Like with many big life events, time crawls as you approach them, but then they happen with a swiftness you look back at with wonder. The reality of our sweet baby girl’s arrival is slowly sinking in. She is here and she is beautiful and Heavenly Father has poured his blessings upon us again. I hope we make room enough to receive those blessings.
Two weeks and two days before my due date of May 9th, I was dilated to a three and was 80% effaced. The PA doing the check sounded optimistic that labor could happen soon, which got my hopes up, even though I knew realistically it would probably be close to the due date like with my other pregnancies (Claire was three days late and Clark two days early, both helped along with a membrane sweep the 12-48 hours prior). The next week I was dilated to 3.5-4 cm and 75-80% effaced, with some bloody show upon being checked (meaning the cervix was getting ripe). I told Dr. Bass we could do a membrane sweep at the following week’s appointment which would be Thursday morning, two days prior to the due date. I told multiple people I was anxious for an early delivery, but felt like it would be mid-week prior to the Saturday due date. Ideally, it would be convenient to have the baby after Tuesday the 5th because Christian was going to be working in the school clinic that Monday and Tuesday as his last days. Christian’s mom Lorraine was flying in Wednesday afternoon and I did really want her to be there as I was hoping to do an epidural-free delivery again.
Physically the last two weeks I was feeling okay. Mostly I was annoyed with frequent night-wakings, sometimes not being able to go back to sleep for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Christian had a lot of time off to allow me to sleep during the day and I would take naps while Clark was napping so I managed just fine. My appetite was waning, with certain flavors (whole wheat, vegetables) seeming less appetizing and I just wasn’t able to eat as much at a time. Being extra sensitive to smells added to the weariness that mostly manifested itself mentally. You get so excited to meet that new member of your family, you just want the pregnancy to be over as soon as possible.
Little signs of progress started revealing themselves starting Monday the 4th. I was feeling stronger braxton-hicks contractions, as I had for a couple days two weeks prior. They sometimes would happen multiple times an hour, but would go away when I rested. They weren’t uncomfortable, but definitely noticeable. Those practice contractions progressed into Tuesday as I cleaned around the house. During my morning one mile walk on Wednesday I felt stronger contractions while I walked, something I hadn’t really experienced before. After I took an afternoon nap, they increased in intensity and started coming consistently. By 4:00 pm, as we were sitting by the pool while the kids played, I was feeling like this baby could come tonight or likely after my membranes were swept the next day. Contractions were 10-12 min. apart. Lorraine hadn’t been able to get on her previously planned 2:30 flight as a standby passenger, so she drove from Monterey, CA to San Jose to hop on a flight that would arrive in Phoenix around 6:05 pm. Christian and I were planning on going to his dental school graduation banquet which started at 6:45. I was looking forward to dressing up, doing my hair, and going to a fancy dinner but I’d definitely prioritize having a baby first, so as contractions ramped up and time starting ticking to pick up Lorraine and get to the banquet on time, we had to make some quick decisions. We decided to get dressed as if we were going, even as my contractions began intensifying at ten minutes apart.
5:45-8:00 PM
We drove to the airport, timing contractions the whole way there and back. On the way home as we approached our exit we made a last minute decision not to go to the banquet and just go out to dinner with Lorraine and the kids. All dressed up with our two shoe-less, pajama-wearing kids, we went to Zupas where I had enough of an appetite to eat a whole yummy carnita sandwich. I was a little worried that might be too heavy of a meal to go into labor with, but I did just fine later on, not experiencing any significant nausea. By the time dinner was over I was having contractions 5-7 min. apart and needing to pause and relax through them, but still feeling normal in-between.
