My Detailed Birth Story

Today we're going to be doing a full detailed birth story.

I'm so nervous, but so excited. It's been a long time coming. Before I get into the story, I just want to talk to all of the expecting moms out there, especially the first time moms, because I know how nerve wracking it is to be preparing to give birth. You've never done it. You don't know what to expect.

And I just want to say that while our birth story did end with healthy mom, healthy baby. It was still extremely difficult, painful, challenging, unexpected. If you're sensitive to these types of stories, maybe come back after you have your baby. Not to scare you, not to scare you, but there were some hurdles that we had to jump through. It was starting with the day before my water broke. We had our very last appointment. I was super excited for this appointment because leading up to it, I was starting to feel a lot of pressure. I genuinely felt like he was just gonna come out So I thought for sure I would at least be like a couple centimeters dilated go to my appointment. They do a cervical check Unfortunately, I'm not even a centimeter dilated. I was bummed started to cry

I really thought we were so close to the finish line, which is why we are like so close to the duty I know and I really didn't want to get induced I was just scared of it So when I got to that appointment and my doctor told me that she suggested an induction date because she didn't want me to get Too big I agreed to it. I was still like, okay soon as I get home I'm gonna do everything that I possibly can to try to go into labor Naturally, I was online doing some research came across an OB that said if you're somebody that's super active in your pregnancy maybe try doing the

opposite. And you were active. We were doing like three to five miles a day. Every single day. Like it was amazing. Yeah it was really cool. You were crushing it. Thank you. Yeah. So I was like okay I would consider myself to be pretty active. Three to five is active. That's active bro. You're getting it. I was like, okay, maybe tomorrow I will just do the complete opposite and do absolutely nothing. So that's exactly what I did. From morning to night, I sat down in my little spot on the couch and watched Desperate Housewives all day long. And I did not move.

Roger and I eat a yummy dinner. We have like macaroni, ground beef. It was delicious. We get in bed and all of a sudden I start feeling maybe Raji Moving an insane amount mind you I had an interior placenta Which meant that I didn't really feel too much of Raji's movement for me to be in bed and feeling literally This motion for like a straight hour. I was like, yeah, that's wild

This kid's gonna break my water before we fall asleep. I say a prayer and I'm like, please God, help my baby come naturally. I go to sleep, I wake up one hour later, and that's where the story really ends. I walk to the bathroom and as I'm walking to the bathroom, I'm like, wow, I feel wet. I'm like, I must be really sweaty from the macaroni and the ground beef, you know?

Thinking like meat sweats.

Meat sweats, you look and I see that my mucus plug came out. I knew that you can lose your mucus plug like two weeks before you go into labor. I was like, oh wow, that's crazy, but whatever. I'm like not even a centimeter dilated. I probably just lost my mucus plug. Go back to bed and as I lay down I'm like, wait, I still feel wet. Maybe I should check my pants because I didn't do that. I go in the bathroom. I turn on the light and I see a giant water spot on my hands like this big and I'm like either I A. peed my pants and didn't realize or B. my water broke. That's not possible

So I'm pacing back and forth in the bathroom and I'm starting to feel more liquid come out and I'm like I'm in denial This is absolutely happening right now. Immediately I wake up Raj and he's just like

How did you wake me up I wake up Raj and he's just like, wakes up startled. No, no, no, wait, wait, wait.

How did you wake me up? I was whispering, like someone else is in the room.

Rajer, Rajer, wake up. I'm like, I think my water just broke. He immediately just like springs up. He's like, no way. I kind of got shocked. I really didn't know what to do. The only thing I asked was like, I think, I don't know. So we walked to the bathroom and she shows me her pants

and I was like, how do you know you didn't just pee yourself?

Really good question.

She's like, no, 100% my water broke. And I was like, what do we do? It's like everything the doctor taught us to do when her water breaks, just kind of completely went out the door.

No, we blinked water broke, we think.

Should we come to the hospital?

Yeah, and he's like, well, sir, paper waps, water broke, out, dish, get to the hospital immediately. He had like this cute southern accent. We're like, okay, I guess it's time. Which, by the way, so glad that we packed our hospital bags.

Because when your water breaks We were just like so nervous and frazzled. You forget everything. You forget literally everything. You do. We just like grabbed our bags and we're just like out. It was so, so exciting, but also so terrifying.

Terrifying.

We get to the hospital, which by the way, finding where to go for some reason was like so complicated.

