Introducing: Mason James Nunley

The birth story of Mason James Nunley
Born Wednesday, April 8, 2015

7lbs 5oz – 19.75 inches

Warning: Graphic

In an interesting coincidence I first started noticing more intense contractions on a Tuesday, just like with both Avery and Olivia. That morning Justin's brother, Jimmy, was scheduled to come over with his crew to install our new patio cover so while they did that Avery, Olivia and I played, cleaned and had girl time inside and I monitored the contractions as they got progressively more painful, but not necessarily closer together. I texted Aunt Carrie to let her know we'd probably need her soon. She was our "on call" babysitter since we don't live near Grandma and Grandpa Nunley anymore. 

By about noon I felt like it was time to start getting things together because we needed drive about 25 minutes to drop the girls off at Carrie's house. Justin was at an appointment, so when he got home around 2:00 pm we took the girls over there. After they were settled in we headed to the hospital. We got there and got hooked up to the monitors. In a cruel twist of fate the minute I was hooked up to the monitors the contractions stopped completely. I had just one the hour I was being monitored. To add to it the nurse checked and I was only 3cm dilated. She then suggested I walk for an hour and then see where we were. Since Justin hadn't eaten all day and it was nearing 3:00pm I told him to go eat and change while I walked the maternity floor. 

After an hour of fairly consistent contractions I got hooked up the monitors again only to have the contractions stop immediately -- AGAIN! The nurse checked and I dilated about 0.5cm in the hour but that wasn't enough to admit me, which was both a bummer and a blessing. We decided to go home and get some last minute things done while the girls were with Carrie. The day before we had purchased a new patio table, outdoor storage bin and hose caddy -- all of which needed to be assembled. We had also gone to Costco to stock up on mean and all of that needed to be separated and vacuum sealed. 

We got back home around 5:00 pm and worked on the projects. Around 8:00 pm we decided we needed to eat so we went out for some dinner. All through dinner the contractions were getting stronger and much closer together. After dinner we headed to Dick's Sporting Goods near the restaurant so Justin could check out a new golf club (which he ended up buying) and I could walk around. At Dick's the contractions got to about 3-5  minutes apart. It was almost 9:00 and we still wanted to get the meat put away, so we went home and got busy with that. It probably wouldn't have taken so long if I didn't have to stop for each contractions, but I was already committed to the job and I didn't want to do it when I came home with a newborn. 

Finally at 10:00 pm I told Justin we needed to go to the hospital. When we got there the admitting nurse told us they were very busy, so they put us in the same triage room with the hexed bed that stopped the contractions earlier that day. Luckily, that didn't happen this time. The nurse checked me and I was now 6cm dilated and 100% effaced. We were having a baby! 

Once we filled out all the paperwork they got us a room and got settled in. The first thing the nurse did was put in an IV port and the next thing I got in the bath. In this hospital each birthing suite had a whirlpool tub, birthing ball, and bed bar for all kinds of laboring and birthing options. Seriously the best. I labored in the tub for about an hour before the nurse came in to check. She listened to baby's heartbeat and then left. It was amazing to be able to labor without distractions. 

At about 2:00 am I asked the nurse to check me. My OB happened to be there delivering another baby, so he checked me. I was 8cm dliated and he suggested we break my water since it was bulging and see what that did. He did and I got back in the bath. 

One contraction later I was beside myself. In all my labors I had never experienced a pain like the one I had with that contraction. The nurses could hear me all the way at the nurses station and came running in. They helped me back out of the bath and got me in bed to check me. I was now 9 cm-- almost 10 cm-- and that pain was my cervix dilating almost 2cm in about a 3 minute span. 

Like I said before, the nurse said they were busy that night. Turns out they admitted and delivered 12 babies that night. The hospital only has 8 birthing suites and 8 postpartum suites. Because they were so busy and there was an emergency at the same time I was nearing fully complete dilation the nurse asked if I was interested in an epidural because my OB was going to be in surgery for about an hour. I had an epidural with both girls, so I wasn't opposed and after what I had just experienced I was all for it. 

