John Conrad McBride
"Johnny"
Born May 27th 2015
Weight: 8 lbs 15 oz
Length: 21.5 in
Time: 11:16 a.m.
We named him John Conrad after Josh's wonderful Grandpa Irwin. He passed away in July 2012 after 96 amazing years. He had such a strong impact on Josh's life and we feel it an honor to call our son Johnny. Another factor in his name is that I recently found out that my Grandpa Johnson was also called Johnny when he was in the Navy! A son named after two remarkable men in each of our lives, that feels pretty special to me.
Now for the extremely detailed birth story.
(It was mostly natural, so read at your own risk!)
When I had Darcy, things went so quickly and smoothly that I thought if the next birth was anything like hers, that I could maybe actually have a natural birth. After being on the fence about it for most of my pregnancy, I finally decided that if I was going to do it, I needed to commit. So, I decided to really just go for it. I checked out multiple books on natural birth and gleaned good info from all of them. Then I practiced meditation and relaxation, convinced myself that my body was made to do this, and had Josh plan on being my birth coach. He helped me establish some self hypnosis techniques to keep me calm through labor (it's not as kooky as it sounds, I promise!)
I filled out the Birth Place paperwork at St. Joseph's Hospital and prayed and prayed that I would go into labor on my own so that I could actually use the Birth Place.
Unfortunately, my body likes to stay pregnant longer than expected.
On
Saturday the 23rd my mom came into town and that evening we really got our hopes us. I had regular,
light contractions for 2.5 hours and then they just stopped. Boo.
My due date, May 24th came and went with no other signs of labor.
At my doctors appointment on the 26th I was barely dilated to a 2 and 50% effaced... but nothing to jump up and down about. Unless that would help induce me! Ha ha. The doctor said I could be medically induced as early as the next morning if I wanted, or I could wait until the next Monday (June 1st) and then they would definitely start me.
Since that was the day my mom was to fly out, after a day of deliberating, I finally decided to be induced and forego the Birth Place. I didn't want her to miss anything! And let's face it, I was tired of being pregnant.
So, Wednesday the 27th Josh and I headed to the hospital and arrived at 6:00 a.m.
We checked in and got settled in the room. At 7:00 a.m. they hooked me up to my fluids, my antibiotic for Strep B, and pitocin.
As well as the monitors and stuff. Blech.
I was feeling really down about all of it, so I asked Josh for a Priesthood blessing. It was a beautiful blessing. I was reassured that even though things were not starting how I wanted, that everything else would go as well as I had planned and that I could have a smooth, natural birth. I was able to perk up a bit after that.
Things were going well! I was responding to the pitocin and my blood pressure was good
(my blood pressure is always good, it's just something I like to brag about).
(my blood pressure is always good, it's just something I like to brag about).
At 8:30, I was feeling a little restless, so I shifted around a bit in my bed to get more comfortable. I felt a noticeable 'pop' in my lower left abdomen. I thought the baby elbowed me or something, but then I felt a leak! My water broke!!! All by itself! I was so excited. I've never had my water break on its own before. The contractions were regular, but not super painful yet. I would say my pain level was at a 3 by then. Totally manageable.
My mom arrived at the hospital around 10 a.m. My amazing friend Mari drove her and kept Darcy for the day (Brinkley was at school). The doctor came in to see how much I was dilated. If I remember right, I was at a 4. My contractions were stronger by then, perhaps at a 5 pain level. Although my water had broken, the baby's head had blocked off the draining, so the doc got the giant crochet hook and broke the other side of the bag. Another gush of waters came out. What a pleasant feeling. Ha ha. Not.
I was still feeling rather restless, so I asked the nurse if I could go to the bathroom. I dripped amniotic fluid on the floor. Embarrassing. Josh helped me to the bathroom and that is where my contractions really picked up. I had a contraction before I went potty and one immediately after. I think the combination of breaking my water the rest of the way and walking around really kicked my labor into gear.
My good nurse, who knew I had wanted to be in the birth place, said I could keep the monitors off for about 10 minutes.
And she let me stay out of bed and move around!
And she let me stay out of bed and move around!
This is when things got real y'all.
My pain level was up to an 8 and contractions were coming every 1.5 minutes. I was standing and would just lean on Josh during contractions. As my pain would come, he would gently remind me to relax. He would focus on specific parts to relax. "Relax your arms, relax your back, relax your bum." I naturally wanted to fight the contraction, to hold tight against the pain, but he reminded me to work with it. It helped me keep in mind that the contractions were working to move the baby out. I had also told Josh to give me positive encouragement! (I respond well to that sort of stuff) So he would tell me that my body could do it, that I was amazing and strong.
I felt amazing and strong!
In between contractions I would pump myself up like a sprinter getting ready for the next race. I would like give myself pep talks and stuff! I kept repeating "I can do this, I can do this." Positive thinking, it really works.