Well it was 2.30 in the morning. So we went there during the day. So all the doors were open. Everything was good. Yeah when we did the tour when you show up at 2 30 in the morning Everything's locked. Yeah, so we were like driving around the building trying to figure it out Where do we park and her like, oh my gosh, this is crazy

Finally find where we need to go get to triage and this is Friday morning at 2 a.m And I told Roger before we got there. I was like, babe if I'm not dilated, we are gonna have to come back home. So like, let's not get our hopes up. Let's not get too excited. This could be a very long road, which it was either way. She's like, okay, let's do a quick check and see if you're dilated.

We're like holding our breath this whole time because we just wanna be able to stay in the hospital. She does her check. I'm literally one centimeter dilated great news we get to stay in the hospital and from there We're just like super excited for the next probably like six hours So now it's about noon, and that's when they give me a toson

I think it is it's this little oral pill that you put in your mouth And it's supposed to like regress and help your body dial. I take it And I definitely start to feel some pressure some. All I know is I'm about two centimeters dilated at this point and I'm in like a lot of pain. I'm just assuming that that's just going into labor and what it feels like. I get to three centimeters dilated. At this point, it's probably like six o'clock.

My OB calls in and she's like, if she wants the epidural, she can get it. And I'm like, yeah, I definitely want the epidural I get that epidural I don't even feel it because I'm in so much pain and as soon as I get the epidural I am like relieved I feel so much better. I'm like, okay great. This is it like it's just smooth sailing from here This is gonna be fantastic Night goes on hours and hours continue to go by and I'm just not progressing But I do know that when you get the epidural sometimes that slows things down still not really thinking too much into it

I'm just thinking the epidural kind of slowed things down now. We're at about 10 p.m. Friday night Things are starting to rest a little bit. My nurses are like, okay, you're still only three centimeters dilated Let's try to put you in a bunch of different positions to

help your body. Listen to me, dads. You need to be prepped. I did not know what was coming. And then when we got to this point, I was like, this is wild.

I mean, I didn't even know that they do this. So they had me on like all fours.

Oh yeah. I was doing yoga. Acrobat. She was a gymnast on that table. For hours and hours. And then they would leave and then she'd get like lay down and then they'd come back. Boom, boom, boom.

Yeah, it was like non-stop. Since my water broke before I was dilated, they did not feel like it was safe for baby Raji to be in there for the amount of time that he was in there without fluid. So they had to put this contraption inside of me that was constantly pumping me with water.

Your stomach got hard as a rock.

It was wild, like it made my stomach even bigger and it was just like painful. Every single time that they would have me in positions, there would just be like water everywhere.

It was a time.

It was eventful.

It was a time to be happy. And this is like three in the morning. Yeah. Yeah, so sleep deprived we didn't sleep the night before didn't get food at all for me anyway. Yeah, you didn't either I was too stressed out. Yeah, poor Raj. I was like, babe, please eat Okay, it's hurting me to watch you not eat and he's like I'm fine. Trust me. I can't eat right now I'm like the night keeps going and I feel like the stress is starting to get a little bit more apparent with every hour

That's passing and I'm just like not progressing. At this point they are noticing that when I'm in certain positions the baby's heart rate drops. This whole time my pain level is continuing to increase even though I have the epidural. I'm like okay this is strange. I did not know that the epidural works with gravity. If you're laying on your right side of your body, your whole right side of your body will be numb and your left will not be. I am noticing this like

excruciating pain on my left-hand side that has always been there since I started to go into labor, but it was just

intensifying and I could feel it getting worse and worse

even with the epidural. Problem was that every single time that I laid on my left baby's heart rate would drop and so I immediately had to lay on my right. My left side is where I really really needed that pain relief So they started to kind of feel around and they figured out why I was not progressing and why I wasn't so much pain It turns out that Raji was sunny-side up and that he was all the way to the left His skull was rubbing against my hip bone and it was just bone to bone pain I could not only feel every contraction But I could also feel the pain that was persistent and never went away

The thing about contractions is they like come and they go but this pain was always there And then when I had a contraction, it was just worse. It was so painful. I felt so bad I had to get the epidural again It still didn't help that there was I my entire right side of my body was numb and I could feel everything on my left It did absolutely nothing for me It was really really painful and I'm just so thankful that I had you and my mom there because I needed all the support that

I could get our nurses were so amazing They were like the labor that you're experiencing right now is the most painful labor to experience. So you're not crazy this is really tough girl, and I was like I There were moments where I was like, I cannot do this. I'm going to pass out like this is really it was hard to watch

Painful. Oh, yeah, it was it was stressful to watch as a husband There's only so much you can do and you're just watching your wife in pain. Oh, I just felt terrible

