Noah’s Birth Story

Currently typing this one handed while I hold my sleeping newborn in my arms and honestly I couldn’t feel more blissful if I tried. I went into this pregnancy thinking I’d need another induction like I did with my first son, Jack (read his birth story here) – and then Noah decided to have his own plans and threw ours completely out the window. SO if you have been curious about how his birth went down, read on.

READ MORE: First Trimester Recap | Second Trimester Recap | Third Trimester Recap

Introducing: Noah James // Birth Story

Noah’s due date was set at February 17th at our first appointment. An aquarian, mid-February love baby! I secretly hoped the whole pregnancy that he’d come a little bit early because, as you’ll know from my third trimester recap, I had severe SPD that required me to go on bed rest from week 36 on and was excruciatingly painful. I was very done being pregnant. Because of this, my doctor offered a 39 week induction and we scheduled it for the 10th. I had had an induction with Jack at 40 weeks when he made no signs of coming on his own so I knew the drill.

At the beginning of my pregnancy before the SPD became so bad, I had not wanted another elective induction. While my experience with Jack’s was good and ultimately positive, it was a very long labor and I pushed for nearly 3 hours. I was hoping for my body to do what it needed to do all on it’s own.

Already from the start, Noah was waaaayyyy lower in my belly than Jack ever was, and I started dilating and effacing weeks before he was born. I told my husband there at the end that when I stood up it literally felt like a bowling ball was in between my legs. At my 38 week appointment Monday the 7th, my doctor let me know that I was 90% effaced and 3-4cm dilated. That was so good to hear because I didn’t get nearly that far with Jack even at 40 weeks. At the end of my appt, she asked if I wanted my membranes swept as our last attempt to get baby here before my induction that Thursday. I said absolutely, she got it done and then I went home! That was at 9am. After I got home, I basically spent the rest of the day bouncing on my birthing ball and doing squats to try to get Noah as low and in position as possible.

Adam and I went to bed late that night – and then it was show time.

At 1:30am, I woke up with contractions and started timing them right away. They were much different than my Braxton Hicks contractions I’d been having for weeks. They were painful and wrapped around from my back to the front of my pelvis. They started out around 12 minutes apart, so at 2am I woke Adam up to let him know that I was contracting and that they were pretty regular. By 2:30am, they were 7 minutes apart and it was time to call my mom! She had been on standby to come over in the middle of the night to be with Jack. By 3am, we were en-route to the hospital with contractions coming every 4-5 minutes apart. We rolled into the hospital at 3:30am and got checked in right away. I had to give all my information in between contractions. Adam was parking the car while I checked in and they immediately got me into a room and hooked up to the monitors. My contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and I was nearly 7cm dilated. I asked for the epidural as soon as possible – I was in SO MUCH PAIN. By the time the anesthesiologist got there I was 8cm dilated and losing my mind.

I am pretty sure I told him I loved him when he walked in the door. They got the epidural all set up and within 15 minutes, I was feeling pretty good. The contractions became much more bearable and then turned into just pressure. They called my dr to come in (she had been at home and was on call) and I was 10 cm and ready to push as she was walking in the door! She had me do one or two practice pushes before she decided it was time to prep for delivery. They got everything set up, and with my next contraction, I pushed 3 times as hard as I could and Noah basically slid out into the world. I DID have a 2nd degree tear, but I didn’t poop on the table this time so I’ll consider it a win.

Noah James Mobley was born at 7:45am on February 8th, at 7lbs 7oz and 20.25in long.

My recovery has been so much easier this time around and both he and I are doing amazing. Jack is in love with his baby brother and Adam and I couldn’t feel more blessed to have our two beautiful boys.