After a while it got harder to relax during contractions, I started making fists and beating Josh's back a bit. Not hard, more like a nervous tick or something. And the contractions were coming really fast, there wasn't much time to pump myself back up for the next one, but I did the best I could.
Then my legs turned to jello.
I tried sitting on the bed and that made the pain unbearable, so I got on the bed on all fours. Again, my nurse was so awesome. At some point she got my monitors back on (no idea when). I had 2 contractions on my hands and knees, but it was making my hands fall asleep, she she had the brilliant idea to turn me around and use the tilted bed as my support, that way gravity could work with my body. She just threw a sheet over my bum so nobody had to see that. Ew. And I am still just so grateful she let me labor in these different positions. I cannot imagine laying on my back through them.
At this point the nurse offered me drugs, and my mom said something along those lines as well, but I was determined. Although, to be honest, my resolve was diminishing. I kept thinking "how long is this going to last? Because I don't know how much longer I can handle this pain" which was easily at a 10 by now. I had a few contractions there on the bed when all of a sudden, this awful, guttural noise came out of my throat. The contraction hurt so bad, and I really, really felt like I needed to push. I figured I wasn't supposed to push yet, so I tried to hold it in, hence the awful, guttural noise. Holding it all in was making me feel like my whole abdomen was convulsing. So, I said "I feel like a need to push!"
The nurse had me turn around to check how far I was dilated and guess what? There was no cervix to be found! Yahoo! She told me not to push yet so she could get the doctor. Umm, I almost wanted to laugh because I just knew I wouldn't be able NOT to push. But I tried, and there was more convulsing and more gross sounds coming out of me. Luckily, everyone was moving quickly and they got the doctor there and my bed all ready. My feet were in stirrups and I could finally push.
The only problem was I could not follow directions. My body just wanted to do what it wanted to do and they nurses were telling me to do something else. Finally, my brain clicked and I did what they said. I pulled on my legs, put my chin to my chest, held my breath and PUSHED!
Then the doctor was all "don't push too hard, slow down." Yeah right, I just pushed with all my might to get that baby out. He was out in 3 pushes.
He was born at 11:16 a.m.
Four hours and 16 minutes total from start to finish and 'hard' labor for a little less than an hour.
Because I couldn't manage to slow down my pushing, he came out with a really blue, bruised face, and it took him a while to cry. I bet his Apgar score was really low. The placenta delivered 2 minutes later at 11:18. It felt really weird to me. I think I even said to the doctor "what was that?" He laughed and said "the placenta, what do you think it was?" Ha ha. I did tear a bit and had to get stitches. I also had the shakes really bad. All that adrenaline was coursing through my body and it made me just shake for a while. The nurses piled on those fabulous heated blankets.
My mom asked the nurse if they had ever seen such a fast natural birth and she said no. The doctor said "I like efficient women." What a compliment!
They let me hold my baby boy right away and at St. Josephs they give you a full hour to be skin to skin and start breastfeeding before they do anything else. Let me just tell you, it was a magical time. He was so beautiful to me (purple face and all). I was just selfish and took that full hour to myself. I couldn't stop staring at him. I was feeling very emotional, as was Josh. That is when I told Josh I wanted him to pick the name for the baby, we both started crying because we knew we would name him Johnny.
I was in love.
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My story may make natural birth sound traumatizing, but it was seriously one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was so amazing to feel so strongly all those phases of labor, to know exactly what was happening, to feel him come out, and knowing that my body and mind did such a hard, extraordinary thing is just incredible. I would do it again in a heartbeat. My simple words cannot express the way I feel about it. I highly recommend it.
And I have to thank my husband. I honestly could not have done it without him. He helped me prepare for it, he helped me through it, and he was just as much a part of that labor as I was and that is pretty special. When I had epidurals in the past, I sort of felt detached from it all in a way, and he was just sort of on the sidelines while the nurses did everything for me.
But nurses could never do what Josh did for me that day.
I love that he was vital to the healthy delivery of my baby. I love my husband and I think we both feel the same way about going through this together.
And not to get all mushy, you can stop reading if you want, but I just feel like it is a metaphor for our marriage. These past 7 years of medical school and residency we have only had each other to lean on through all the hard things we have been through. We've needed each other, depended on each other, and turned to each other when things were at their worst.
I think this was a brilliant way to end our journey through his medical training. I feel closer to Josh than I ever have before and I just adore him.
I am so grateful for my beautiful family. I am so blessed. I love my husband, I love my girls, and I love my new, beautiful son.
I am thankful that because Josh and I have been sealed in the temple, and keep our covenants, that we can be an eternal family forever.
Now, if anyone is even slightly interested in having a natural birth, call me and I'll talk you into it! It's amazing!
