March 10, 2020

I had several requests to share Taytum’s birth story so here I am, finally giving you all the details. Grab yourself a coffee, this is going to be a long one!

Throughout my pregnancy I did a ton of research about birth stories, birth plans, what happens during the full labor and delivery process, etc. I asked friends and family and tried to become knowledgable about what I was getting myself into! However, there is nothing that can truly prepare you for your own story because each labor is different.

I’m someone who doesn’t do well with needles, (I fainted during one of my previous appointments – yikes!) and most things when it comes to the hospital, so the thought of labor and delivery always terrified me. I tried to take everything I read with a grain of salt, always knowing God had a plan and he would give us clarity about any decisions we needed to make.

During my last few check up appointments, my doctor recommended not going too far past 40 weeks due to how small/petite I am (essentially the bigger the baby grows the harder it will be to push it out!) I had mixed feelings about scheduling an induction because I wanted her to come on her own time but I trusted that my doctor knew what was best for me and the baby.

We scheduled the induction for Monday, March 9th at 7:30pm, which at that point I was 40 weeks + 3 days. The weekend prior was the longest few days. We were so anxious and excited and could not wait for Monday evening. We both actually ended up still working that day so keep us distracted since we didn’t need to be at the hospital until the evening.

We checked in, got situated and the nurses immediately started hooking up all the monitors. At that point, I was only 1cm and the nurses informed me we would move forward with medication to speed along the process, monitor overnight while we try to get some rest and start pitocin (a stronger labor inducing drug) in the morning.

Unfortunately, about every 15-30 minutes after that, the nurse had to come back in for additional monitoring because baby’s heart rate kept rising. Multiple times I was given oxygen. The medication I was given was working because I was experiencing contractions and they were getting stronger and closer together (the goal!) but baby was not responding well. Each time I had a bigger contraction she would become more and more stressed. The nurse then told me they wanted to give me medication to help the contractions slow down and this was so discouraging because I felt like we were going backwards.

After laboring for about 8 hours, and still no success in regulating baby, the doctor came in and told me I would need a c-section. She informed us that at the moment the baby is okay but we need to move fast because things are escalating quickly, she is under a lot of stress and we don’t fully know why. Doctor’s have a calm way of expressing that everything will be okay but I knew that something was wrong and it was terrifying not knowing if my baby was going to be okay.

The news was devastating to be honest. So much fear, frustration and anxiety came over me. My entire plan of how I wanted and expected her birth to go was getting completely thrown out. I felt like I was getting “robbed” of the birthing experience. I was frustrated that I just spent 8 hours in labor with zero sleep that night and it felt like it was for nothing. I was frustrated that I had spent the last 9 months making sure I was eating healthy and staying active to prepare my body for labor. I was frustrated that other women would get to experience a natural birth but I wouldn’t. I was unsure whether we made the right decision to induce or if we should have waited longer for her to come on her own.

I let the doctor know I would need a few minutes to process everything… a.k.a give myself a pep talk. I went to the bathroom to change and fell over the sink just praying so hard that everything was okay with the baby and that I would be able to muster up enough energy and strength to do this. I remember looking into the mirror while I was washing my hands thinking to myself “I have to be brave for this baby girl. No one can do this for me. It’s just me and her and if I’m not strong for her, no one can be.” I know this may sound dramatic but I was completely physically and mentally exhausted at that point, so emotional due to all the hormones and my body felt so weak from no food and non-stop shaking for hours.

One thing not a lot of people talk about in association with labor/delivery is you will likely get the shakes. I’m talking uncontrollably shaking that can last for hours due to the medication.

Shortly after, several nurses and doctors came in and started giving me instructions on how the process and procedure would go. Hair nets and different hospitals gowns and signing of paperwork and questions about anesthesia and so many instructions, it was such a blur. Also not part of my plan was the fact that my primary doctor was not at the hospital or on call that night and wouldn’t make it in time to do my surgery.

They told me Tim would not be able to come into the OR until after the spinal anthesia was completed. To feel like you have to go into something like that alone, is scary. Thankfully my nurse was amazing and all the doctors and assistants made me feel so encouraged and comforted. Praise for all the healthcare workers out there!

I was most nervous for the spinal anesthesia but surprisingly, looking back it was not too painful. To numb the area it was a small pinch like getting a shot in your arm and for the needle, the best way I can describe it, is it felt like someone was pushing on a bruise I had on my back. The anesthesiologist was amazing.

