Leo's birth story

October 18th, 2016 was my official due date. But if I could've guessed any day my baby would be born on, October 18th would've been my last guess.

We went to bed at midnight and I woke up at 2 a.m. with a cramp. I fell back asleep and woke up 10 minutes later with another one. Fell back asleep and yep, ten minutes later woke up again. By 3 a.m. the "cramps" were around seven to eight minutes apart. I called them "cramps" because that's exactly what it felt like to me and I honestly didn't think anything of it. So I didn't wake up Talon. Over the next hour the contractions became stronger and then weaker. They came closer together and then farther apart. I still didn't think anything of it. Talon woke up around four because he could hear me breathing through a contraction. He asked me what was wrong so I told him what had been going on over the last two hours but that it was nothing and for him to go back to bed. He sat right up and started asking me all kinds of questions because he was pretty sure that I was in labor. I insisted that I wasn't and told him I was too tired to try and time them. He grabbed my phone and said he'd do it.

Over the next two and a half hours Talon timed my contractions, and although they were coming very consistently around four to six minutes apart and were getting pretty strong, I still insisted I wasn't in labor. Because what was happening was not at all what I expected to happen, so I just thought that this couldn't be it. Talon kept saying we should go to the hospital and I kept saying no because I didn't want to get there and have them send us home. I kept telling Talon not to get his hopes up but I knew his hopes were higher than high. He said later that he knew I was in labor just because it felt different to him. He just knew.

Anyways, around six thirty I decided to take a shower, which really helped with the pain, and by that point I was kind of coming around to the idea that this actually might be happening, but really I think I was in denial. After the shower I packed the remaining items we would need for our hospital stay, just in case. I'm kind of laughing to myself right now as I recount this experience because every four minutes I was doubled over in pain, trying to breathe, rocking back and forth, and occasionally crying. Yet I was convinced I wasn't in labor. Haha. The contractions were pretty consistent and had been for several hours so even though he knew, Talon decided to call my doctor just to hear what he had to say. He probably did this because he knew I would need to hear from a medical professional that I needed to go to the hospital. Sure enough, they told us to go and get checked, so as much as I didn't want to, we were heading to the hospital.

Talon said he wanted to give me a priesthood blessing before we went. The only thing I can remember from it was that I would have a strength I didn't know I had, one that was beyond just myself. Also, that I would gain a better understanding of my Savior's Atonement and to lean on Him and on my Heavenly Father. The blessing gave me peace, but it also made me nervous because I knew I was in for a long day.

I remember thinking absolutely nothing, in a strange way, on our five-minute drive to the hospital. It was like my mind was numb, but really I think I was in complete terror. When we got there they gave me a wheelchair to sit in and I felt so weird because I thought I didn't need it. Once we were checked in we were taken to the delivery room where I was told to change into my hospital gown. I awkwardly climbed into the hospital bed and felt so weird about it. The nurse came in and began asking us all kinds of questions. That took awhile, but once she was finished she checked me and I was so, so nervous. I prayed so hard that I would be far enough along to be able to stay. I knew I had made some progress since Friday, the last time I was checked, because it didn't hurt as bad when she was checking me. She said, "oh yeah, you're a good four and a half (centimeters). You've got my vote to stay." I was excited, nervous, and relieved but it wasn't a sure thing we were staying. The nurse told me she would come back in an hour to see if I had progressed any farther and then the doctor would make a decision.

She left us and I just looked at Talon, like this is really it?! The next hour went by slowly as every four minutes I closed my eyes and squeezed Talon's hand to get through the contractions. The nurse came in a couple of times to see how I was doing and to ask a few more questions. Every time she came in I was in the middle of a contraction. I really hate when people know that I am in pain or know that I am sick. I don't know why, I just get really embarrassed about it. This was one of my biggest fears about giving birth. I would always tell Talon, "I don't want to scream." Not because it's bad, you do what you gotta do, especially while in labor, but like I said, I just get embarrassed over that kind of thing. So when the nurse would come in I would try to be really calm during my contractions. The nurse said she wished all her patients were like me and Talon, which I write only for remembrance sake. Once the hour was over she checked me again and I had progressed to a five so she said we could stay and that she would let my doctor know. I couldn't believe it, my baby was coming!