Yeah, it was it was really really hard hours and hours of this hours and hours and hours and hours of this I think it was like a day of this. Yeah, we're getting to Saturday morning now. I'm finally like breaking down I'm starting to cry. I'm like I cannot do this anymore Can we please call my doctor and see what our options are because this is just like insane my amazing nurses come back in the room And they're like, okay, we need you to know that you are at an eight, which is so awesome however If you do decide to move forward just know the likelihood of your doctor having to use the clamps in the back You is like pretty much a hundred percent certain which is fine. Like your doctor is absolutely amazing

At performing those procedures, but you should know that that is probably what is going to have to happen or you can have a c-section I did not even think twice. Immediately, I was like, C-section now. Because I am, one, in so much pain, I don't think I can hang. And two, I really didn't want Raji's entrance

into the world to be this crazy, traumatic thing. And intuitively, I just felt like it would be, which really scared me. I just felt like if we went with option one, being vaginal and having to use all of those tools, which I know are safe, I just personally felt like it wasn't the best option for us,

nor was it the safest since he was so far left. We decide on the C-section. I'm getting wheeled off and Roger has to stay back

for a little bit.

Okay, so Taya's cousin is a nurse, which I'm very grateful for, and she was texting Taya's mom saying, hey, make sure Roger eats food. At least a snack or something, because I haven't eaten. I've taken a snack, which I'm really grateful that I did. She's getting wheeled off.

My heart is literally going through the roof right now. I'm so nervous. I just want everything to be okay. She goes into the room and I'm changing into my outfit and then the nurse goes, okay I'll be back for you in a second. The room went completely silent I sat down and I was like Roger pull it together. I was looking around and I was like, I'm about to faint Just got very silent and I was like, I'm good I took a couple deep breaths and as I took a couple deep breaths the nurse goes

Okay, you can come in now as soon as I walked in and I saw that she was good I was like, okay, I'm good at that point. I had already had two epidurals and my anesthesiologist had Suggested that I do a spinal and I was like, I'm so scared I feel like my body can't handle all of this medication. He was so much so nice He was like look I can give you another epidural and we could hope for the best But like if you can feel a pain with an epidural. I don't want you to have to feel the pain while you're having a c-section." And I was like, uh-uh. I agreed to the spinal and it was the best decision. It was like immediate relief, which I had not felt in over 24 hours. I finally was pain-free.

It was 36 hours.

Total, yeah.

Yeah, it was 36 hours total.

It was crazy. As they're wheeling me into, I remember hearing Benson Boone's, uh, I don't remember what the song is called, but it goes, For a while there it was rough, but lately I've been doing better. And I was like, that's like God's song to me right now. I'm saying like, everything is going to be okay. And I just felt so, so much relief. And then from that point on, it was just the moments leading to meeting Raji, which was so exciting.

I was so thankful for the energy in the room. I remember all of the doctors, everyone being so kind, so excited for us, so happy. I just remember her being like, we're getting really close to this baby guys. And I just was like, I can't believe it.

It makes me emotional thinking about like the nine months leading up to it. And just like everything that we did in those nine months of like moving close to home to make sure that like he had Family to love on him my mom being able to be with us that whole time Yeah, it was great. It was just the most beautiful time leading up to his birth And then once he finally came out, it was just like wow, this was most amazing nine months of my life his cry

Oh my gosh, he sounded like he was underwater poor Poor baby had fluid in his, I don't remember, know where the fluid was, but I guess when you have a C-section. There's more fluid in the baby, yeah. So he sounded like he was like underwater. I was like, is he okay? She's like, he's fine, this is normal.

It was the most magical moment of our life. Oh, amazing, and guys, 10 ounces, which isn't the biggest baby, but I'm only five feet. And he was only projected to be like six pounds. When my OB saw him, she was like, Oh my goodness, he's big. And not only that he had broad shoulders, he still does, which Roger does. So like you and your dad.

So it just makes sense that like he has broad shoulders.

So I was like, Whoa, I knew it.

They were like, we do a vaginal birth. We can get him out this way. I'm like, this baby's not moving. He's not coming out. I could feel it. I knew he wasn't gonna move.

And then when I saw him, I was like, he couldn't. If he wanted to. He was big boy in there. Once we got back into the hospital room, everything took a turn for the absolute best. Our whole hospital stay was so beautiful, starting from Raji latching immediately, my milk coming immediately, that part just happened so naturally for the both of us,

which was so beautiful to experience for the first time. And then shortly after that, Roger's dad came, my dad came, my sisters. It was just so exciting for them to finally get to meet their grandson, their nephew. Like it was just so perfect.