It was about 4:00 am now and the anesthesiologist had gotten me all set up. Justin waited around a corner so he didn't pass out like he did with Avery. Unfortunately I had a "window" of my belly that didn't take the epidural so I could still fully feel the contractions in that particular area, but overall I was able to rest and actually get some sleep. At about 5:00 am the nurse checked and I was 10cm dilated. She said my OB was just wrapping up and we should do some "practice" pushes. One push and she said I needed to stop because she couldn't deliver the baby herself. I didn't need any practice. 

Finally my OB came in and after 3 pushes his head was out. One more push brought his shoulders and the rest just followed. One contraction and 4 pushes was all it took to bring this 7lb 5oz baby earthside. 

Olivia's Birth Story

The birth story of Olivia Grace Nunley
Born Wednesday, April 18, 2012

6lbs 13oz – 20 inches

Warning: Graphic

Tuesday night was a lot like many other nights that brought uncomfortable contractions that were fairly consistent and close together. By the time I went to bed they were 5 minutes apart, but not painful enough to keep me awake. I had been through this before. I would go to sleep and they would be gone in the morning. 

Except Wednesday morning held for me more contractions still 5 minutes apart. I thought to myself this is new, but we will just see what happens. I was supposed to have my 39 week appointment at 10:15 that morning so I figured we will just have my doctor check me then. At about 9:30 the doctor's office called and said that my OB was delivering a baby and they would need to reschedule my appointment. I told them I thought I was probably in labor so I would hold off on rescheduling since I would probably see my OB later that day in Labor & Delivery anyways. The front office person sounded surprised so she told me to talk to the nurse on call to make sure that was okay. The nurse gave me the okay to stay home and labor at home until my water broke or they became too painful to talk through. 

Tuesday afternoon Avery and I had baked a cake, but the frosting we had in the cabinet had expired, so on Wednesday morning Avery and I ventured to the store to get some. Naturally I had to have some of that cake if I was going to be having a baby soon. By the time we returned from the store around 11:00 the contractions were getting more painful and were now 4 minutes apart. We frosted the cake and a nice big piece for lunch. I asked Justin to come home instead of going back to the office after his appointment. 

When he got home my contractions were 3 minutes apart and painful but not painful enough to give me pause. By 1:30 they were still 3 minutes apart but painful, so I told Justin it was time to go to the hospital. Unfortunately we could not get a hold of Grandma & Grandpa Nunley who were supposed to be "on call" to watch Avery when I went into labor. After calling all around and checking their house we found out they had gone out of town for a funeral and wouldn't be back for a couple hours. Now we needed to find a replacement babysitter. In the meantime Justin dropped me off at Labor & Delivery and took Avery to his parent's house because Uncle Trevor would off work soon and would be able to stay with Avery.

When I got to the hospital I got all checked in and hooked up to the monitors. By the time the nurse got all my info and everything all set up it was about 4pm and Justin was back and ready to help. I was checked and was 5cm dilated and 90% effaced. All the monitoring I had been doing over the last 3 hours showed no signs of distress so the nurse said I could labor off the monitors for an hour if I wanted. The first thing I wanted to do was take a bath since my room had a jetted tub. Justin sat with me and kept me company and distracted while I let the warm water ease the pain.

At 6pm I got hooked back up to the monitors and it showed the contractions were 2 minutes apart. My OB checked me again and I was 7cm dilated and she broke my water. Almost immediately the contractions got much more intense so I asked for Fentanyl (an IV pain medication). This medication is supposed to take the edge off for about an hour, but when 30 minutes rolled around and I had no relief I knew it was just going to start to wear off and I was going to need something else. I opted for the epidural.

