Our Personal Plage

A Birth Story

Thank you to #kamiophotography for recording these wonderful memories

How we went from here . . .

To here!

FYNN BRYAN SHIRTS

2.26.2016

1:08pm

7 pounds 8 ounces

19 inches long

Jeff's story in Blue
Amber's input in Purple

Birth of boy #2

February 25^th.

Amber started to feel some contractions around 4:00 PM when she was out with some friends at a park near the house enjoying an unusually sunny and warm February day in Seattle. She came home because she was feeling tired and achy @ 5. I got home at 5:30. She was having contractions that were hard to breathe through that were about 5 minutes apart. She dismissed it and minimized it because she has had contractions many times throughout this pregnancy. She didn’t put much stock in what was going to happen with this batch. What was remarkable is that she was feeling better during the preceding days. She had had some bad hip and back pain the weeks prior to now and this was all subsiding. It really was the calm before the storm.

I on the other hand thought I was being really good at covering up my pain and Jeff had not noticed how bad the contractions really were. I didn't want to tell him what I was feeling because I was scared that if I acted on them then maybe they would stop. Also because Emmett's birth had been stressful and I REALLY wanted to stay calm and peaceful during this one.

At around 7:30 after dinner was had (Cashew curry with chicken and veggies) she went over to Carrie Reed’s house for weekly craft night while Jeff studied for his Pathology final that was scheduled for the next morning at 8AM. Amber came home at 11:00 and the contractions were closer together and things were feeling more intense.

At Carrie's we worked on a pallet wood world map. Carrie kept telling me that I was in labor and I would respond, "no, it will stop soon." She finally convinced me to time how far apart my cractions were. In the next hour I went from every 3 minutes to 1 minute and they lasted about a minute a piece. I remember talking and having a good time and then when the pain began I tried to keep talking but I could not talk! I would hold up my finger and try to say, "Just a minute." But even that I couldn't say. Carrie was really tired and all I wanted to do was get in the bath, hoping it would help me relax more because it was really starting to hurt. I drove home at 11:00pm. On the way I called Jeff and the first thing he asked was how far apart my contractions were. I was shocked! I didn't think he had noticed during dinner. I told him they were every minute for about a minute long

Amber was excited at the possibility of the baby actually coming, but I was the one that was pushing for us to go to the hospital. After talking to Amber on the phone I called Megan and Lucas Webber, Megan is a good friend and classmate, to come and sleep at the house and watch Emmett while we went to the hospital.

I was SO annoyed, all I kept thinking and saying was, just let me get in the bath. I didn't want to go to the hospital yet, I wanted to relax and breath through this on my own. But within 15 minutes of being home, and Jeff running around grabbing everything we needed to take our friends Megan and Lucas showed up. I still figured I could go get in the bath, but Jeff pushed me into the car and we were off. It is nice to drive at midnight in Downtown Seattle!! No traffic at all!

February 26^th

We arrived at the triage room for Swedish First Hill at 12:20am and were put in a room to see how labor was going and to see if Amber would be admitted that night. Contractions were getting a little stronger and things were going well, except the little boy inside was squishing his umbilical cord with every contraction so his heart rate would drop. That is not good, so they admitted Amber and took her to her room (room 582 in 5 south).

I love Jeff's interpretation of this because for me it was COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!! When I had talked with my midwife during pre-natal visits she had explained to me that most people are never in triage for longer than 30 minutes. They are either told to go home or are given their labor room. She also requested that I have a birth plan. Mine was simple! I wanted to be on the least amount of cords and IV's as possible, to labor in the jacuzzi hot tub, lights off and white noise on, and last, I wanted to labor naturally as long as I could so do not suggest an epidural until I ask for one. She knew my birth plan. Why was I not in the bathtub!?! This next bit was everything that was going through my mind.My midwife came to check on me in triage. I thought they saw how bad my contractions are! By now I knew I was in labor and I would be more than angry if they sent me home. Why haven't they sent me to a room yet? I NEED to get in the bath!!! Jeff, this HURTS I need a room and a bath! My midwife is leaving and telling the nurse to monitor for another hour????? They still don't know if I am in labor??? I feel like dying!!! They striped off my pants and gave me a thin paper blanket, but where is my gown?? My nurse kept having me lay in the most uncomfortable positions. And this bed feels like a rock!! My contractions were coming every 30 to 45 seconds and they killed!!! I would KILL for a bath, or even to walk or move but this mean lady will not let me move! JEFF do something more than tell me it is going to be ok. Finally, around 3:30 I exclaimed, "I need to pee!" and "I want to go to my room." I remember the midwife and nurse look at each other and nod, "That's probably a good idea." In my head I was screaming... "probably??" They sat my naked but right onto the wheelchair and with my think paper sheet off I went. I was parked next to my new bed. I was excited at the thought that now I can try and get on top of these contractions again. I made the movement to get up and go to the bathroom where there would be waiting for me a nice folded gown to change into. Everyone looked at me like I was nuts!!! When I mentioned my plan again I heard the, "Yea, that is probably a good idea."