It was so good. And then night one.

Night one.

Night one, your boy Raj went into boot camp.

Daddy boot camp.

Daddy boot camp.

I think I changed at least 14 diapers that night. And I was super grateful because all the nurses, they came in before and they're like, okay, this is how you do it. This is what you're looking out for. This is what it's gonna look like. But it was just like the whole night.

I was like, okay, here we go again, bud. Here we go again, bud. Here we go again, bud. But it was like the coolest.

I remember just looking at you, like staying in a hospital, changing diapers, and the word amazing would be in the same sentence.

It was like a little vacation.

It felt like a vacation. We kept looking at each other like,

this just feels like euphoria.

I think it just came because like, your experience was just so intense that like everything after that was just like, ah.

Yes, and I do just want to take a moment to say that although again, it was hard, I'm so thankful that I never felt like scared Oh, no, that nurses were amazing. Yeah, like I always felt like I was so safe. They were in there like every five minutes

Yes, ten minutes checking on her 36 plus hours

I never want to make my story seem like it was like traumatic or anything like that because it genuinely wasn't it was just really painful and Challenge like the hardest thing I've ever done. But I'm sure every woman would agree that going through labor and delivery is the hardest thing you'll ever do.

Like it's insane, but it's amazing.

There was one moment, cause we want multiple kids. There was one moment we looked at each other and we're like, one and done. Like at the same time.

And now we're like, so am I. Run it back. So the rest of our hospital experience was amazing. And then it was time to go home. We get home and all I remember is, I feel like I had like this brave face on the whole time. As soon as we entered the doors of our home, I was like, I feel like I can just finally breathe.

Like I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time. And once we walked through our front door I was like, thank you Jesus. I am safe our baby safe. We're home. Everyone's healthy I can shower like this is the best day of my life first shower Post C-section is terrifying even though you have like massive amounts of glue and things on there I still was so scared

for it to get wet. I just took the most awkward shower. Roger had to help me.

I was just absolutely terrified.

It was all just like, whoa for me. I showered, put on my comfy pajamas.

Roger orders us pizza.

Oh, it was the best.

It was so nice.

We literally sat in bed and I just remember us looking at each other and being like, what

just happened Like you kind of just blacked out a little bit your your emotion Your adrenaline is just so high and just like days are going by I remember looking at the clock and it'd be 12 and then it's Six and then it's six and then it's ten the next day. I'm like what is going on? It also didn't help that our room had zero windows. So we didn't know what was going on. So it just felt like we were in this black hole. Yeah, so when we got home, we were like pizza, baby was laying next to us. It was like, oh, yeah, so good.

It was seriously the best feeling in the world. I'll never ever forget it. I just remember us like waking up in the middle of the night for our night feeds and just like looking at each other like I can't believe this is our life. This is our life. This is so awesome. C-section recovery is no joke. You're pretty much bedridden You can't lift anything over 10 pounds. You can pretty much only carry your baby

So the way that Roger and I did everything we had a good we had a good system. We had a good system So it'd be like baby would wake up every two hours

Immediately Raj would jump up. I would grab little man, I would change his diaper, and then as soon as he was changed, I would drop him off at mom. Yeah. And then when he was done with mom.

I would breastfeed.

Yeah, and I would take him and then put him back down. And we would just do that every two hours.

Every two hours, that was the rotation. That was the rotation. Oh, yeah, it was great. Um, we just had- No social media, nothing. Yeah, nothing. Like, didn't touch our phones except to take photos and videos of Raji. Yeah. But our family and friends were over. Gave us so much food.

Yeah, it was the best time.

And quality time.

It was literally the most incredible two weeks of our life. Like, we were just on adrenaline those whole two weeks. that my birth experience was challenging, unexpected, but the best, most rewarding thing I've ever done in the best day of our lives, hands down.

Hands down.

Like just the best.

Yo, we hit the goal. We hit the goal. We hit the goal. Healthy mom.

Healthy mom.

Healthy baby.

And now we got our little family.

Oh my gosh, there's three of us. There's three of us. There's three of us. So we hope you guys enjoyed the birth story. It was fun to relive it with you guys. Thank you guys so much for your patience and for supporting us. This is such a special story for us and I just hope that you guys enjoyed listening and I just want to thank you guys for taking the time to guys enjoyed listening and I just want to thank you guys for taking the time to

be a part of our lives. We love you guys. Love you guys. Peace!