I understand that every mom’s labor and delivery is different, but this is our story.

I was induced at 39 weeks and 1 day. I had to be induced because Nevaeh had IUGR which is IntraUterine Growth Restriction and it is safer for both mom and baby to be induced due to other complications that could arise if you wait until you are full term, or 40 weeks with new found research. It was not worth the risk to wait another week for my contractions to start and my water to break naturally and possibly lose the baby. It was nice to know weeks in advance that I would most likely have to be induced and that we got to pick her birthday. You can read more about why I had to schedule my induction in my previous post, “My Pregnancy Journey.” I knew everything would be fine because I prayed and prayed about the Labor and Delivery for months prior. God spoke to me when I prayed and spent time with Him months prior and gave me peace and all of the desires of my heart.

LOCATION

Mercy Hospital: The Mother Baby Center in Coon Rapids, MN.

Total time

Labor: 19 Hours and 18 Minutes

Delivery: 4 Pushes and 4 Minutes

METHOD OF INDUCTION

There are different methods of Induction and the method I had was Cervidil.

Cervidil: A vaginal insert that contains a type of medication called a prostaglandin. It helps jumpstart labor by softening the cervix and preparing it for birth. That’s why it’s typically used in women who need to have labor induced but whose cervix is closed or hasn’t “ripened” yet.

If you want to read more information regarding this method of Induction, you can do that here.

WHAT WERE MY THOUGHTS ON INDUCTION?

I was happy that I wouldn’t have to be pregnant for another week to make it to 40 weeks. I was happy that I knew when I would go to the hospital. I was happy that I knew I would not leave the hospital without our baby. I was happy that I knew I would not have to have the anxiety and fear of my water breaking naturally, contractions, and of course the fear of every first time mom of not making it to the hospital in time. I knew there was still a chance that I could have gone into labor naturally, but those chances were slim. I knew they were slim because I had my last doctor’s appointment the week that she was going to be born and my OBGYN checked my cervix at that appointment and I was not dilated at all, but I was 30% effaced. What is the difference between Dilation and Effacement? Effacement means that the cervix is stretching and getting thinner. whereas dilatation means that the cervix opens. Induction is hard on the body simply because you are intervening in the body’s natural process of giving birth. Even though Induction is super hard on the body and that there are more risks and complications. I was happy.

MY BIRTH WISHES

I created Birth Wishes as opposed to a Birth Plan. Being a planner I would have been absolutely devastated if one thing did not happen as I planned it. By not having a plan in my head of how I had to have my Labor and Delivery go was very helpful for me to be optimistic and open minded with however it went. If you can help it, have no expectations or no plans with your Labor and Delivery. This will do wonders for your mind and keep you in good spirits throughout. Ultimately, delivering a healthy and happy baby should be your only concern at this point in your Pregnancy Journey.

• No Epidural unless absolutely necessary – I was absolutely terrified of the Epidural.
• No C-Section unless absolutely necessary – I already accepted if a C Section was necessary it is what it is. This was something I prayed about for months in advance because I really wanted a natural vaginal delivery.
• No Staples if a C-Section was needed – they explained to me if staples were needed they would be dissolvable. This was good news.
• Lights dimmed on the lowest setting during delivery.
• My Worship Playlist that I created on Youtube to be playing while she is being born, Nevaeh made her entrance into the world while the song “This Is a Move” by Tasha Cobbs was playing.
• Mirror so I could see her coming out of my vagina – This helped me so much and was awesome to be able to see everything. I highly recommend this.
• Skin to Skin with my baby right after she was born.

TIMELINE

7:30PM

Check in to the hospital. We checked into the hospital at 7:30PM for my scheduled induction. We walked through the automatic hospital doors both eager in excitement for we knew we would soon be meeting our baby. We checked in at the desk and were given a sheet of paper to complete Nevaeh’s birth certificate. We had already pre-registered for the Hospital back in September 2020. It was a swift 2 minute wait until we were happily greeted by the nurse to bring us back to the hospital room. Once we were in the hospital room, the nurse showed us where we could put our things. Josh neatly tucked away our things in the cupboards and sat down on the couch. The nurse handed me a hospital gown and hospital socks to put on. No need to go the bathroom to change, so I just stripped down until I was butt naked right there in the room and put both hospital gown and socks on. I was eager to get things rolling. The nurse put on two belly bands around my tummy. One band monitored Nevaeh’s heart and the other my contractions. After she put those belly bands on me she took my temperature and blood pressure. She was going to place an IV and I explained to her that my veins are insufficient… She looked at them and said, “Let’s not start the night off badly. I’ll have an IV specialist come and insert your IV.” The IV specialist came in and she did an ultrasound on my arm and found the vein right away. A long verbal questionnaire was then completed by the nurse and I going over all medical history and questions about the labor and delivery in general.

