Hello Baby Brown: Briar's Birth Story // August 18th, 2017

My sweet little Briar is already a month old so I figure I better write down his birth story before I completely forget! Time is flying and juggling three little ones leaves me a bit forgetful these days :).

My belly measured about two weeks bigger than it should have very early on. My doctor thought it would eventually slow down, but it measured big my entire pregnancy. We assumed this meant Briar would be a big baby so she agreed to induce me at 39 weeks, guessing that he would be close to 9 pounds. I started having braxton hicks contractions around 37 weeks. They became stronger and more regular as I approached my due date, but never stuck around long enough to put me into labor. They also didn't do much, as I made it to my induction date and was only 2 centimeters dilated when I checked in!

I checked into the hospital for my scheduled induction on Thursday, August 17th at 5:00pm. Sloan had begged and begged to go to the hospital with us so we brought both the girls and dinner with us. We checked in and ate dinner in my hospital room, our last meal as a family of four! After we finished eating, the girls were playing on the little bed reserved for dads. At one point Phayre stood up on the bed and bounced herself right into a table. She smacked her head right on the edge of the table and it immediately left a giant blue bruise. I sat with her in my hospital bed and we cried together-she cried because she was in pain and I cried because I just didn't think I could be away from her, even for just a few days. We both calmed down as soon as my doctor walked in, it was induction time!

Since I was only dilated to a 2 and about 50% effaced, my doctor thought it would be best to insert a foley bulb into my cervix. It hurt so incredibly bad while she inserted it and continued to hurt way worse than I thought it would. Within about fifteen minutes, the foley bulb put me right into labor and I was having super painful contractions every 2-3 minutes. The girls started getting ancy as my contractions became more and more painful so Eric decided to take them home. He did bath and bedtime with the girls and then came back to the hospital. My brother and his very sweet girlfriend spent the night at our house with the girls, thank you Dev and Shay!!

Between the discomfort of the foley bulb, the contractions, and needing to pee every four minutes- sleep was pretty much impossible. I didn't sleep at all, which left way too much time for me to miss my girls. I cried off and on all night because I was so excited and nervous and anxious and just so damn pregnant and emotional!

At 5:30am my nurse removed the foley bulb and checked me. I was dilated to a six and 100% effaced. I was thrilled to have made so much progress and even more excited when my nurse said, "Once your doctor gets here she'll probably break your water and I bet we have a baby by 10am!" She also said that Briar felt a little high so she wanted me to start walking the halls in hopes of him dropping.

I walked the halls, bounced on a ball, and did squats for a few hours. My doctor came around 8am and checked me and said that Briar still hadn't dropped into my cervix. She couldn't break my water until Briar dropped down because his umbilical cord could possibly drop down before he did which would be dangerous. So I continued walking and bouncing (which really wore me out!). She also started pitocin in hopes of moving things along a bit faster which really amped up my contractions.

By 10:30am I was dilated to an 8 and seriously worn out from not sleeping and moving around so much. Briar had started making his way down, but still wasn't where he needed to be. I asked for an epidural and was so relieved to finally get back in bed to rest. My epidural hurt SO BAD which was not the case with either of my girls. I tried so hard to be brave, but tears streamed down my face. Luckily it was quick though and I was able to lay down and get comfortable right away.

At 11:30am I felt something warm and told my nurse that I thought my water had broke. She checked it out and said that it wasn't a ton of fluid so she thought maybe I had actually peed myself. I told her I was positive it wasn't pee! About five minutes later (while I was still talking to my nurse), my water broke for sure and gushed everywhere. I was so worn out-I was shaking and shivering and getting anxious to meet our boy.

My doctor came on her lunch around noon and checked me. I was dilated to a 9.5, but she could feel another bag of waters so she broke it and it gushed everywhere all over again. She said she was going to go eat her lunch and come back in hopes that I'd be at a 10.

A little before 12:30pm my doctor came back and I was dilated to a 10! I started pushing and my water broke for the third time! Fluid went everywhere and my nurse said she had never seen someone with so much amniotic fluid! I pushed for about an hour and just started bawling my eyes out. My epidural wasn't strong enough so I was feeling a lot of pain, I was so exhausted, and really just beyond anxious to meet our boy. Eric, my nurse, and my doctor cheered me on and about twenty minutes later, at 1:50pm on August 18th, 2017, Briar Calloway Brown was born.

They laid him right on my chest and rubbed him with towels and suctioned some fluid out of his mouth and within seconds we heard his big ol' cry. He opened his eyes and looked around and I bawled my eyes out as I felt the weight of him on my chest. I was so overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude that he was finally here. I finally got to meet our boy!!! He was seven pounds six ounces, 20.5 inches long, had a bit of blondish brown hair, deep blue eyes, and was absolute perfection. I fell head over heels in love with him the moment I laid eyes on him.

I didn't tear or need an episiotomy which led to a really fast recovery for me. He was much smaller than we thought he was going to be, but the excessive amounts of amniotic fluid explains why my belly measured so big! My labor with Briar was about as long as my labor with Sloan and much much longer than my labor with Phayre. I pushed much longer with Briar than I did with either of the girls though (I pushed for about 40 minutes with Sloan and only pushed four times with Phayre). Since Phayre's labor and delivery had been so easy, I honestly expected my labor and delivery to be even easier with Briar. I don't think I was as mentally prepared as I could have or should have been... probably why I was so emotional.

My labor and delivery were hard, but my doctor and nurses were just incredible. My doctor has delivered all three of my babies and that feels so special. I'm so thankful for her and her care! The nurse who labored with me all day and helped deliver Briar actually goes to our church. She was AMAZING and took such good care of us. She even brought us a meal the week after B was born and then sent us a card with Briar's footprints on it. I just adore her and kinda hope we end up being best friends someday :).

My brother and his girlfriend brought the girls to the hospital and seeing their reactions to their tiny baby brother was just incredible. Sloan immediately ran to my side and Phayre started singing happy birthday as soon as she spotted Briar (it was SO cute!!). The girls took turns holding Briar and then we gave them some gifts from their new brother. I was so exhausted, but it was truly magical seeing my family of five all together. My mom brought happy birthday cupcakes and it truly felt like a celebration in our little hospital room.

We have all fallen so deeply in love with our sweet Briar man. I haven't stopped squeezing and cuddling him since they laid him on my chest a month ago. The girls are constantly waking him up with their kisses or fighting over holding him. He has fit so seamlessly into our family and for that I am so grateful. I've said it before, but it's just so true-Life is crazy and full, but it is truly better than ever!

Xo

Marisa