The operating room was just as they make it seem in the movies… extremely cold, very bright, huge lights above your head and everyone is wearing masks, hair nets and protective gear. You’re hooked up to several different monitors and oxygen, your arms are strapped down, and there’s a huge sheet from your chest down.

I was of course, completely numb from my stomach down and couldn’t feel a thing. It was a very strange experience being completely awake during the procedure. The closest thing I’ve had to surgery was getting my wisdom teeth pulled haha so this was quite shocking to me. The only thing I felt was some pressure – the doctor literally has to pull apart your stomach muscles to get to the baby. (TMI – sorry!)

Very interestingly, during the procedure the doctors and nurses were chatting back and fourth like it was just another Tuesday (which for them it was I guess!) talking about where they were going on vacation next, etc., etc. In a way it made me feel comforted knowing they are so comfortable with what they’re doing that they can chat it up about Spring Break haha. 

I was closing my eyes trying to breathe and calm myself down for what seemed like forever before the doctor finally said “she’s here!” She immediately started crying, the doctor held her up to show us and my whole world changed in one instant. I had tears streaming down my face with the biggest smile and I immediately felt the biggest weight lifted. It was one of those moments in life where an indescribable amount of gratitude comes over you. It reminded me of my wedding day when I truly felt like I was experiencing a little piece of heaven.

Taytum was born on March 10, at 5:19am weighing 6lbs, 9oz and measuring 20 inches.

After the procedure was completed, they transferred me to a hospital bed while they cleaned Taytum. They wrapped her in a swaddle with a little bow hat and she immediately stopped crying when they handed her to me. I held her in my arms and we just stared at each other the whole way to our recovery room and I thanked God for the most precious gift. A moment I will truly cherish.

Looking back, it was not nearly as frightening as it felt in those moments. Everyone tells you “it’s all worth it once you meet your baby” and that couldn’t be more true. Once Taytum was born, I was so relieved and it made everything worth it 1000%.

God knew we needed to schedule an induction for that day and that it would take a c-section to get her out because she needed to come quickly. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, so each time I was having a contraction it was putting pressure on her and making it hard for her to breathe. Hearing that broke my heart but I now know why that needed to be my story.

Whether a natural birth or cesarean delivery, it’s truly amazing what our bodies go through to bring life into this world. I had the blessing of growing our baby for 9 months, with a healthy and active pregnancy and while my labor and delivery didn’t go as planned, I now get to be a mom to a happy, healthy and growing little girl, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

xoxo,
R

Welcome to the world, Baby Streets!

Our sweet girl was born on March 10th and we couldn’t be more in love! We are soaking up all this precious time with her and trying our best to adjust to this new adventure of being parents!

I had every intention of sharing this post pre-baby but life happens and babies come when they want, so better late than never! I hope this can be a resource to all the future mommas.

Being said, I still packed everything on this list but I’m excited to now be able to give you the scoop on what I used, what is truly needed and a few items you can probably leave at home.

Let’s jump into it!

I can’t tell you how many times I packed, organized and re-packed my hospital bag. I’m someone who always over packs and likes to be prepared and have options so packing to go to the hospital to have a baby (which obviously I’ve never done before!) had me feeling like I needed to bring the entire Buy Buy Baby store with me. Thankfully I had some time to narrow down the essentials and what I thought would be most helpful.

Hospital Bag

I decided on the Barrington Belmont Cabin Bag for the hospital because it’s roomy, made from durable fabric that’s easy to clean, and both the regular straps and shoulder strap are easy to take on-the-go considering all the other things we needed to bring for us and baby.

I absolutely love that each bag is unique because you can custom design it yourself! I worked with Barrington Gifts to create this design with my monogram and custom colors. It turned out to be the perfect hospital bag and I’m excited to continue to get a ton of use out of it – it makes for the perfect weekender bag!

Now on to what’s inside!

Clothing for Momma

Barefoot Dreams Cardigan – highly recommended was a cozy cardigan to wrap up in and ya’ll know BFD is the ultimate comfort. Nordstrom is having a great sale right now –  linking a few other BFD cardigans here / here / here / here 

Nursing Bras + Nursing Tanks – I bought a few different options to try out. After baby, I plan to wear these tanks and throw on a cardigan or pullover for comfort yet easy feeding access. They received good reviews so we will see how I end up liking them.