9:30PM

We finally finished the verbal questionnaire and were ready to begin the actual induction process. I was apparently having pretty intense contractions and I wasn’t feeling them at all. The nurse explained that I most likely wouldn’t have my baby until Saturday night around 9:00PM or Sunday morning. I remember laughing at her thinking she was crazy and that there was no way that I would be in labor all the way until Sunday. Plus, I knew Nevaeh would be here Saturday after the 3 o’ clock hour for the Lord told me so. The nurse checked me for dilation and inserted the Cervidil. I was not dilated at all. The nurse explained that once she inserted this medication that I needed to stay lying down and I was not be able to get up to walk around or go to the restroom for 2 hours to ensure it stayed in place. Of course it wasn’t until 30 minutes into lying down that I needed to use the restroom. Never fails! I watched the clock with eagle eyes waiting for it to be 11:30PM so I could relieve myself. While we were waiting for the medication to do its thing for 2 hours Josh left the hospital to pick up food for us. He went to Wendy’s. He had a burger and fries and I had an Apple Pecan salad. It was satisfying.

11:30PM-11:30AM

It wasn’t until I was 2 hours into having the medication that I started feeling contractions really intensely now. When I started to feel them they were very close together. I remember watching the monitor knowing that another contraction was about to come because the numbers would start to climb up super fast. While the contractions were happening all I kept picturing was Jesus carrying and dying on the cross for me and thinking this pain is nothing compared to that and how much I love Jesus. I had to use my prayer language because it was so intense and I kept talking to God nearly the whole labor. I knew God was present in the room with us and He made himself known to me on multiple occasions.

I was watching HGTV and Hallmark Christmas movies the whole night because it was impossible to sleep with the constant contractions. The nurses would come in and check on me every now and then and every time they came in during the night they would tell me how amazing I was. They thought I was amazing to let Josh sleep as I was in a decent amount of pain from the contractions. I just looked at them and simply replied, “Yeah I guess haha.” I mean what am I supposed to do? Make him stay up and just stare at me? I wasn’t even making any noises to be honest, all I was doing was sitting there breathing and telling myself, “I can do this and you are so strong Kiana” as the contractions came and went. Honestly now that I think about it, the contractions weren’t even that bad. I experienced them for 16 hours straight with little to no breaks in between each one and no pain medications. The nurse came in to check the machine that was recording the contractions and said, “Wow you are really having a lot of intense contractions with no breaks in between.” I responded sarcastically and jokingly, “Oh you don’t say?! HAHAH.” I was ready for them to be done, but at the same time was so happy they were happening. The contractions are a great sign and they are what actually causes your cervix to dilate at first and later help your baby descend out your vagina.

12:00PM

It was time for a dilation check. I had had my cervix checked for dilation a couple times before my Labor and Delivery by my OBGYN, but it was never painful. The nurse came in to check how dilated I was and it wasn’t until then that I started balling my eyes out. It was a very aggressive check and the nurse admitted that and apologized… I honestly thought she was going to pull Nevaeh’s head out! I was dilated to 3CM. I decided then in that moment that I would like the Epidural. I was terrified of getting the Epidural. I remember saying to the nurse, “Is it bad that I only made it to 3CM and then decided I would get the Epidural?” She responded, “No absolutely not. Some people want it right away because they are in so much pain and they aren’t even dilated.” I did not care if I delivered with or without the Epidural and I cannot believe I thought it was bad to be at 3CM and ask for an Epidural… I was just terrified of getting the Epidural. I was so terrified that I thought I was going to have a seizure and pass out from how worked up over it I was. I knew I would have to woman up and face this fear for potential relief or continue to be in pain and know that the pain would only escalate as more dilation checks needed to be had.

