On Friday June 12th I began to have small minor labor contractions during our breakfast at Chickfila. I noticed they seemed "extra crampy" or a little more than "practice contractions" usually are, so I text Josh to let him know that I might really be in labor and that the house was a wreck. Lol. I hadn't had practice contractions much with any of my other babies and so some of this was new to me which made me unsure if it was the beginning of labor or not. I had even had stronger cramps like that earlier in the week in the middle of the night and thought it might be labor but it stopped.
So here I was with plans to swim with Aunt Kimmie, my parents were out of town (the plan is for them to watch big kids when labor hits), no hospital bag packed, loads upon loads of baby laundry and regular laundry to do, and a messy house. No big deal right?! So the morning progressed and while I was super tired the "contractions" stopped, and we did go swimming with Aunt Kimmie! I told her what was going on with her and uncle Conor being our back up plan for babysitters if labor stayed. She offered to watch the kids longer for me so I could go to the obgyn appointment that I already had planned for that day and be able to actually get checked. Josh and I kept updated via calls and text while he was at work and at 2pm I went into my doctors appointment.
Once I was there and had told them what had been going on, the midwife checked the position of the baby (head down but face up), and then checked me. She told me a was good 3cm and about 70%. She asked me if I wanted my membranes stripped, and we talked about how maybe it would get labor going, maybe it would take 48-72 hours or maybe I would come back in a week and still have not had the baby yet. I had never dilated that much, if at all, before "labor" with any of my other babies. So again this was all super new and different for me. I was 1cm at 36 weeks and 3cm at what was now 38weeks. I finally decided to let her strip my membranes and left the appointment super emotional as it hit me that my baby was most likely on the way! I had had my membranes stripped with Asher just after 40weeks and labor started quickly after. He came in less than 24hours of having that done (probably less than 12 hours). So I called Kim and told her what was going on and asked if she could watch the kids longer as I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with what all I "needed" to finish before baby came.
I rushed home after calling Josh, texting my usual midwife Becca to tell her everything(I had seen one of the other awesome midwives at the appt, but wanted Becca to deliver if possible), and of course after stoping to get a therapeutic Sonic cherry coke! I began laundry at home and turned on episodes of Psych, my usual laboring tv show of choice! I watched it in the beginning stages of labor with all my pregnancies. I began to pack my bag and tried to keep an eye on the contractions and times in addition to resting when I needed it. For the most part they were 15 mins apart and at times a little strong but I could keep packing and working. Josh was trying to get home by 6pm to help me and eventually I had to go pick up the kids. I then drove and got them while still timing my contractions. I told Kim I was likely in "labor", and should it not stop I would probably need them that night. We made a plan for her to call me after she took food to her friend and from there would decide how quickly I needed someone to watch the kids. I took the kids to the drive thru at Arby's on the way home (we took the long way), and by the time I got home josh was there and had been cleaning.
He helped me with the kids and tried to encourage me to rest, which is exactly what Becca had told me to do when I texted her later about having contractions 15mins apart that were strong enough to stop what I was doing but not unbearable. She also told me when to text her again (7min apart with breathing needed). I was still so stressed out about "getting things done" that I didn't really rest. The contractions seemed to be so inconsistent and seemed to be taking so long to progress (I expected "labor" to be super fast bc it's my 3rd after all right?!). Eventual I kinda gave up timing them and just wanted to fold clothes as I watched Psych and the kids slept. We had decided we would call Kim and Conor when we felt like we might head to the hospital, and have Conor come stay over if it was the middle of the night.
Josh eventually left the house to go to Academy to look around and spend his birthday money. I really didn't mind bc all I wanted to do was fold baby clothes and decide what to pack in her bag (it's now 9pm and the bag still wasn't packed). While josh was gone things kinda kicked back up and contractions got strong (around 9:30/10:00pm). I called josh to make sure he knew so he would head home being that I was now still super stressed about packing bags and all I wanted was a bath (a sign of hard labor for me). He got home and finished packing while I got my bath and texted Becca. Contractions were now 7 mins apart and strong enough to have to stop and breathe through or have counter pressure. She told me to see if it stayed this way for an hour and to text back.
Josh began to make plans to call Conor over so that we didn't do what we did with Asher and wait almost too long to show up at the hospital (showed up at 10cm). After around an hour of more intense contractions 5-7 min apart with some at 4 mins we texted Becca again. Josh was ready to go to the hospital but I didn't want to go yet. I was torn. With Emerald I went in almost too early and still labored 7 hours at the hospital (not horrible but not ideal), and with Asher I waited to long (showed up at a ten with bulging sack and barely able to wait for midwife). Josh was right though and we needed to go. Becca confirmed with us she thought so too, and so off we went.
Contractions were more intense yet sometimes still seemed far apart so I was worried I wouldn't be as far along as I thought (something that can be super discouraging in labor). We got to the hospital around 12:30 and got all checked in. We went into our room, and I got into that horrible robe. Josh gave the nurses our birth plan, and we both told the nurse in our room some of our "wants" for our delivery should everything be normal. I've always had amazing nurses at Cartersville and that day was no different! Cecilia was awesome! She checked babies heart rate and got things ready. Eventually she checked me and asked me "what number do you want?" I was so scared I was going to be disappointed with my number, but I told her I wanted a 7 (🙏). She said I was a 5 but during contractions I was expanding to a good 7. Again something very different from my previous labors. She called Becca and I continued to labor.
Obviously by this point things began to get more intense. Josh was amazing helping me and letting me squeeze the poop out of his hand. Cecilia was great and let me labor how I needed to free of machines. Becca came and checked me to see how I was expanding during contractions. We talked about breaking my water to get labor going. My water has never broken on its own and usually has to be broken anyways just before I push so we decided to do so now. There was some meconium in the fluid so we talked through what that meant for baby if needed. Labor progressed and hard labor became super intense. Again my husband was amazing rubbing my back and doing lots of counter-pressure being that she was face up and I was having back labor. I switched to hands and knees and then back to my back. At this point timing of details is a little blurry, but Becca eventually checked me again and I remember it being painful as she was trying to wait on a contraction to see if I was still stretching during them (I was. I would go from 7 to 9). She was trying to help me stay at the 9. Transition also hit and luckily I was surround by awesome people, josh, Becca, and Cecelia who all encouraged me during that time as I went through the usually "I don't wanna do this." "I can't do this." "No", "I don't want too", "it hurts", etc moments. Again bc the back labor was so intense, I had no medicine or "wires" to mess with and I hadn't wanted to push yet, I got on all fours to labor. Josh helped a lot with counter pressure and soon I did wanna push. I pushed maybe 1-2 littler times on all fours but knew I needed to turn over before I really pushed. I got turned over and almost immediately began crowning. I remember only really pushing 1 maybe 2 hard strong pushes. Josh said it was like less than 3 minutes of pushing and there she was!! Our beautiful Jubilee Victory Roberson!!! I just kept asking over and over if she was ok, because in the back of my mind I was still thinking of the meconium. Becca assured me she was fine, Josh cried, and I relaxed and cried as I held my precious "Joyful Victory"!! She was here and our family grew. It was beautiful!
Jubilee Victoria Roberson
June 13, 2015 2:16am 7lbs 2.8 oz 19 in long!!
