🎀Lera’s Birth Story🎀

Monday, Oct. 25-At 35 weeks and 6 days Cody and I made a trip to the hospital because I had been having intense contractions throughout the weekend. Once we arrived the nurses monitored my contractions. They were 6 minutes apart but thought they were due to being dehydrated. I was given IV fluids and watched for a while. Finally, Dr. M made the decision to give me a shot of Terbutaline which would help slow the contractions down and we were sent home. I was very sore, so I stayed home the next day (Tuesday, Oct. 26) and went back to work Wednesday. I had my weekly appointment with Dr. M that afternoon. Tracy did my ultrasound but no weight check because we had just done one the week before. Dr. M checked me, and I was 1cm dilated. I made it through the weekend, however Monday I just didn’t feel right…my stomach hurt all day at work almost like a stomach bug. I made it through the day knowing I had my appointment with Dr. M at 3. Tracy did my ultrasound and said there was not much fluid and Lera had not gained any weight over the past 2 weeks. She predicted Dr. M would send me to the hospital AND that is just what she did! It was Cody’s first time coming with me and meeting Dr. M and boy was I happy! She walked in and said, I’m sending you to Labor and Delivery right now!! She checked me and I was 3cm dilated. I asked if I could go home to grab my toiletry bag (everything else was loaded in the car) but she said no…however Cody could! We were shocked but super excited!!! I asked Dr. Malone if she was on call for the night? She said she wasn’t but not to worry because she had already called her husband and cancelled their date to the Grizzlies game because she wanted to be there for me and she could nothing wait to meet Baby Lera!!! My heart was overjoyed and extremely grateful that she would cancel her plans for us! 

When we arrived, I was assessed. I had dilated another centimeter, to 4. My IV was started, and Dr. M broke my water or at least she thought she did. My epidural was administered and Pitocin started around 6:30pm. I started having contractions every 2 mins. Lera’s heart rate would drop each time to like 70-80. It was extremely stressful. Dr. M said if the decelerations continued we would have to do an emergency c-section. She wanted to try for a vaginal delivery but reassured us not to worry because she would never do anything that could potentially put our baby in danger. The next 7 hours were stressful…I had oxygen on and had to breath deep pretty much the entire time! Lera’s decelerations we’re not as bad when I laid on my left side. Our nurse, Najai, was incredible! To help Lera work her way down the birth canal.. she suggested we try a peanut ball (new since I delivered 8 years ago). It was a big inflatable ball shaped like a peanut that was placed between my legs. We face timed the girls during the whole process and in true Willoughby fashion we all guessed what time she would make her grand arrival. I predicted 11:00, Liv- 11:30, Lai-12 and Cody- 1:30am. Cody was the closest as she came into this big word at 1:52am weighing 4lbs15oz and 18 inches long. She had a head full of brown hair and the sweetest face you’ve ever seen! Thankfully, I only pushed 3 times, and she was here! Dr. M was so amazing and so fun! We sang Happy Birthday to Lera and pretty much had a party! Haha! The NICU doctor came up to evaluate her, since she was 3 weeks early and was born with a gift! He said she did not need to go which was the biggest blessing!! They sent her to the well nursery and Cody and I are proud parents of now 3 precious, beautiful, healthy baby girls! It seems surreal but oh so complete!