8:00-9:00
As soon as we got home I got in a warm bath and listened to my music playlist I had created for this exact moment. I included songs that were spiritual and encouraging, hoping to invite the spirit for this sacred event. I felt that spirit of the Holy Ghost, especially during Child of Light by Mindy Gledhill. The lyrics describe the eternal, luminous significance of each child of God, and I thought about the divine nature and purpose of sweet Evelyn. The other songs I included were: Be Still My Soul, Glorious, and I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus (all three sung by by David Archuletta), Master the Tempest is Raging by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, I Feel My Savior’s Love, and Peace by Felicia Sorenson. While in the bath I noticed my mucous plug in the water, something I never noticed with my other labors. I got out, dressed comfortably, and then asked Christian to give me a blessing, which he did. It was comforting to receive those words from my Heavenly Father through my good husband. After that I sat on my birth ball and laid down on the couch while I chatted with Christian and Lorraine. Claire and Clark were encouraged to sleep by Gammy and thankfully by 8:30 they were out.
9:00 pm
A little after 9:00 I went into my room and knelt down during a contraction. As I stood up afterward I noticed my water had broken. Not a huge gush of fluid, but definitely very wet and then I noticed blood, enough to trickle down my leg and drip across the bathroom floor. Then I noticed a couple quarter-size clots, which I wasn’t super worried about, but a little startled by and I wondered if it was normal. My water never broke on its own with my other labors and I never noticed any blood. I got in the shower to clean off and then Lorraine came and told me we should think about going to the hospital soon and to be aware of any signs of a prolapsed cord, etc. I felt nothing abnormal and was feeling the baby move normally, so we decided to give ourselves another half hour and start calling our friend to come over to stay while the kids slept. I laid on a towel on the bed with my favorite pregnancy pillow and Christian turned on my music. Him and Lorraine were very awesome at guiding me through progressive body relaxation. Between 9:00-9:45 contractions went from 3-4.5 min. apart, lasting 45 sec. each to as close as 2.5 min apart and 1 min. 12 sec. long. I was coping by complete body relaxation while lying on my side, deep, slow breathing in and out through my nose and maybe some soft moaning. Gentle, steady touching of areas that needed to relax with verbal reminders and then positive reinforcement of how I was doing really helped.
Our friend’s daughter Kinebritt Johnson arrived a little before 10 pm. Her dad Steve Johnson and little sister Mathea who I taught in YW dropped her off. Bro. Johnson wanted to casually chat as I walked outside towards the car. “So, you’re in labor? You’re having contractions?” I smiled and chucked inside because, yes, I was in labor- I was practically in transition! I politely reassured him this was the real deal and we’d have a baby soon and they’d be the last friends to see me pregnant. I quickly made my way through that conversation and then in my white robe I crossed the street to our fiery red Chevy Aveo, feeling urgent for Christian to join me in the car. I knew I was progressing quickly and felt very good about going to the hospital as soon as possible. I was conservatively estimating I’d be at a 5 or 6 dilated once I was checked at the hospital (although I hoped I’d be further).
Halfway to the hospital I remembered I left my wallet with insurance card and ID at home. I’m glad Christian just decided to drop me and Lorraine off so we could make our way up to labor and delivery and get checked-in while he hurried back. As Lorraine and I made our way in the doors and around the corner towards the elevator, another contraction hit, dropping a small puddle of blood down my leg and on the floor. Someone came by who said they’d clean it up and I walked tip-toe on one foot to the elevator so as to not track any more blood from my sandal on the floor.
10:00 pm
It was a relief for the elevator doors to open directly into Labor and Delivery, and as soon as they saw the blood, they acted quickly. I sat in a wheelchair and after a little paperwork they decided to skip triage and check my dilation in the bathroom as I sat in the wheelchair. I let them know this baby could come fast, as last time I was pushing maybe 30 min. after getting checked in triage. Well, I was at a 6.5-7 which is just what I wanted to be at and they wheeled me directly into a delivery room! I was anxious for Christian to get back, and as he got there at 10:30 I was getting robed and into the bed. They also asked at this time if I wanted an epidural or to do it naturally. I was able to respond with confidence that I wanted it natural, something pre-labor I was worried I wouldn’t be able to say in the heat of the moment.