Probably????? what is wrong with these people? Within seconds I found my top half uncomfortably being striped of my clothing... everything being exposed right there in my wheelchair! What the CRAZINESS!!??!! After finally being gowned I sent Jeff to go get my bags from the car.
Next, still sitting in the wheelchair they rushed through putting my IV in. There was blood and IV liquid shooting everywhere.

(This is a cleaned up pic after the

liquids were wiped clean)

The next moment I will never forget! I believe my midwife finally realized that I was completely out of the loop of the situation. She firmly took my face in her hands and with her face inches from mine calmly but sternly said, "Amber, you are being so strong, but your baby and your body are not doing good so we are going to be taking you to c-section at any minute. You need to get an epidural or the doctor is going to have to put you under anesthesia. I'm so sorry. I know that this is not what you want. In the past 5 years, with all the babies I have delivered I have only had to tell 3 women this. I wouldn't suggest this if it was not serious." Without a second thought I whispered, "epidural now." All my goals went out the window and all that mattered was my baby.

(Melissa and Claire)

Melissa, my midwife was amazing! She was active in helping me through my contractions, pushing on pressure points and talking me through them until Jeff and the epidural needle showed up. I also learned at that time that even though I was only dilated to 4cm that my body had been in transition phase for the past 3 hours. Transition phase (90 second contractions with 45 seconds to rest in between) is usually when you are going through 7 to 9cm and the body is preparing to push. This can cause a ton of damage when there is no opening for the Uterus to push the baby out of.... such as ruptures! scary! So grateful for modern medicine and that while the medical staff was worried and monitoring I was thinking about jacuzzies!

When the sun finally came up we realized that Mt. Rainier was out and the room had a beautiful view. That is rare and for the hospital and made for a beautiful sunrise.

But long before the sun rose, there was a lot of activity in room 582. That little boy wanted to use his umbilical cord as a pillow or something and his heart rate was down in the low 90s for 6 minutes. This worried the midwife so she recommended an epidural in case a C-section was going to be needed urgently. While waiting for an anesthesiologist to come and do the epidural Melissa, midwife and Claire, the nurse, hung bags of saline and antibiotics while trying many different positions to try and move the little boy around and stabilize his heart rate, and to everyone’s relief, right as the anesthesiologist got the epidural in (4:00AM) the heart rate stopped dropping with every contraction and things took a turn for the better. After that Amber and I rested and I actually slept for an hour and a half until shift change at 7:30AM.

We got a new nurse, Alicia, and a new midwife, Marylin. We were sad to see Melissa and Claire leave because they were so great, but the new staff seemed good as well. Amber started to have some changes and at 8:18 she started to have some leakage of fluid so things are going in the right direction.

Things didn’t change very much for the next 3 hours. Amber was rotated from side to side to try and even out the epidural, but this little boy was not cooperative. He continued to have decels every time we moved to a different position and so Amber was put back on her R side with the large peanut between her legs.

Due to not being able to change positions my epidural did nothing for numbing the feeling that would occur when the time for pushing began! Thankfully it subdued the intense back labor. I was terrified about the pain that would come with pushing, but I am happy to report that the rush, the high, and the relief of giving into what the body needs and wants to was incredible (luckily, due to the quickness as you read below I didn't feel all the "lovely" tearing, but I did feel the many stitches (no fun)! I did not feel this rush with Emmett's birth, and it was truly my favorite part with Fynn's! So empowering!!!

I had 80% of my prenatal visits with Marylin and I loved her personality and midwifery skills.