12:30PM-4:30PM

The moment I dreaded more than the delivery itself… It was time to receive the Epidural. I had never been more scared of something in my whole life. If you know me, you know that I have arachnophobia. Spiders don’t have nothing on the way that I felt towards this Epidural. I did not do any research regarding the Epidural prior to being in Labor and Delivery because I was afraid to see the horror stories. I was fully aware of the complications prior to receiving the Epidural because you do need to sign a waiver. I had all of my questions answered by the nurse when we first checked in and she gave me a sheet of paper with everything I needed to know about it. I felt okay to receive it if it came to a point where I wanted it. My biggest fear was that I would become paralyzed or that something wouldn’t go right and it would not do what it was supposed to. The nurse anesthetist came in the door with her big metal cart of equipment my heart began to pound race and my body began to shake in complete anguish and terror at what was about to happen. I started hyperventilating and asking a ton of questions. When I tell you I was terrified, I was terrified. Keep in mind the contractions are still happening and you need to be sitting still and in a specific position as you receive the epidural. I remember looking at Josh before I got into position and grasping both of his hands firmly. The nurse gave me a pillow to hold onto as well. I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself down to stop hyperventilating. I was crying the whole way through. The nurse anesthetist told me it would feel like a bee sting when being applied and that it did. It hurt really bad. The Epidural took 10 minutes to put in and started working rapidly after it was inserted. I could not feel my legs and I was amazed. After it started working, I was finally able to get some much needed sleep. The nurse anesthetist also gave me a button to administer more medicine if needed.

Approximately 30 minutes after receiving the Epidural the Doctor came in and broke my water. The nurse checked me for dilation and at the point I was at 5CM. I took a nap and I heard the Lord say to me so clearly, “You are fully dilated and at 10CM.” The nurse came back 2 hours later and sure enough I was fully dilated to 10CM. As she was checking me for dilation, she said “Oh my gosh you are at 10CM!” She was more excited than I was because I went from 0 to 100 real quick, but I knew I was fully dilated because the Lord already told me so. I said to the nurse, “When can I start pushing?” She responded with, “In an hour or two because we don’t want you to push for long.” After she told me that, I was very excited and fell back asleep until I could feel the baby’s head coming out. I immediately woke up and I told Josh, “Get the nurse in here now. I can feel the baby’s head coming out.” Josh frantically got up from the couch, opened the hospital door, looked left and right to flag the nurse down and said, “My wife needs you, the baby’s coming.” As Josh was flagging the nurse down, I pressed the button that was hooked up to the Epidural to receive more relief two times right before I gave birth. When I pressed the button with my thumb it sent a cool tingly sensation down my back. I was so numb the way it was, but just wanted to add a little more numbness as a precaution and I’m so thankful I had a great Epidural. The nurse then came in looked at me and said, “Yeah that’s your baby’s head coming out and she has a lot of hair…” After she saw the baby’s head coming out she grabbed the phone and said, “I need the Doctor in here!” At this time it felt like a movie because the nurse started to move very quickly. The Doctor arrived in the room and the nurse said, “We did one push” and she said it with pride in her voice as if it was just amazing. As the doctor walked passed me he said, “Oh!!” He said it in a tone like we got to get moving now. The nurse then turned to me and said, “You’re not going to push very long sweetie.” This was incredible. I remember thinking “man this is great.”

4:40PM-4:48PM

Finally the moment we had been waiting for was here. It was time to push! The nurse explained how to push, and I confirmed my understanding with what she told me and did exactly as she said. As I pushed I watched in the mirror as she was coming out. Oh what a site to see. My beautiful angel coming out of me! Within 4 pushes and 4 minutes total Nevaeh Lynn Johnson made her entrance into the world. How do I know that it was 4 pushes and 4 minutes total? We recorded our Delivery and are so glad that we did. I highly recommend this because you will experience nirvana every time you watch it. She made a loud grand entrance into the world with her sweet cry. She was crying very loudly and doing exactly what she was supposed to. She had a cute cry. A cry that said, “Mom and Dad I’m alive!!” That cry was sweet music to my ears because I knew she was alive and well. Hallelujah and Glory to God in the highest! The nurse said I knew exactly how to push from the first push and that I did an amazing job. She was set directly on my chest after she came out just as I wished. I did breast feed her after they did all of the necessary things they had to do for her. How did the breast feeding go? It was great from the very start. She latched perfectly, just like I had been praying for. I will be doing a future post very soon about the reality of breast feeding and how it has been for me. I am so blessed to be able to nurse her. Thank you Jesus for answering my prayers.