The nurse left to find the anesthesiologist and when she returned quickly I was pretty happy -- until she told me there was an emergency c-section going to happen on another laboring mom and the anesthesiologist wasn't going to be able to give me the epidural for at least an hour. While I interrogated her about how there was only one person in the whole hospital who could give me an epidural the anesthesiologist walks in and said if we do it right then he can squeeze me in while they prepped the other mom. As soon as he heard that Justin left the room because we didn't want another incident like last time where he ended up on the floor with a pillow and juice.

After the epidural was in and had started taking affect it was about 7:15. As the anesthesiologist walked out my OB walked in to check me again. She was surprised that I was already completely dilated and ready to push. That means I progressed from 7cm at 6:15 to complete in just an hour! She offered to help me do a few pushes and see where we got before going into the emergency c-section since she had a few minutes while the anesthesiologist got the other mom all set up.

After the first contraction which I pushed 3 times it was clear she was coming and coming fast. They moved the mirror so I could see what was happening because that helped last time. Two more contractions and 6 more pushes and Olivia Grace was born. It took less than 5 minutes of pushing and she was here.

The first moments after her birth were amazing. Because she didn't swallow meconium like Avery we were able to do skin to skin immediately. My OB was able to deliver her and then set her right on my abdomen. The nurses did all their evaluations and cleaning while Justin and I fawned over her. We checked all her fingers and toes and even that she was indeed a she. As soon as the nurses were done they said we could hold her as long as we wanted and they would do the measurements when we were ready. Since they weren't whisking her away right away we were able to breastfeed and she latched right on. It was an amazing difference from what the first few minutes were like with Avery.

It's been an amazing first few days and as weird as it is to realize we now have two daughters I couldn't imagine it any other way. We are so in love and love seeing how Avery interacts with her new sister.

And then there were three…

The birth story of Avery Mae Nunley
Born Wednesday, August 4, 2010

6lbs 7oz – 19 ½ inches

Warning: Graphic

I had my 39w appointment on Monday 8/2. At the appointment my blood pressure was 146/79 the first time they took it and 145/76 the second time. This is really high for me since I am normally around 110-125/60-65. My OB did my exam and said I was “nearly 2cm”. She said she wanted to strip my membranes and see if that helps move things along.

After my appointment she sent me to Labor and Delivery to have an NST. At my NST my blood pressure was better, but at the end of the test the nurse came in an asked me if I had been “feeling that”. Apparently I had been having contractions every 7 minutes almost the entire time I was there. Then she said I was free to go home.

That night I could feel the contractions about every 7-10 minutes, but only if I was sitting still and looking for them. When I woke up the next morning I could definitely feel them more. I had already told my friend Holli I would go with her to the park with her and her 2 kids and feed the ducks. Once we were done around 10am I told her I was going to go home and relax because my contractions were getting closer together and stronger. I decided to take a shower and see how I felt.

At noon they were 5 minutes apart lasting 60+ seconds for over an hour. Since my OB’s office was closed until 2pm I called L&D. They said unless my water breaks, I was able to stay home until they were 3 minutes apart. So I tried to take a nap but ended up just resting. The contractions started getting stronger and closer and when Justin came home at 4:30 I told him we needed to go. They were actually 2-3 minutes apart by the time we got to the hospital.

The nurse checked and said I was almost 4cm, but that they wouldn’t keep me unless I was at 4cm since they were so full. The nurse told me to go walk around the hospital for an hour and come back and they’ll recheck me. I made it about 30 minutes before I had to come back because I felt like I was going to throw up. The nurse checked me and said that the walk had done the trick and the OB would write up my admittance papers.

When they were putting in all the info they took my vitals and my BP was up again and I now had a fever of 100.6. They gave me some antibiotics and I labored for a while and then around 9pm they checked my temp again. It had gone down, but they still wanted to keep me on the antibiotics. They offered some Fentanyl and since I was already so exhausted and still only 4cm I decided I would have some just to get a little rest. Then My sister in law, Stacy, and friend Holli came to keep us company.

