George's Birth Story

This post is THREE YEARS overdue, which is hard to believe. But I figure better late than never! In honor in George's 3rd birthday this week, I'm going to share his birth story (at least what I remember of it 😜).

George was due on December 10, 2020, but I desperately was hoping to go into labor sooner. I was in so much discomfort and remember telling Caleb that it felt like my pelvis was broken. Every step and movement hurt. My OB/GYN that delivered Henry and Claire retired prior to this pregnancy, so I had been seeing a nurse midwife named Tiffany. I had decided that I wanted a delivery without pain meds or epidural, and felt pretty determined that I would do it. I expected, after having 2 previously big babies, that this baby would also be big. I had experienced 2nd degree tearing in both of my previous deliveries, and thought that not having an epidural might give me a better chance of not tearing due to being able to move and change position during delivery. These are the things that had been going through my head leading up to my due date. I was 3cm dilated at my 39 week appointment, which also encouraged me that maybe labor would be fast.

On Sunday, December 6th I woke up not feeling well. We missed our small group that night and opted to stay home because I truly felt too exhausted to do much of anything. I bounced on an exercise ball for a little while that afternoon and tried to relieve some of the pain I was in, as well as allow my pelvis to open and hopefully get labor started. I don't know if that helped or what, but I woke up in the wee hours of the morning on the 7th having contractions. I waited a while to see what would happen, and when they continued to come regularly I woke Caleb up and we called my mom to come over. We went to the hospital (I think it was around 4:30 A.M.), but on the way, my contractions seemed to stop. We were put in a room to be monitored, and what I feared was confirmed; I was having very irregular contractions, and if I was in labor, it was the early stages. I was also still at 3cm dilated. We got home a little before 6:00 and Caleb let me go back to bed for a little while to try and get some sleep.

I was awakened a couple hours later by an intense contraction, and was really frustrated by it. When was labor going to start, and stay for good?? Having painful contractions that don't seem to be doing anything is so discouraging! A good friend of mine at the time was working as a nurse for Tiffany, and they had already been informed that I had gone to the hospital having false labor. I texted her and told her that I was having contractions again, and she asked if I wanted to come in to the office at 9:30 and they would plug me up to a monitor and see what was going on.

I drove to the appointment while Caleb was at home with the kids, and got put in a room with a monitor on my belly that was recording contractions and monitoring baby's heartbeat. They kept me hooked up to it for about an hour and a half, and during that time my contractions were getting worse and worse. I could no longer sit still and got up to pace the room as best I could while connected to the monitor, and was having to focus more and more on my breathing to get through contractions. Finally Tiffany came in to check on me and she later told me that as soon as she saw me doubled over the chair, she knew; I was in active labor! She checked my cervix and I will never forget; she said "Girl, go to the hospital right now. You're having a baby. You're 6.5cm". I was shocked! I asked if I could go home to get Caleb and she said yes, but then get to the hospital and she would meet me there. I was ecstatic! I had 2 contractions hit while I drove home that honestly made driving really dangerous. They were very painful and I only remember realizing that I was driving about 35 m.p.h. down the Parkway. I could NOT focus on driving during those contractions!

I got home to get Caleb and we left for the hospital. I honestly don't remember what we did with the other kids, but I'm guessing I had called my mom to come over. Ha! On the way to the hospital I had Caleb drive through the Burger King across the street because I was starving! We got to the hospital around 12:30 I believe, and were taken to a room right away. The next few hours are such a blur. There were lots of contractions coming closer and closer together and getting more intense. I managed really well for a couple of hours, but as things continued to progress I started losing it a little bit. It was when I got to transition that I started feeling feverish. I felt so sick, and getting through the contractions felt impossible. They brought me a mask that was hooked up to some kind of laughing gas stuff to try and help with the pain. It didn't ease the pain, but did help me focus more intentionally on breathing deeply. As the pain got worse, it was harder and harder to concentrate on breathing and relaxing. Finally, around 4:00 P.M. Tiffany came back and told me that I was almost fully dilated and my amniotic sac was bulging. She said "If I break your water, things will ramp up and get more intense, but I think it will be over quickly. It's up to you." I told her to go ahead and do it. She broke my water and then had me flip over onto my knees. 

George was born only 24 minutes later, but they were the longest, most intense 24 minutes of my life! I don't know if it was having my water broken or being on my hands and knees, but the pain that I thought had been unbearable was multiplied. It was at this point that I truly lost my cool and started moaning in pain and begging them to give me an epidural. 😂 I remember them saying "It's too late! He's coming!" and Tiffany asking if I felt the urge to push. I don't remember feeling the urge, but I do remember yelling, "I'm pushing!" It was truly like my body took over and did what needed to be done without my brain having any idea what was happening. With a couple of pushes, the baby came out and I collapsed on the bed and started crying in relief. I could not believe that I had done it! Tiffany said "This is your ten pounder. This might even be an eleven pounder!" When they weighed George, he was a whopping 10 pounds, 10 ounces! The fact that I delivered him with no epidural still blows my mind. And I did not have any tearing! After he was born, Tiffany said "I'm glad you didn't throw that cheeseburger up all over me! I cannot believe you ate a cheeseburger while in labor." Apparently vomititng during transition is pretty common, which I did not know. Haha! I'm glad I didn't get sick either. :)

Although I left this delivery never wanting to repeat it (spoiler alert: I DID get the epidural with my next baby 😂) it is probably the most surreal, intense, and amazing thing that I've ever experienced. I was so proud of myself for doing something that I was scared of and that caused me so much anguish, but like with any birth, the outcome was well worth the pain. This sweet baby was a dream come true! 

George Frederick Horton

December 7, 2020

4:24 P.M.

10lbs 10oz, 20"