Sidenote

The Labor and Delivery was by far my favorite part of my whole pregnancy. I would go through Labor and Delivery ten times over before being pregnant for another 9 months. Heck, I would like to push a baby out again it was that amazing for me. Pushing was so incredibly easy for me. I did tear my vagina and have to have sutures, but man I could not believe how quickly she came out. A part of me feels like I deserved this wonderful experience because I feel like I had a rough pregnancy, but then again as humans I know we do not deserve anything on this earth. LOL you know what I mean though…

WHAT WAS IT LIKE HAVING A BABY DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC?

To keep it simple and straight to the point: It is what it is. Josh and I both knew that we were going to have a baby in 2020. This had been planned ever since we were married in 2018. Global Pandemic or not, we were having a baby. There really isn’t much to say about it because the Global Pandemic just kind of happened. This was out of our control and it was fine. Nevaeh was born when she was supposed to be. My life motto is “Trust the Timing of Your Life” and I actually wrote a post about it awhile back. You can read it by clicking here.

WHAT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL FOR ME DURING MY LABOR?

The exercise ball was the most helpful for me during my labor. I was on and off the exercise ball to help alleviate the contractions. At one point the ball actually flew out from behind me because I was bouncing on it so hard and intensely trying to get relief. I found that rocking from side to side and pressing as hard as I possibly could was the most relieving. If I’m being honest, the most relief came when I pressed really hard on my vagina while relaxing at the same time by taking deep breaths. It really helped that I figured out how to relax during the contractions once I experienced the first few. Knowing how to relax your body during labor is key.

MY ADVICE FOR ALL OF THE DADS

Keep in mind that this is your husband or significant others first time going through this too and you do not know how either of you will react to certain things in both the Labor and Delivery. I have good news for you mama! You can take charge of the things that you can control and expect of your husband or significant other. Dads if you want to have the best experience possible, it is essential to be on the same page with your wife or significant other. Josh and I sat down and had an in depth conversation and I was so glad we did because I had a wonderful experience and that’s my hope for you too!

• Simplest Advice: Just be present!

I think this is pretty self-explanatory, but I will give you some details/examples anyway. Do NOT do the following: Bring your Xbox/Gaming Console to the hospital, order food without bringing your wife or significant other some, complain about how long things are taking if things progress slower than you think they should, make it about you. As much as you are the Dad, the Mom is the one delivering the child. This really is about her and she needs you. You do not need to do anything fancy. If you have the in depth conversation, you will know exactly what your wife or significant other wants and this will make knowing what’s expected of you a piece of cake.

MY ADVICE FOR FIRST TIME MOMS

In your ninth month of pregnancy do everything you can to be prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally. You will need to be strong in all 3 of those domains come delivery day. This will look different for each individual, so do what you have to do mama. To prepare myself mentally, physically, and emotionally I actually stopped working my Full Time job a month in advance. I had the whole month of November off, and this really helped me feel prepared for meeting miss Nevaeh. I had a longer drive to work and I just felt better being closer to the hospital as I neared the end of my pregnancy. I kept picturing myself going into Labor while driving down the highway and that just freaked me out. I am pretty sure every first time mom pictures this happening to them. What a scary thought it was and luckily that did not happen to me. I was resting as much as possible, but I also stayed pretty busy at the same time patiently waiting for miss Nevaeh to arrive.

You might be someone who wants to make lists. Make lists for what you are going to pack in your hospital bag, what you want your husband to be doing during your Labor and Delivery, do you have a birth plan or a list of wishes of how you would like things to go? Plan A and B if your wishes can’t be met? Do you have a pain tolerance # ranging from 1-10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest for if you are going to need some sort of pain relief? Make that list sis! If you are not much of a lists person, just do whatever makes you happy. Sit down with your husband or significant other and have an in depth conversation so they will know and understand all of your expectations and reasonings behind them.

Remember to trust your body and don’t be afraid. You can do this mama! The Lord goes before you and as women our bodies are literally made to bring life into the world. Birth truly is a beautiful experience and I’m so fortunate that I got to experience it and have a wonderful experience at that. Thank you Jesus. I don’t know you, but I am praying for you and your birth story. I pray that it is everything you ever dreamed it would be and more in the most beautiful way.