The next several hours were filled with contractions of course. Talon's brother brought him Chick-fil-a and Talon was so sweet, he didn't want to eat in front of me so he faced the wall and was shoving fries into his mouth and drinking his lemonade. I knew he was so hungry and was worried about me so I told him I didn't mind if he ate in front of me, and I really didn't. He felt bad but I told him I just really needed him by my side and that I needed him to eat so that he was feeling his best so that he could help me get through this. He ate and felt much better and then contacted both of our families to let them know what was going on.

So the epidural. I knew I wanted one, but I was nervous about it. And for whatever reason my terror of being in labor made me think that getting an epidural would slow down my progress or something. Also, my contractions were strong and close together and lasting longer, but they were manageable and so I thought I should just hold off until I really couldn't tolerate them anymore. The nurse kept coming in and asking if I wanted my epidural and I kept saying I wanted to wait. Hahahaha. I know now that I waited wayyyyyyyyy too long to get it. My doctor came in eventually and eased my nerves about the whole thing and I finally agreed to get one, mostly because it had been about four hours and I was still stuck at a five. It was so frustrating when they would tell me I was still at a five after I had just endured an hour of very painful contractions. We waited for the anesthesiologist and I was so relieved when the door opened, but alas, it was just the nurse and my doctor. They told me the anesthesiologist was busy and that it would be a little longer but offered me a different medication they could administer through my IV to hold me over until he was done. I agreed to it of course.

I started to shake uncontrollably because I was so nervous. I was trying so hard to be calm but felt like I was going to burst into tears. My nurse told me to try not to stress because that could slow down my progress, which only made me more nervous of course. As my nurse administered the medication my doctor said I would feel it hit me in my head and that it would be a very relaxing feeling. He was so right because about twenty seconds after the nurse administered it, I felt it exactly as he said and within a minute my body completely relaxed. I turned to Talon and said, "I've never felt this relaxed in my entire life!" And he laughed really hard at that, but it was true!

I was really glad I was able to get that medication before the anesthesiologist came in to administer the epidural because it kept me calm when he finally did come in. And the epidural really wasn't that bad. (Well it did end up causing me some trouble after giving birth, which I'll talk about in another post.) It didn't hurt much at all and it didn't take long before it kicked in, and once it did holy moly, what a difference! I couldn't feel any more contractions the rest of the time I was in labor. So yeah, next time I will definitely be getting the epidural as soon as I possibly can.

I probably had the epidural in around five and my doctor broke my water once it kicked in. I didn't feel a thing. He told me that should help things progress. I thought it would be smooth sailing from there, but not even close. The next couple hours were fine. I just laid there and didn't even try to sleep because although my body felt calm from the medication, my mind was not calm at all. I was so scared and nervous about what was about to happen. The nurse came in a couple times and I had only progressed to about a six and a half, it was so frustrating. But she told me it was normal and that often it takes women a long time to progress to a five and they often get stuck there, but once they get past it things can move along very quickly. Because of that she told me if I start to feel pressure to call her and let her know because it could mean I was getting very close to show time. She was right.

The other thing she noticed when she checked me was how much hair baby boy had. But also, that baby was posterior. She said I didn't need to worry and she gave me a birthing ball in the shape of a peanut that I put in between my legs. Somehow it's supposed to turn the baby into the right position.

