Hazel Christine’s Birth Story

The past 10 weeks have been the exact mix of hectic, joyful, exhausting, and loving that I expected when I first found out we were having our third child.

Three kids under the age of four is insanely busy and I am only just now getting a chance to write Hazel’s birth story.

Before you dive in (or just read the short version), this pregnancy was considered high risk because of my gestational diabetes and previous complications with HELLP Syndrome.

You can read Zoey’s birth story here.

You can read William’s birth story here.

This post contains affiliate links.

The short version

I was induced at 39 weeks and three days. It took all day, many different induction methods, some exhaustion, and just a push and a half for Hazel to finally make her appearance.

Hazel was born at 9:06 PM and weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 21 inches long.

The long version

As a result of my gestational diabetes, my induction date was set for February 4, just four days before my actual due date.

I was seriously disappointed that I was going to be induced since going into labor naturally with William was such a pleasant experience and I wanted that again.

I ate the spicy food, went for the walks, had a membrane sweep, did hip opening exercises, but no natural induction luck.

Waiting for labor is mentally and emotionally exhausting! Every little twinge would have me in high alert. “Is this labor?” “Is it go time?” “Should I start the contraction timer app?”

With no movement from baby, Rob and I headed to the hospital at six am on Tuesday, February 4. My in laws were so incredibly gracious and came to our house dark and early to care for Zoey and William. An exhausting feat!

Shortly after arriving at the hospital (and stopping for a Panera breakfast wrap on our way), induction started with a Foley Bulb and dose of oral Cytotec.

I was nervous about the bulb because all my reading on it said it was very uncomfortable. My doctor convinced me it was the best, least invasive method and would not be too uncomfortable for a third birth. My doctor knew how badly I wanted to avoid Pitocin if we could, so we went the Foley Bulb route.

While the Foley Bulb was uncomfortable to place, it was no worse than having a slightly longer pelvic exam. Once it was in, I barely felt it except when I had to go to the bathroom and it just pulled a bit if I sat down.

Contractions started pretty quickly and were sharp. They had an edge to them that I do not remember happening until much closer to eight centimeters with William. They took concentration to work through almost right away.

I labored with them for a while, but found that if I sat down they would completely stop. Rob and I stood in the sun from the window and chatted, read a bit, and laughed at pictures coming in of Zoey and William.

Once the Foley Bulb came out (in a tug that shocked me into grabbing the arm of the nurse who was checking it), we waited to see if my body could catch up to that forced four centimeters.

After an hour, with no progress, my doctor broke my water. I was really hopeful this would move things along as when my water broke with William, he was out 15 minutes later.

No luck. The same process of sharp contractions that would completely stop if I sat down continued for another few hours.

At some point, we started Pitocin. I was completely discouraged at this point because my body was not dilated much at all, it was getting late, I was worried about how tired my in laws must have been with the kids, and I was a bit exhausted at the hurry up and wait game.

Thankfully, the Pitocin started doing its job and contractions started to get more painful. Always a good sign!

It took quiet concentration, focused breathing, and some visualization to get through them at this point. Since I get back labor, Rob put counter pressure on my lower spine with each contraction to help alleviate some of the pain.

The epidural went in when I was at six centimeters and I was just so frustrated, bordering on anger, that all the contraction work, time, and induction interventions were not working faster.

After the epidural started working, I napped a bit and watched some TV. The drugs worked a little too well because when I woke up from a nap I could not feel, or control, my left leg at all.

This lack of leg control was combined with the fact that I slipped and fell on ice the day before being induced and the tightening of my pelvic floor muscles to catch myself and not drop William, whom I was holding, caused me to pull or strain those pelvic floor muscles and make it hard to move.

When I wanted to shift positions, Rob had to physically move my leg for me. When I wanted to sit up, Rob had to hold my hands and pull me up.

Around eight o’clock, I started to feel really nauseas. My blood sugar was low, which they had been checking every hour because this was a gestational diabetes birth, and I had not had anything to eat except two jellos and a Sobe.

The nurse brought me some broth, which was delicious, but I threw up shortly after.

Just before nine, the nurse came to check on me as my nausea came back. The epidural was working really well and I could not feel any of the contractions, just this slowly sharpening pain in my left hip.

The nurse barely checked my progress before rushing out of the room to grab my doctor saying, “You are having a baby right now.”

All day, there was a joke going with the medical staff and me because another woman was also being induced in the room next door. The race was on as to who was going to deliver first.

My doctor was in the other woman’s room when my nurse went to get her because she was almost ready to push. As soon as my doctor saw me, she got ready for delivery.

I still could not feel the contractions when she told me to push. Instead of going off of feel of pushing, I had to rely on muscle memory from pushing with William.

In the middle of my first push, the doctor made a joke. I am kicking myself that I cannot remember what she said, but it had the whole room, including me, laughing.

Mid-laugh she told me to stop because the head was out and to give a half push for the shoulders. Before that half push, I exclaimed, “Are you serious? No way.”

Hazel was here!

There was not even time to unbutton my gown for immediate skin to skin and there was a bit of fumbling around from the nurse and I as the doctor placed a very purple baby on my half-gowned chest.

Thankfully I only needed a half stitch before the doctor ran out to deliver the other woman.

Hazel and I had spent almost an hour skin to skin and the nurse helped me breastfeed her right away. I was absolutely shocked at how quickly she was able to get the breastfeeding motions down.

Rob finally made it home around two in the morning to relieve his parents, but came back around noon the next day. That night we had a pizza party so Zoey and William could meet Hazel. I think they were more excited about the milk from the nurse’s station than actually meeting her.

Hazel and I spent a wonderfully quiet and cozy day and a half together before we headed home. With Hazel being my third, and no complications after she was cleared of diabetes, the nurses pretty much left us alone. It was probably the slowest and most peaceful time we have had in 10 weeks.