For the next few hours I kept having strong contractions, but they were coming in clusters. I would have them every 90 seconds and then none for 30 minutes, so they put me on a low dose of Pitocin to help regulate them.

At around 2 am my Stacy and Holli left and my nurse checked and she said I was a “good 6 cm”. I felt like I was making progress, but not enough quickly enough. I was so exhausted and I needed some relief so I asked for an epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and asked the nurse to hold one hand and Justin to hold the other. As I was hunched over getting the epi, the nurse looks over at Justin and sees that he is white as a ghost and swaying back and forth. She tells him to sit down right there on the floor and yelled for another nurse to come in. Without even asking what was wrong the nurse brings in a glass of juice and a cracker for Justin because she already knew what was up.

The actual epidural wasn't even that bad. The Lidocaine injection was the most painful because it burned going in, but once the epidural was in I was finally able to fall asleep around 3 am and woke up again around 6am. I told Justin to go home and take a shower and let the dog out so he left around 8am and around 8:30 my OB came in to check on me before her office hours. She said I was dilated to a 9 and that she was going to break my water. She broke my water and saw that it was full of meconium. She explained to me that it was a “moderate amount” and that it would be very important during pushing for me to stop when she told me to after she got the head out so that she could suction before LO inhaled. She also said that once I dilated to 10 she wanted to wait an hour to give her time to descend naturally.

After she left I texted Justin and told him and he rushed back to the hospital. He got back around 9:15 am. At about 10:30 am the nurse came in and checked me and I was fully dilated – now we just had to wait the hour as instructed by my OB. By now Stacy and Holli were back, as were my in-laws, and my dad and step mom and brother Dylan.

At 11:45ish the nurse came in and asked everyone except Justin to leave. I asked Stacy to stay. The nurse had me practice push and started a perineum massage to help prevent a tear. She said she was going to help me get her to crown before she called my OB. I pushed for about 30 minutes and just as the nurse was going to go call my OB, she walked in. It was 12:15 and she stopped in during her lunch break from office hours. She sat right down and told me we were going to have her soon. She gave me a shot of Lidocaine at the perineum in case I did tear and then continued where the nurse left off.

Within 10 minutes she said she could see her hair. She had Justin look and he was just amazed. My doctor asked me if I wanted to see and I said of course! They brought in a mirror and placed it so I could see everything. It was so much more motivating to see the progress my pushes were making rather than just hearing it from them. I remember seeing her crown and then as her head came out her little chin popped up and I was able to see her tiny face. It was an amazing experience.

My OB suctioned and with one more push and her shoulders were out and the rest just slipped out. After she was out there was a huge gush of fluids and I could see just how much meconium was in the fluid. It was not even close to clear. I did have two little tears at the top and bottom but only felt the one at the top. The bottom one was the only one that required a stitch.

Justin cut the umbilical cord and they set her on my abdomen for just a minute while they wiped her off and I was able to see her up close. Unfortunately they had to do more suction due to the meconium and had to take her away right away. Luckily they were able to do all that just on the other side of the room. Justin went over to check her out and I could see the look on his face – it was priceless. As soon as I heard her cry I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I honestly thought I would for sure cry too, but after 24+ hours of labor from start of contractions I was beat. I was just so happy she was here and safe and that I would be able to hold her soon. They weighed and measured her and she came in at 6lbs 7oz and 19 ½ inches long. She was a peanut! During all this my Stacy took all kinds of pictures and got everything. I thought it would be awkward having her see me all exposed, but I am so happy I asked her to stay in the room with us to capture all of that.

Once they got her all cleaned up and did the Apgars (7/8) they brought her back and I was able to do skin to skin. It was fantastic. She was just perfect. I could not believe how tiny she was. After a little while (not sure how long – it all ran together) they took her to the nursery to do all the tests and Justin went with her. They moved me from the labor room to the postpartum rooms – which were much nicer and way more comfortable!

Justin came back with Avery and we were able to spend the first couple of hours together as a little family. It was the most amazing feeling being all together like that.