Okay so the next two hours were terrible. Terrible. Almost immediately after the nurse left I began to feel a lot of pressure and it was so beyond uncomfortable I literally thought I was going to die. Talon was by my side and I kept crying to him and telling him I couldn't do it, that I didn't want to do it anymore, and that I felt like I was dying. Talon called the nurse about 10 minutes after she left to come check me and I had progressed to a seven, in 10 minutes! She reminded me to call her if I started feeling pressure again. This time about 30 minutes had passed when I began feeling the almost unbearable pressure. I cried more to Talon and he kept reassuring me that I could do it and then he called the nurse again. This time I was at an eight and she told me it wouldn't be long now. All of that happened between seven and eight o'clock.

The next hour was more of the same of what happened the last hour. By nine o'clock I was fully dilated and ready to push. Pushing was odd because I was completely numb from the waste down. I just tried to listen to the nurse and when she would tell me I was doing a good job then I would try to replicate what I was doing, even though I really had no clue what I was doing right. I had been pushing for a little while when the nurse put me on oxygen because baby boy wasn't responding very well when I would push. I really hated that oxygen mask because it would dry out the inside of my nose every time I inhaled. And it just made me nervous. Anyways, I kept pushing and every so often would hear the nurse tell me how much hair the baby had. She kept saying if I looked down I would be able to see when I pushed but I was like, uhhhh hello, big stomach here blocking my view, plus no thanks, I don't want to look and I'm kinda trying to focus over here. But she kept saying it and even offered me a mirror. No thanks. I know Talon was encouraging me, but during that hour and with every push I was really focused inward. I relied on my Savior for strength and was in a state of constant prayer, asking my Heavenly Father to help me.

Around 9:40/9:45 (I'm guessing) the doctor came in and I was ready to deliver...oh wait. He noticed that the baby was still posterior. The nurse was certain she had flipped him earlier and that was why she had me begin pushing. I could hear a tiny bit of concern in their voices but I wasn't worried. The doctor said, "well, since you've already been pushing we'll just have to roll with it." Okay, cool. So I continued pushing for about ten or fifteen minutes and I was really running out of energy, but right as I felt I couldn't push anymore he came out. I saw him briefly and then threw my head back on my pillow and started balling. Talon said, "aw, babe are you crying because that's your son?" And I said, "Um, no, because I'm done!" Hahaha and that was the honest truth. I was so exhausted and in complete shock of what I had just been through that honestly I wasn't even thinking about my baby. Talon cut the cord and I knew they were cleaning him up and weighing him and all that but I was just so out of it I could really only focus on calming myself down.

I delivered my placenta just a minute or two later and began shaking uncontrollably. And I mean uncontrollably. Plus I began getting some feeling back in my lower body and became uncomfortable. They gave me more of that magical medicine I received before my epidural and again, it worked like a charm. Because baby was posterior I tore a little bit and also had a minor episiotomy so my doctor began stitching me up and I was completely calm during it. I was still exhausted and out of it but overheard the nurses saying that the baby was having trouble breathing. They talked to my doctor and they decided he needed to go to the NICU but that it was nothing serious and that he shouldn't be there for more than an hour. They brought him over to me to hold for about a minute just so I could see him, and then they took him. I was never worried about my boy, I knew he was supposed to be here and that he would be okay.

The nurse and my doctor told me what a good job I did. They said posterior babies usually make it a lot more difficult for the moms because it feels like you're pushing out a baby that is at least two pounds heavier. They also said it usually takes woman several hours to push out a posterior baby, especially if it's their first one. But I'd never had a baby before, plus I was numb so it really made no difference to me in the moment. I don't know why it only took me an hour to push, I was just trying to follow the nurse's and doctor's instructions, but I'm certainly glad it didn't take any longer than that, that's for sure.

The doctor congratulated us and then left. I asked the nurse what time the baby was born and she said 10:00 p.m. on the dot. I thought it was a little funny he came on my due date and exactly on the hour. I guess he likes to be punctual.

So that's the story! Leo Sione Leakehe has changed our lives forever and we are so happy.

(P.S. Little Leo was born in the same hospital as his daddy.)
(P.P.S. Little Leo was born in the same hospital as his mommy.)