be the winner. Andrew and I talked about it over and over and officially decided that her name was going to be Sunny Jade Silotti. It felt so right. Our little sunshine girl! Jade is my sister’s middle name, and since this is our first girl, we wanted her to have the same middle name as Lex… cause we just love her. I hope they’ll have a sweet bond all throughout Sunny’s life.
Sunny passed all her tests and we were finally able to go home! Home sweet home. I’m forever grateful for having the experience to carry and give birth to another beautiful child. I think that’s the closest to heaven that we can feel here on earth. Such an amazing and euphoric experience. Especially going unmedicated. So happy both Sunny and I are happy and healthy and that everything went so smoothly. Can’t believe we are now a family of 4! We love you Sunny Jade! You’ve already brought such a sweet presence into our home and we are so excited to watch you and Vinny grow up together.
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