Sleep Shirts – I packed both a long sleeve sleep shirt and a short sleeve sleep shirt (buttoned all the way down) and both came in handy. For the majority of the time I was in minimal clothing and a blanket but if I needed to get up or walk Taytum to the nursery I threw on one of the sleep shirts. It’s also helpful because your doctor’s and nurses will continually being checks on you.  This striped sleep shirt is only $10 on Amazon and its the softest material! I cannot currently link the long sleeve sleep shirt that I brought but this one is very similar. 

Cozy Pajamas – During labor and delivery I wore the provided hospital gown in order to not ruin any of my clothes. I had every intention of wearing all of my cozy pajamas for the few night’s stay but ended up being so hot the whole time I just wore a comfortable sports bra/nursing bra and a pair of sleep shorts, then threw on a sleep shirt if we were out walking the halls or having visitors.

Thankfully now I have tons of cute and comfy lounge sets and PJs to wear at home! I grabbed this star pattern pullover + shorts set from Nordstrom along with a few sets from Target’s Stars Above Line which is the most buttery soft!

Socks + Slippers – Another item that was on about every list I read was a comfy pair of slippers to walk around the hospital in. These slippers are only $23 on Prime! You’re definitely going to want a pair of cozy slippers to walk around in. I also packed these Barefoot Dreams Socks which are on sale for only $11 right now.

Going Home Outfit – when I saw this Mom Mode Sweatshirt I knew that it had to be my going home outfit. I wore this with a pair of comfy black jogger sweatpants.

Self-Care Items

Shower Essentials – travel size shower items such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, dry shampoo, face wash, etc. I also packed a travel size of my favorite TULA skincare set which I highly recommend. To be honest, some days while we were in the hospital I didn’t even have enough energy to stand up on my own, let alone shower so being able to at least wash my face made me feel like a whole new person. 

Shower Shoes – these are a must! I grabbed a pair of $5 flip flops at Target which did the trick.

Revlon One Step Styler – my hair can go awhile in-between washes so I didn’t plan on washing it while we are at the hospital but I packed this baby in case I wanted to freshen up.

I could barely get out of bed for a few days after surgery so washing/doing my hair was the last thing on my mind however, I would still recommend bringing this styler or your hair dryer if you plan to wash your hair as the hospital doesn’t have a hair dryer. This T3 Featherweight Hairdryer is my favorite for traveling. I’ve also traveled with this Hot Tools Mini Hairdryer in the past and it’s a great, more affordable option. 

Face Mask + Under Eye Patches – I read a recommendation to pack a face mask and thought this was such a great idea. After all the stress of labor I’m sure having a few peaceful minutes with a face mask will be so relaxing! This face mask and these under eye patches are packed.

I started laughing when I read this one back 🙂 While it sounds like a great idea, I didn’t have a second to think about self-care while I was at the hospital. If we weren’t feeding, changing or taking care of the baby we were trying to get sleep.

Postpartum Care

Necessities I packed that were recommended for after-birth care:

• Always Discrete Underwear
• Tucks Pads
• Fridababy Fridet
• Dermaplast Spray
• Bamboo Washable Breast Pads 
• Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter
• Heating Pad

I actually ended up having an urgent c-section so I didn’t use some of these items but I would still recommend packing them as you just never know how your labor and delivery experience will go. 

For Baby

For little girl, our hospital was so kind to provide us with everything we needed for her including diapers, wipes, onesies, a hat, swaddles, sleep sack, etc. Being said, I didn’t need the majority of the items I brought for her.

I packed several sleep and play onesies and pairs of pajamas, socks to keep her extra warm and some of my favorite Copper Pearl swaddle blankets we received at our shower.

My recommendation would be to pack one or two onesies and a swaddle blanket if you want to take some cute pictures. We were so tired and I could hardly even get out of bed so a little photoshoot was not on our agenda 🙂

Diaper Bag – At first when making my hospital bag list I thought of course, I need to pack our diaper bag and stock it full with everything we would ever need. After doing some research and talking with my doctor, I found out that the hospital would provide everything that we need for baby so a diaper bag is unnecessary – unless of course you’re excited to use it and want to! We tried to limit how many bags we were bringing with us.

We have the Kate Spade Ellie Baby Bag and love it. I also currently have my eye on the Freshly Picked Classic Diaper Bag (waiting for the pink color to re-stock!) as well as the Rosie Pope Diaper Bag Backpack.

We took little girl home in the UPPABaby Carseat which was recommended by so many of you mommas.