I was definitely in transition now. I felt my body temp rising and a touch of nausea during peaks. Also the contractions were very intense, but because I had had a natural delivery before I felt less fear and more confidence even in the peak of a contraction (even though the thought of doing this again for future babies wasn’t something I wanted to think about right at that moment). The nurses commented that I was so in-control. I knew I was so close and this was likely the worst of it so I could do it! A few times I asked when the doctor would get there because I knew once he was there I could push or I’d be really close. They told me he usually waits until the woman is complete and then he’d be five min away. Well after a little while they told him I was doing this naturally and that made him come over right away, since he knows that could mean I’d push at any moment. Lorraine thought maybe I was mentally holding back a little for the doctor to get there since I stayed at an 8 a little longer than I thought I would. She also suggested I sit more upright on the edge of the bed since I had been semi-reclined for awhile. I replied that I just wanted to rest and I was even starting to get a little sleepy in between contractions but I knew it would probably be a good idea to help me get to a ten. Lorraine is wise because as i sat up during a contraction on the edge of the bed and leaned on Christian for support, the doctor came in. When he checked me I was complete! There was a little lip in the cervix from some additional amniotic fluid still up in there, but he released it and said I could push if I felt like it. Yay! Maybe if I was a little more patient I could ease the baby out more gradually and avoid tears, but it was way too exciting to know I could push. I felt a little urge to push and went with it during the next two contractions. One thing I wanted my doctor to do which Dr. Bass did last time, was give me a local before I started pushing so I wouldn’t feel any tearing. Well Doctor Erikson was on call this time - a great LDS doctor who I was happy with - but he didn’t give me any shot, so I felt every burning and stretching sensation. Yikes. Glad it only took two contractions to get her out! I definitely vocalized those contractions - wowza. My throat was sore and scratchy the next day from that little experience. It was over quickly thankfully after a small tear in front and back. That baby girl was out at 11:54 pm. 7 lbs 8 in. long (biggest baby I've delivered yet) and 20 ½ in. long. As she was crowning, Dr. Erikson said, “do you see all that hair? It’s black!” She has a beautiful full head of dark, straight hair, like her mommy :) Very unlike her siblings and the Bennion genes.
It felt so good to have such good positive reinforcement from the doctor and nurses. The nurse was so nice and sweet. She asked if I took any labor classes and Christian and Lorraine responded for me that I was just an intelligent girl who reads a lot (and prepared by reading) and runs marathons :) The nurse also said I should teach classes, I did so well. “It’s the quiet ones you have to worry about. The girls moaning and groaning are usually at a one”. Another nurse later asked if I was the girl who did it natural. Sure makes me feel good!
I feel very very satisfied and happy with how well and quickly this labor progressed, completely spontaneous without even a membrane sweep. That hypnobirthing relaxation method I think does wonders for my deliveries. It can only help speed along the process. So glad Lorraine barely made it in time. As she was trying to rush around and make a flight, one gate agent told her they had another flight tomorrow, but Lorraine felt she should get there that day. So glad she followed that prompting as her presence was such a comforting and confidence-giving blessing for a natural birth.
My beautiful Evelyn Avery Bennion is here. The name Evelyn has always been pretty to me since I starting thinking about names when I was pregnant with Claire. It became a keeper after I realized it is a variation of the name “Eve” who is such an amazing female role model in the scriptures and someone I love and admire very much. Avery was a name I dreamt I named my baby when I was pregnant with Claire, but it just didn’t seem right to use with Claire. I’ve kept it on my list and think it sounds so pretty with Evelyn. Christian likes the names too, it was never hard to convince him of them.
Our family is definitely growing and we are so excited for the adventure ahead.
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| Three days before Evelyn was born |
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| About six hours before delivery, wearing my baby-bump camouflage dress :) |