We turned on Amber’s white noise and relaxed while the nurses came and checked on Amber. Marilyn wanted Amber to sleep so she gave her some Benadryl, but that didn’t do much. Amber was moved so often that sleep was not going to happen. During the morning hours Amber dilated pretty consistently, but it took her a while to get past an 8. So while we waited Amber ordered lots of Jello and gummy bears , clear liquid diets are a blast!

Around noon while the nurse was checking something she had the sheets pulled back and there was a huge popping noise! We both screamed and began laughing till we cried as a large gush of ucky liquid soaked the bed and the floor. If anyone didn't know, having a baby is a messy business!!!

The brown liquid was another scary situation. When a baby is stressed they can have a bowel movement and that can make for a risky delivery with complications. Another stress factor :(

With all these stress factors, pushing needed to be a quick experience. Amber started to feel the urge to push, and Marilyn was not going to restrain or stop this feeling. She told Amber to push when she felt like she needed to. Marilyn began to get things ready: Setting up the table, getting her gown and gloves out, ect. The nurse went out to get Respiratory Therapy, the neonatal ICU nurses, and the pediatrician that needed to be in on the delivery due to Fynn's complicated labor and the meconium that was in the amniotic fluid. Amber felt the urge to push so she pushed and I saw the dark matted hair make its appearance. I was on my way to comfort Amber when she started making the face saying "I feel like I should still be pushing" and she pushed. And Fynn made his grand entrance into the world. And by grand, I mean flying, future circus cannon performer entrance. I saw his head come out and then there was a body and then there were feet. I yelled out that I saw the head, but by the time the words came out his knees were shooting into the world. Thankfully Marilyn was close to the bed, because if not Fynn may have ended up on the floor. Marilyn dove in at the last possible moment to snatch his little screaming body from the air and wrap him up. And boy was he a screamer. Amber was still in shock from all that had happened in the preceding 10 seconds and when Fynn was placed on her chest, she was not comprehending what was happening. She kept yelling "He's not breathing! Is he breathing?!", which were hard to hear over Fynn's screams. Fynn was letting everybody in the hospital know that he had been born and that they needed to pay attention to him. He was NOT having problems breathing. I tried to tell her he was. But since she was obviously not seeing that he was screaming there was no chance in her hearing my comforting words! Amber was also, almost frantically, looking at his fingers and toes, making sure that there was 10 of each. It took her a minute, or 5 to grasp all that had happened, but I think we were all in a little bit of shock.

This picture is absolutely incredible to me!!!

I love that in this picture Kami was able to capture the rush of the situation:

No gloves

No gown

the cord rapped around not only

his neck but chest and arm to

flying liquids

Kami later found out, by looking at the time stamps on the pictures, it took 5 seconds from Fynn's hair to make an appearance to his feet to entering the world. He was making up for lost time, that is for sure. Well after things were calming down the nurse who was sent to get the other providers returned, only to find that since she was not the Flash, she was not fast enough for Fynn, and promptly went to tell them that they were all too late.

Perfect little fingers

These first moments are so precious and so quick! I do all I can to soak in the innocence and newness! I feel as if these little ones spirits are so close to the surface. It must be that because they can not communicate through words Heavenly Father blessed them to communicate through touch! As soon as I held him it is like I have always known him!!

I think placentas are absolutly amazing. I didn't get to see with the craziness of Emmett's birth so I requested with this one. It is hard to believe how huge it is! But after birthing a human I didn't even feel it

It amazes me how babies come knowing exactly where to look for nourishment

Over an entire pound smaller than Emmett

Everyone kept thinking he was a C-Section baby because his head didn't get deformed. Guess that is what happens when Moma only pushes for 5 seconds

first diaper of many

Blessed

Off to post partum...

Where there was more admiring

Nurses checking in on us

A visit from big brother

Fynn's first bath

The Hospital's photographer visited

Jeff and I played with our camera and Fynn too

I crocheted this little sleep sack and hat for Fynn. The photographer that visited loved it and wanted to use it in her photos. We love how the pictures turned out, but we didn't want to pay the $$$, so here are some screenshots of the pictures she took

Our mini take at a photo newborn shoot

I felt so good that I was dancing around, that is until my milk came in 4 days later and pain killers wore off!

Love this coming home outfit! We didn't name Fynn till he was over a day old. We knew what his middle name was going to be, but we were at a road block with his first name. "Fynn" popped into my mind out of nowhere and both of us actually loved the same name! It was fun dressing him in this outfit. Dolphin fins all over our little Fynn!