Other

Below are a few other items that we packed:

Blanket & Pillow – this may seem a little overboard but take my word for it – the hospital beds are very uncomfortable! Being able to sleep with my own blanket and pillow from home made it much more comfortable. This leopard throw blanket is one of my current favorites and I brought one of my Slip Silk Pillowcases.

Extra Long Phone Charger – this is a must!

Baby Book – I did have a few minutes of down time one afternoon and I started to add more information to Taytum’s baby book. It will be such a precious keepsake as she get’s older to be able to look back on this special time in our lives.

Lip Balm – make sure you pack plenty of lip balm.

And that about wraps it up!

I hope this list can be helpful for all of you future mommas! Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or pop on over to Insta and shoot me a DM or comment on my post – I’d love to chat!

xoxo, R

Special thanks to Barrington Gifts for sponsoring this post. 

This is 39 Weeks!

Wow! I can’t believe we’re already here! In some ways it feels like I’ve already been pregnant for a year and others it seems like just yesterday I was going in for my first appointments. I’m beyond grateful to have had a healthy pregnancy so far! At this point, little babe could come anytime so we are patiently waiting, doing lots of praying for a healthy delivery and soaking up these last few nights of sleep and time just us two!

Life has been flying by and I haven’t had a chance to share too much of my pregnancy journey up until this point but a lot of you have been asking questions so I wanted to share a quick update with you today!

Nesting Mode

I have definitely been in nesting mode at home – getting laundry done, cleaning the condo, organizing and re-organizing the nursery, packing and re-packing our hospital bags, stocking up on snacks, household items and anything we need.

I’m also trying to listen to my body and not become stressed or overwhelmed with the to-dos. There will always be something else to clean and errands to run so I’m giving myself a break and trying to remember that 39 weeks pregnant means and I’m allowed to rest 🙂

Any Cravings?

This is one of the most common questions I receive! Throughout my pregnancy I haven’t had any big cravings and specifically in the third trimester I’ve had more food aversions if anything. The only thing that I’ve consistently wanted is anything fruit – frozen fruit, (give me all the frozen raspberries), smoothies, açaí bowls.

Insomnia

Insomnia is the real deal friends! This thankfully didn’t hit until my third trimester and specifically not until the past two weeks but less and less sleep is becoming the norm. For someone who normally sleeps very well, it has been a little rough some days but I know God is just preparing me for this little bundle of joy that’s coming!

Here’s a few ways I’ve been coping:

• Taking a shower/bath shortly before bed to relax – I love the Honest Momma Bath Salt
• Limiting caffeine during the day and drinking herbal tea – I like the Tazo Refresh Mint Tea and the
• Using a Pregnancy Pillow – linking this one T got for me from Amazon. I will say that it has worked for me some nights and hasn’t others but overall this one got great reviews!

Maternity Wear

For the majority of my pregnancy I’ve been lucky enough to not have had to spend a fortune on maternity clothes. Several of my winter sweaters are already oversized so it has worked for the bump! Anything new that I’ve purchased recently I generally just size up one depending on the item.

I’ve never been so appreciative of pajamas and soft materials in my life than when I’ve been pregnant. Dry/sensitive skin comes with the territory so if I put something on that’s the least bit itchy it immediately comes off!

Here’s the PJ’s I’ve been loving – pregnant or not, they are amazing!

As far as everyday wear, at this point it’s pretty much which pair of leggings do I want to wear! I’ve been loving the Zella Maternity Leggings lately. (These are on sale for only $39 right now!)

Because I’m normally a denim girl, I’ve been wearing denim from Pink Blush Maternity which has been nice to switch things up from the leggings life.

The Nursery

We have the nursery all ready for little baby’s arrival! I’m still adding some decorations and finishing touches and I will put together a full blog post once it’s complete! Our furniture is from Pottery Barn Kids. We also order two recliner chairs from PB Kids – one for the nursery and one for our bedroom and I’m obsessed with both! Linking those here and here.

What I’m Packing

We have our hospital bags packed (even though I’ve probably re-packed mine 5 times at this point!) and ready to go. I’m excited to be sharing a “What’s In My Hospital Bag” post so be on the lookout for that coming soon!

Thank You

I want to end this post with a huge thank you to each of you! So many of you have sent encouraging messages and reached out in some way and I’m so thankful to have a community of supportive friends and women in this space. Can’t wait to continue bringing you along on this blogging adventure!

xoxo, R