Baby Joseph: My Pregnancy and Birth Experience

Honesty Time

Let’s be real, everyone always tells you about the joys of pregnancy and giving birth but what they don’t tell you is all of the crappy days you will have being pregnant whether that be constantly puking, not having an appetite to eat which causes you to get hungry and then puke because you’re too hungry to eat (it is a vicious cycle!), exhaustion, itchiness, constipation, etc. I am guessing they don’t tell you the terrors of pregnancy because though hard it is so worth it. In the end, you get one of heaven’s little angels. I had a terrible pregnancy for my first baby, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat just so that I can hold my precious son for the first time, and keep the wonderful family life that I have.

The birth process for me was a whirlwind. I got induced, dilated to a 10 within a matter of hours, and then had to push for 3 and a half hours. I thought it would be a walk in the park seeing as I had dilated so fast, but it was not. It was very scary, but we will get into that later. First let’s get into my pregnancy journey.

1st Trimester

I found out I was pregnant in the last two weeks of January 2019. I had a feeling I was pregnant, but didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I just waited to take a pregnancy test until I had missed my period and was 3 days late. My hunch was correct when the pregnancy test was positive. It was one of the most surreal, exciting moments of my life. I remember just starting to cry with joy and my husband Logan running around our apartment laughing. After that, I remember I started getting really sick the last week of January and first week of February. It was brutal. I would wake up having to run to the bathroom to keep from throwing up on myself, and then would be okay for ten minutes and then would have to throw up again. I was working at the Logan Regional Hospital Daycare Center, so I would have to run to the bathroom there every 10 minutes as well. I would be so tired from work, I would barely make it home to take off my work clothes and put on pajamas and go right to bed. It didn’t matter what time I got home.

Instead of food cravings I mainly had aversions. I couldn’t even bear to smell chocolate, or put it up to my mouth without having a gagging fit. I basically survived off of cereal. Needless to say it was a miserable first few months. At my ten week appointment, we met my OBGYN who I have really been impressed by. Her name is Dr. Smith and she was and is the best. We also got to get an ultrasound of the baby and Dr. Smith said that the baby measured two weeks ahead so the due date would probably be changed to earlier. It was a really awesome experience being able to hear the baby’s heartbeat and also see his tiny little body starting to grow.

2nd Trimester

The week that I hit second trimester I had to go to the ER because I was severely dehydrated and couldn’t keep food or fluids down (meaning, I couldn’t stop puking). Because of this, I had to get an ultrasound, and found out at 16 weeks that baby Jordan was a boy! I then confirmed it with the 20 week ultrasound a week before we went down to Louisiana for a Jordan Family Vacation. It was really exciting for both my husband and I. He is the first baby boy in my family full of girls so I was so excited to break the chain. I also started feeling him kick around 15 to 16 weeks. I was still throwing up consistently, but only once a day instead of 6+ times a day. So I guess you could say I felt a little better. Going on vacation helped me take my mind off of being sick, and getting a break from work helped tremendously.

Cravings in the second trimester mainly consisted of roasted veggies, laughing cow cheese, cottage cheese and doritos, and chocolate milk. I was finally able to eat chocolate without getting ill. I was very relieved that I actually was able to eat things without being totally sick to my stomach.

Being able to feel the baby kick helped me get through being sick so much better than just pushing through in the first trimester. It helped me focus on the fact that I had an actual baby growing inside of me, and find gratitude in his tiny little legs kicking around. My favorite part of the days was being able to feel him move around to get comfortable in my stomach. It is such a surreal experience, and one that I treasure.

3rd Trimester

Lets just say I was so thankful once 3rd trimester hit. I got more and more easily fatigued, especially working with kids. I dreaded having to work in the preschool because I had to keep up with all of the three and four year olds and bend down and squat to reach their level, and that was very difficult. I despised this one little boy because he was severely misbehaved and would sometimes punch me in the stomach which would freak me out because I didn’t want my baby to be hurt. I kept getting put in the preschool every day and was getting so exhausted, so I decided to quit a month early so that I could rest and get my apartment ready for a newborn.

I am so glad that I quit a month before my baby was born, because I was able to rest and relieve pressure on my body, and I was actually able to get things done around my house. My mom came a couple of times before the baby came to help me get my baby room ready and organize all of his clothes. It was so helpful and I was so grateful. I was also really glad I quit a month before my due date because I got induced a week earlier as well so technically I only had three weeks off work before my baby was born.

BIRTH: In a Nutshell

I was induced on September 17, 2019. We went in to the hospital at 6:00 am. The nurses had to ask all of the registration questions to get me all checked in and then get an IV started with fluids and Pitocin. When they started the IV, they blew my vein and I about passed out, so they had to wait 15 minutes for me to be okay enough to try on the other hand. That was probably the worst part about labor was the IV stick, but I hate needles so I wasn’t surprised. An hour after they got the pitocin going, I dilated enough for them to break my water and really get labor going. Once my water broke I started to feel the contractions come strong and fast. I only lasted 30 minutes before I asked them to give me the epidural. I was so terrified to get the epidural because like I said before I hate needles and it is a huge needle that goes in your back right along your spinal cord. Thankfully my husband was sitting in front of me and I could squeeze his hands and just breathe. Another good thing is they put the needle in while you are contracting so you don’t even feel the poke.

Once I got the epidural, I labored for about 3 hours and then was ready to push by 12:00 pm. They thought that I would only have to push for an hour and then the baby would be here, but they were very wrong. I pushed for almost three and a half hours. My epidural wore off half way through because I was pushing for so long. It was absolutely miserable. They gave me another dose of epidural but my left side didn’t go completely numb so I could still feel it a little bit and it was terrible.

My Doctor came in when it was at 3 hours and she told me that because I had been pushing for so long, I was at risk for a C- section, so if they couldn’t get the baby out within 15 minutes they would automatically take me for a C- Section. We had them vacuum the baby’s head out. Turns out he had wedged himself in the canal so tight that he got stuck and that is why he wasn’t coming out. Thankfully they were able to vacuum him out and I didn’t have to get a C- Section. I was so grateful.

Baby Joseph

Joseph was born at 3:11 pm September 17, 2019. As soon as he came out I just sobbed and sobbed happy tears. It is such a special moment seeing your baby for the first time and it’s a moment that I will cherish forever. Because I pushed for so long, he swallowed meconium, which is their first poop, so I only got to hold him for a second before they whisked him away to get him breathing, but in those few seconds I was in absolute heaven. He had to spend the first two hours of his life in the NICU, which was very stressful for me. I am so thankful for facetime because I was able to call my husband and just watch him on the phone. Modern day technology is a BLESSING in situations like this.

Once he was able to leave the NICU, we were able to all go to our room together. It was wonderful. It is such a surreal/heavenly experience holding your newborn baby. You feel the weight of parenthood hit your shoulders, but you also feel so much peace and JOY. A baby is the closest thing to heaven in your home and they bring the spirit of God to you in a way that you have never experienced. It is incredible.

I would go through all of it again and again, because Joseph is so worth all of the pain, the worry, the sickness, and stress. He is my whole world and I am so grateful that I get to be his mother! I can’t wait to get to watch him continue to learn and to grow. It is the best adventure I have embarked on so far.