Noelle Mae's Birth Story

Our baby girl is HERE! Although my due date was Andy's birthday, I was convinced she would come early. After taking the week before my due date off...I found myself putzing around at stores, and then back home to nap, then back to pick the kids up from school/daycare. I was DONE being pregnant and sick of waiting. At my dr. Appointment on the 13th I was already 3 cm dilated and, my midwife said they could induce me in a few days (especially because I was GBS positive and "advanced maternal age".) I was ecstatic, and we (along with the availability at the hospital) chose May 15. I actually ended up having contractions that were 8-9 min. apart between 3-5am. We ended up leaving a bit earlier than expected for the hospital, but Jay heard the garage door open and made sure he wished us a goodbye.


When I got to the hospital I was 4 cm dilated, and at a 0. This was good news. We were at Medical Center of the Rockies, and had a great room with a view of the helicopter pad for delivery, and the prime room with a view of the mountains for our recovery room...but it rained and was super cloudy the entire time we were there:)


When we got to the hospital it was about an hour before they got the medicine in. Then they wanted me to lay around for 3 hours for the medicine to take effect. By that time my contractions slowed down and almost stopped because I was just laying around. When they finally said I could walk around, the heartbeat monitor wasn't monitoring "on the go" very well. So I laid back down. Then they started the pictocin. Not much happened. A bit later I was at a 5 1/2 cm dilated, and at a +2. After upping the pictocin a few times, and waiting around for contractions to get more painful, I felt some contractions, but I just laid on my side and let them come with some simple breathing. When they checked me around 2pm, I was at 7cm dilated. The nurses said I had a very high pain tolerance and "most people would be screaming by now". Then my midwife broke my water. Then the contractions started coming at 2-3 min. apart and were very painful. After about an hour, I said...I kind of feel like I have to push. The midwife checked me and said "It's baby time". A few more nurses came in and things got pretty crazy in the room, my contractions were still very painful and I was groaning. I did two sets of 3 pushes. During the second set, I must have pushed baby's head 2/3 of the way out because John said..."YOU GOTTA KEEP PUSHING!" (that is part of the reason why her face was a little bit bruised when she came out.)


After she was born they put her right on my chest. I was exhausted from everything, and couldn't really function (The nurse had to tell me to look at the baby)...so after a few min. John cut the cord and they took the baby to get checked and get medicines. After a few more min. I was finally functioning again and was excited to see the baby.


We were super happy and she was beautiful. After we got moved to our recovery room. Baby was a champion nurser, and quickly after that grandpa and grandma came with Jay and Andy. They were excited to meet her and hear her name. They LOVED Ellie, so even though we were still deciding if we would call her Noelle or Ellie, we call her Ellie. Grandpa and Grandma S. came, then Davina and JT and Camille came to meet her too. Later on that night Chad and Christine and Ezra came with balloons, cookies and a present. Thanks to Davina for some of these great pictures.


Eventually they weighed and measured her: 7 lb. 10 oz. 19 1/2 inches. We love her so much!!

Video of Jay and Andy meeting her for the first time: Pictures: