Rosey Redd Barrett's Birth Story

Rosey Redd

On Wednesday, July 7, Andrew was at the hospital on a 24 hr shift, and I was on the couch watching HSMTMTS after the boys had gone to bed. Around 11, I started having contractions and they were happening every 5-8 minutes. I’ve been having more Braxton Hicks this pregnancy than any other, but these seemed legit. I was panicking a little as it was already late and Andrew was at work, but I rolled with it. They weren’t too intense but after an hour and a half of regular ones, I have Andrew a call just in case. They trickled out and I was able to get some sleep, but I woke up the next morning with more contractions. 

They lasted a couple hours, even as I made my way to my 38 week appointment with my Midwife, Mindy. She checked my cervix and I was at a “four and stretchy.” She said this baby would be here within 24 hours. I was hyped!! Andrew was on a post-call day and already home, we’d made it through the Fourth of July, my hospital bag and the boys' overnight bags were packed, friends were back in town and Amy was on call, it seemed like a great day for a baby! But as soon as I left my appointment, contractions stopped completely. Bummer. I told my boss at work what Mindy had said and she said, “Let’s call it, today is your last day.” So I emailed my team and wrapped up any loose ends on my schedule. We took the day to rest and nap, and after dinner went to Old Navy to pick up some white shirts for the boys and got ice cream at Whippy Dip as a family for dessert.

Last appointment

Whippy Dip

After putting the boys to bed, I just felt discouraged that baby hadn’t come. I was 38 weeks and 4 days, the same exact day I had Rudy. Mindy had said the baby would be here in next 24 hours but I didn’t think it would happen. I had Andrew give me a foot massage (for the past several nights I'd made him give me one in case it's my last night pregnant), and we actually got in bed at a decent hour - around 11:30. 

Between 3 - 4 AM, I woke up with some killer back contractions. They were hard, but spaced out far enough apart for me to fall back asleep between them and have some wacky dreams. Around 5, Andrew woke up and started rubbing my back as I breathed through them, and I started timing them, about every 10 minutes. Soon Anj had to get ready to leave for work, and I asked him if he could just stay, but he had patients to round on and my contractions were still pretty far apart. So he gave me a blessing, grabbed me the exercise ball from downstairs, and headed to the hospital.

It seemed within minutes of him leaving my contractions were suddenly 5-8 minutes apart. And they were no joke. I tried getting up to take a shower and get some things ready but ended up just laying back in bed and trying to distract myself from the pressure/pain by scrolling TikTok. (Unfortunately it didn’t really work). At 6:30, I called Amy to let her know it might be go time. She offered to come right then, but the boys were still sleeping and I thought I had time so I told her not yet. Then I called Andrew and told him to come home! He said he’d finish up notes and then talk to the chiefs to see if he could leave. 

I got up to try and gather a few more things to get the boys ready to go, but it’s hard to do when you’re having contractions every 3-5 minutes. I called Amy back and said okay get over here - she was already on her way - and then I called the hospital to let them know I was in active labor, and they said they’d let Mindy know, and I should head there ASAP. I told them I had to wait for my boys to be picked up and then we’d come. 

By the time Andrew and Amy arrived, contractions were every two minutes and were sending me to my hands and knees. I put Andrew back on back-rubbing duty in between sending him and Amy around to grab swimsuits, blankets, car seats, and to wake up Rudy. Ray was a little apprehensive to go, but we got them loaded up in the car, and I made it outside mid-contraction to tell them goodbye around 7:20. 

I wanted to take a shower but Anj said it was go time and I could take one at the hospital. He quickly packed a bag, I changed, and we hopped in the car. The 15 minute drive to the hospital was torture!  I squeezed Andrew’s hand through contractions and turned on my seat heater in hopes it might help - ha! I updated family that we were on our way to the hospital around 7:40 and let my boss know I wouldn’t be making our final 1:1. I worried that I’d get there and only be dilated to a 5 - again, ha! 

We pulled up in our mini van to the valet drop off, and Andrew said he’d go park and meet me inside, and I said, no you better come with me. As I climbed out a contraction hit, and I leaned against a pole for support. The nice security guard came running, “Ma’am, are you okay?” and brought me a wheelchair. Anj wheeled me in to the check-in desk, and I signed way too much paper work and got my fingerprints and bracelets. Of course the lady asked me if I was having contractions mid-contraction. Yes, yes I am. She told Andrew to go ahead and wheel me up to triage and that he could come back and get checked in later. 

Being wheeled to Triage  - 7:58 AM

At 7:58 we were heading to triage where Mindy and a team of nurses were waiting. I hopped onto the bed, had a contraction, Mindy checked my cervix and said I was at a 9 or 10 and my water bag was hanging out of my cervix. I couldn’t believe it! She asked if I’d been feeling pushy, and I realized I definitely had. It was crunch time. I didn’t even have time to change into a hospital gown or get an IV placed. They quickly started wheeling me to the labor and delivery floor. Andrew didn’t check in, and our car was still hanging out in the drop off lane. Oh well!

After I breathed my way through another intense contraction with Andrew rubbing my back and Mindy coaching me through (just melt into the bed, Madeline), I transferred to the bed in my delivery room. The energy in the room was super high, as everyone was excited that I was already ready to deliver. Mindy tried to calm everyone else down, but I felt surprisingly calm. I hit the bathroom one last time, and then Mindy offered to break my water to get that baby here! Of course, I got nervous, but she said baby was engaged and in position and would be here in no time. Let’s meet this baby! 

Labor and Delivery - 8:06 AM

She broke my water at 8:12, and I was confused when I didn’t get hit with an immediate, painful contraction. My body was gearing up to push! I had a small contraction and felt that pushing feeling. With the next contraction, I did a very small push, trying to find my rhythm. The third contraction post-water rupture came, and I gave it my all. The ring of fire is no joke!! I definitely yelled and thought I was going to die for about 60 seconds as I pushed out baby’s head, but Mindy coached me through and seconds later I had a baby laying on my chest. At 8:24, Andrew announced “It’s a girl!!!!!” and the entire room burst into a huge cheer! I checked and double checked and could not believe that I was holding my baby and that she was a girl! She came within 30 minutes of getting to the hospital. Not messing around! 

I recently read this, "It is said that women in labor leave their bodies... They travel to the stars to collect the souls of their babies, and return to this world together." (Anonymous) I think that captures the last few minutes of labor perfectly. In my last two deliveries, that last intense push was an out-of-body experience. I love thinking about returning to the world together with my new little one.

IT'S A GIRL - 8:26 AM!

I got a major adrenaline rush after delivering that baby in record time. Seriously, there is no more empowering feeling!! No tearing, no IV, not hooked up to anything. Just me and Andrew and sweet, fresh baby on my chest! A baby girl, no less! She tried to eat a bit, but was mostly just sleepy… like my other two babies. I delivered the placenta soon after and barely survived the belly pushing to get out any clots - this alone is almost worth getting an epidural for… ouch. Because I didn’t have an IV, they gave me a shot of pitocin and some uncomfortably placed misoprostol to help get contractions going to get that uterus back down.

She's HERE!

Luckily that was over quick, I said goodbye to Mindy, got cleaned up, and went back to just snuggling my sweet little babe. We did skin to skin for about an hour (Andrew went downstairs to finally park the car), and then they grabbed her to get her measurements (7lbs, 1 oz and 20.5 in) and foot prints and move us to the mother and baby floor. I was still feeling great - I got up to go to the bathroom and walked (slowly) to our new room. 

My smallest baby yet

Dark hair!!!

Off we go - 9:41 AM

We got settled in our new room, and our nurses started taking her vitals. I could tell something was wrong, because they were taking her temperature over and over again. They couldn’t get a read and when they finally did, it was too low, so they had to take her away to put her under a warmer. The nurses also noticed a small dimple at the bottom of her spine and said they’d have the pediatrician on-call take a look. Immediately my high from an exciting and speedy delivery was replaced by worry and concern. 

They whisked her away and without anything else to do we ordered some breakfast and waited. Of course I googled - never a good idea. But soon enough a med student came in and reassured us that she was warming up, and that the pediatrician had seen her and didn’t think the dimple was any cause for concern. Whoosh! If all was well we could leave the next morning after she hit her 24 hour mark and passed all her tests. 

And oh, does she have a name? Nope! Not yet! The debate was on. A few months back Ray started saying that if we had a boy he should be named Sunshine and if we had a girl we should name her Rosey. It really hadn’t been on our radar, but the more he said it, the more it grew on me and Anj. However, I really didn’t want to give all my kids names that start with the same letter - too much pressure for future naming!!! So we were stuck between a few names and middle names. 

Finally our little girl was warm enough to come on back and get to eating. The PA who had examined her gave us some more updates. Like our other two, she had a moderate tongue tie that was making latching difficult. We’d see ENT the next day. She also suggested that we request an ultrasound of her spine (because of the dimple) while we were already here at the hospital, and consulted Andrew on appropriate procedures for babies that had been breech in the third trimester. I had an ultrasound around 32 weeks to check growth, and baby was breech. My midwife scheduled an ECV for 37 weeks, but recommended I start seeing a chiropractor for the Webster technique. Luckily the chiropractor I already see was versed in said technique, and after 3 weeks of appointments and lots of uncomfortable movements, baby flipped on her own. Babies that are breech in the third trimester can have hip dysplasia, but everything checked out! 

We started making the FaceTime rounds — starting with her brothers! The boys were having a blast at Amy’s. Rudy was excited about the baby (he LOVES babies), pointing and saying baby over and over, and Ray thought she was pretty cute and had to “snap a few pictures.” We called and texted a few other family members and friends to share our news. 

"Bebe"

The day kind of flew by, we had some lunch, and Andrew got a nap in. I was still too pumped to get much rest! Also, it’s hard to rest when you have to have your temperature and blood pressure checked seemingly every hour. We snacked, rested, and discussed names. They took baby back to the nursery around 5 for an ultrasound of her spine, and I took a much needed, very warm shower. Not having an IV was pretty much the best thing ever. 

Eventually we saw the actual pediatrician who told us all the same things as both the med student and the PA, and we were grateful that all seemed well. Our friend Danny, who happens to be Amy’s husband and a hospital administrator, stopped by to say hello before he went home to help Amy with all the kids. Andrew went and picked up Firehouse Subs and Boba for dinner, and then a few of his co-residents stopped by for a quick hello. More skin to skin, attempting to feed, vitals checks, and joyful calls with family and friends. Amy periodically sent me videos of Ray and Rudy having way too much fun at their first little sleepover. The night wound down and we all tried to get a little rest. They offered to take baby to the nursery but she was snoozing just fine. so we kept her in the room. I slept for few hours between 12-3 and 3-6 when Mindy came to check in. At some point during the night, we decided that her name was going to be Rosie or Rosey, but we weren’t sure which way to spell it. Right after deciding, I noticed that the nurse who came to check my vitals had two little rose pins on her badge, which seemed like good sign. 

First Visitor!

Mindy did a quick check and everything looked good. She chatted with us for a bit and let us know that when we got to the hospital and Andrew was wheeling me to triage, they watched him (via security cameras) leave me halfway up the ramp while he grabbed a mask and saw me start rolling backward down the ramp. I had totally forgot about that moment but it was just too funny that they all watched it happen and wondered what Andrew was thinking - me too, me too.

Midwife Mindy

We met our new nurses (the same one we had with Rudy!) and soon enough it was 8:30 AM, and Rosie/Rosey was ready for all the screenings and tests. Apparently it was a busy day, and they didn’t come and get her for a while so we took some photos of our sweet little girl. The ENT resident stopped by and took her to clip her tongue tie. Then the nurses came and got her while we watched the safe sleep videos and filled out all the paperwork except for her name. I was pretty stressed about getting her named, and started writing out all sorts of combinations with the different spellings. At some point I threw out Redd as a middle name - Andrew’s paternal grandma’s last name. It clicked. We put the two spellings up on the board and asked all the nurses and medical assistants to vote as they came in. (Random side note, one of the MAs was named Sanibel which is this little island that we’ve been to on the west coast of FL - sure enough, her parents had honeymooned there and decided if they had a girl they would name her that. Loved that!)

Her tiny face!!!!

After what seemed like forever, the nurses came and told us that there was a long line for the hearing test so it would still be a little bit. I think Andrew and I got more one on one time in our 30 hours at the hospital than we’d had in a while! The Rosie/Rosey debate continued while we packed up all our things, ate lunch, and got ready to head home. When they finally brought her back, our nurse Jen couldn’t believe that we hadn’t decided on a spelling. She changed her vote from Rosie to Rosey, and we decided that we’d indeed go the less traditional way (which Andrew had wanted all along). So yes, now all of our children have R names that also end in Y. What do you do - it just seemed like the right name for our little girl. Rosey Redd Barrett. We quickly added her name to all the paperwork so we could get out of there and get our boys - we had a wedding to attend!! 

We ran through all the discharge questions and then Andrew went to get the car and car seat! It was go time! We got our little tiny Rosey buckled up and called the nurses for our escort out. We loaded her up into the mini van and headed home! 

On our way, we stopped at Wegman’s to get some cake and Martinelli’s for our wedding celebration, and we called Amy to let her know that we’d be getting the boys soon! We brought Rosey home and much to my surprise Amy had been over the night before and cleaned my entire house and put up a Welcome Home sign that the kids had decorated. Cue the tears! (Also, the strange handshake between Andrew and Danny - he was giving him our house key - and the baby monitor detecting motion and sound finally made sense... Andrew told me there must be a storm and even though there was no signs of storms at the hospital I was tired and dazed enough to believe him.) I could not believe that just the morning before I was at home very pregnant and laboring and now we were back home, with a sweet little baby girl! Seriously unreal.

Andrew went to go get the boys, and I sat in my clean home with my new little daughter. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ruth and Kayla, had sent some bows as soon as they found out baby was a girl, and they had already arrived! Having a girl is going to be pretty fun.. the bows, the clothes, she's already pretty stocked with a totally new wardrobe. 

Then, Rosey got to meet her older brothers. Ray immediately loved on her and couldn’t believe how small and cute she was. He couldn't believe that her face was smaller than his hand. Rudy wasn’t quite sure at first but soon got right up in her face to see what was going on. He kept pointing and saying baby and was doing great until suddenly he just burst into tears! I think the poor little guy was overwhelmed from a night away from mom and dad. He’s quickly warmed up to her since and can’t get enough of patting her head and touching her little toes.

After their meeting, we speedily got ready for Mike and Drew’s wedding. Luckily the extra bow tie I bought clipped perfectly onto a bow for Miss Rosey so we all could coordinate in our sage green. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, and Mike and Drew looked so amazing. I was so so bummed that we couldn’t be there in person, but I’m so grateful that we were home in time to tune into the Zoom for their ceremony and then celebrate with a toast and cake. It was our first big event as a family of five, and Rosey had barely been alive for 24 hours! The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I guess our little girl wanted to be here for the wedding too.

We spent the rest of the day just being together and watching a movie. Three kids! How did it happen?!

Andrew was able to get this last week off, and my mom and sister-in-law Ashley flew in late Tuesday to come and help. I’m so grateful for everyone who brought dinners, checked in, dropped off treats, and wished us well. It’s been a week of newborn bliss and chaos and alllllll the girls clothes. I’ve taken up my spot on the couch to just get to know our little Rosey Redd. She’s sleepy and sweet and so, so loved. I just can’t believe she’s here, safe and sound. Happy due date, Rosey! I’m so glad that you were born!

Newborn Heaven

Rudy J Barrett's Birth Story

Rudy, you came into this world with a style all your own, and we are so happy you’re here. 

Rudy J Barrett
December 23, 2019

At my 38 week appointment I was dilated 2-3 centimeters. When I told my midwife, Mindy, I was hoping for a January baby, she laughed. I asked if she thought I’d go that day, she shook her head, but there was no way I was making it to my due date. I still had hope. 

Your brother, Ray, came late—2 days after his due date. So when I woke up Sunday morning at 2 am with back pain and contractions, I didn’t think much of it. You still had two weeks to go! I must have been pretty tired because I didn’t really register how regular the contractions were coming on for about 3 hours. They were all back labor, and they were not fun. Around 5:30 they tapered off and I got some rest. But when I woke up at 8:30, they were back. This time more in the front.. and happening every ten minutes. Was this my body going into labor naturally? I doubted it. It hadn’t happened before so I wasn’t sure how to know. 

For the last two weeks I had been carrying around a piece of paper my midwife had given me that said: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE IN LABOR. I had been given this paper at my 36 week appointment and then lost it, and when I tried to get a new copy, the check out desk ladies were laughing that I “needed a piece of paper to know that I was in labor.” I’m not sure why I didn’t think I could trust my body, but because I hadn’t had the experience of going into labor before, the paper came along with me everywhere I went. Other funny side note: my midwife also recommended I start taking an herbal supplement called Gentle Birthing starting at 35 weeks. It’s basically a potion, complete with False Unicorn Root and Motherwort herb and tastes about as good as it sounds. I realized at about 37.5 weeks that I had thought the dosage was 1/2 tsp three times a day. Turns out it was 1/4 tsp 3 times a day. I had been double dosing myself the entire time! Did this contribute to going early? We will never know. 

Back to Sunday morning: Andrew and I had been asked to perform in our Church’s Christmas Program, so between contractions and some spotting, I was hastily trying to get us all ready in our Christmas Best and practice our song. We barely made it to church on time after a bow conundrum, but I managed to get through our song in between contractions without feeling too out of breath. Miracle! After church we took a few pictures and then headed home. 

I was definitely in labor AND denial when this picture was taken.

Contractions were still coming about 10 minutes apart as we got Ray down for a nap. I wanted to take a nap myself, but decided I better get some things done in case this was the real deal. My handy piece of paper said to call if I was having contractions 5-7 minutes apart for an hour, but I wasn’t quite there yet. I finished wrapping most of the Christmas gifts and all of Andrew’s birthday presents, then I got started on making the dinner I had signed up to take to a friend who has recently had a baby. As I chopped and sautéed, I was timing my contractions and they were coming every 4-5 minutes. They weren’t anything too crazy, cooking was a good distraction, but they were definitely regular. An hour and a half later (around 5:30 pm), in a bit of a panic, I decided I should probably call the triage line. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t that my midwife would meet me at the hospital ASAP. I still had dinner to finish and Ray to take care of! I told them I needed more time, and they said as long as I was there within the hour it would be okay. That’s when things started to get real, and I was hit with a wave of anxiety. Was this really it? Had I really spent my last day as mom of one cooking and wrapping instead of playing with Ray? Did I have everything I needed? Was I ready to give birth again? I had wanted a January baby as I’m really big on birthdays, and with the holidays and Andrew’s birthday already happening at the end of December, the new year seemed like a great time for a new little one. Oh well, ready or not!

Multiple friends had offered to help with Ray in the case that my mom wasn’t in town yet (she had a ticket for January 2nd!), but when Ali Hales offered to come and pick Ray up from our house, it made the most sense—I think she could sense my panic! I am so grateful for the great people and support system I’ve already found here in Erie. I took a few minutes to sit with Ray and read him a book before saying goodbye. Luckily, I’d had a hospital bag packed for a few days, so I gathered some last remaining items (diffuser, speaker, etc.), I finished up cooking the soup I had made for my friend Bri, and got it ready to deliver. Luckily she lives near the hospital, so we could easily swing by on our way. I probably should have eaten something substantial, but a protein bar seemed easy so that’s what I grabbed. On our way out the door with dinner, another friend stopped by to pick up a package that my friend/neighbor had asked me to get to her as she was out of town—the timing was perfect. There was so much going on, I wasn’t even processing that my contractions were coming stronger and faster. 

One last story

Our last picture as a family of three. Can you sense my panic?

I had wondered for months what it would be like to go into labor naturally, and this wasn’t it. I thought for sure I would get to the hospital and they would tell me this was just early labor and send me home, especially as I walked in without assistance and turned down their offer of a wheelchair. As I checked in to triage, my midwife Mindy was there waiting, and her presences was grounding and calming. Sure enough, I was dilated to a 5 and contractions were coming every 3 minutes. This was really it! I got admitted to the hospital around 6:30 and they got me started on an antibiotic for Group B Strep. The birthing suites at UPMC Hamot are quite nice, and we had a view of the lake. Though it was dark, the tower was lit up in red and green for Christmas. My nurses were all super kind and were really excited to be working on the “surprise baby” case. We called family and gave them an update, and my mom started looking at potential flights to come as soon as possible. Andrew ran to grab some Jimmy Johns because he hadn’t eaten either, and I ate some strawberry jello (immediate regrets) and a pickle that Andrew brought me (no regrets). I got my diffuser going and started the playlist I had put together the night before (the first song that came on was Chocolate High - a definite good omen) and just walked around, danced, facetimed with my fam, and bounced on a birthing ball for an hour or two while the contractions picked up. 

Though my room had a giant tub, Mindy recommended skipping it because the temperature was highly regulated and wouldn’t go above lukewarm. She suggested the shower instead, so around 9 pm when I was really starting to feel the contractions, I decided to labor in the shower. It was a process getting my IV taped up and getting ready but it was worth it. The heat and the water pressure made the contractions so much more bearable. Andrew read lists of girl names while I bounced on the birthing ball. We still hadn’t decided on a name if it was going to be a girl, but we had a few solid options for a boy. Our nurses (and pretty much everyone) thought it would be a girl, especially since we didn’t have a name picked out. I was a bit worried about Ray, so I checked in with Ali and she reported that he was asleep, he hadn’t missed us one bit, and he was very excited about sleeping “on” a sleeping bag. I am so grateful that he was well taken care of! 

While in the shower, I accidentally pulled the emergency cord and Mindy and the nurses came sprinting in. They were glad everything was okay but I think a little bummed my water hadn’t broken or something. I was waiting for that “feeling” of being ready to push, and honestly thought I felt it a few times, but it always passed. Could I trust my body to know when I was ready? I wasn’t sure. I was super impressed with my midwife’s care through the whole experience. She stayed at the hospital the entire time and would check on me and encourage me periodically. After about an hour and a half in the shower, it was 11 pm and time for another dose of antibiotics so I got out and dried off. They had me lay down for a bit and use the peanut-shaped birthing ball between my knees to keep my pelvis open and encourage baby to descend. By this point I had only dilated to a 7, which was a little discouraging. I was hoping for a baby before midnight, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. As the contractions continually got stronger, Mindy cheered me on with affirmations, “You are fearless. You are brave. You are strong. You ARE doing this. Your body is getting ready to welcome your baby into the world. Think of this contraction as baby knocking on the door. Deep breaths. Keep breathing.” It was a little cheesy but it honestly was very motivating. Andrew let me squeeze his hand through each contraction and stayed right by my side, and I was able to breathe my way through. Unlike last time when I was induced and the contractions came on strong and regular from the get-go, these contractions were all a little different. After a really difficult contraction, I’d usually get a break with one or two easier, shorter contractions after. Natural labor is pretty cool it turns out. 

Over the next couple of hours, I had some really intense contractions (in a variety of different positions, including “The Queen’s Throne”) and then they started to taper off. At around 1 AM, I was still only at an 8 so my midwife gave me the options of starting a low does of pitocin, breaking my water, or just listening to my body and riding it out. Because my water hadn’t broken yet, I was thinking about how amazing it would be to have an en caul birth, so I wanted to hold off on the water breaking, and I wanted to avoid pitocin at all costs after my last delivery and the trauma and poor recovery that ensued. I opted to listen to my body for the time being, and even snuck in an interrupted nap of sorts with some pretty lame contractions over the next hour. At 2 AM, Mindy suggested the pitocin, and I decided to go for it, as I’d been in labor for the last 24 hours. Though it hadn’t been too difficult for most of those 24 hours, I was feeling pretty tired and hungry and VERY ready for this baby to make an appearance. 

The Queen's Throne

My trusty peanut

I had told myself if I were induced this time, I would definitely get an epidural. My first delivery was an overall amazing and empowering experience, but a major tear left me in a lot of pain and it wasn’t until I went through 8 weeks of pelvic floor therapy about 2 years after Ray was born that my body finally got back to normal. The contractions were difficult but doable; it was the pushing that still lingers in my memory as painful and intense and basically awful. I honestly think my body remembered how rough it was the first time around and avoided progressing for that reason. I definitely had some lingering fear and anxiety and distrust in my body’s ability to push out baby number two without complications. So, when I got on a low does of pitocin, I brought up the epidural. My midwife was supportive of whatever I wanted, but suggested that I WAS already doing just fine. Andrew fought for my birth plan, for which I am grateful. He encouraged me and told me that I didn’t really want an epidural and that I could handle a couple hours of contractions on pitocin. I’d done it before, I could do it again, and I was already much farther along this time around.

Immediately the contractions started picking up. I got up out of bed and walked around and bounced on the peanut birthing ball to try and distract myself. I definitely got much calmer breaks this time around, no crazy shakes, but wow those pitocin contractions are something fierce. After an hour of that I had progressed to a 9. I didn’t think I could handle another hour of these contractions so I opted to have my water broken, even though I knew that would mean things would start getting crazy. At 3:15 AM on Monday the 23rd, Mindy broke my water. At 3:24 AM on Monday the 23rd, Baby Barrett #2 was born. 

In the nine minutes between my water breaking and birthing a baby, I thought I was going to die. Literally. I am grateful that my body took a break earlier because everything I had feared, the pain, the pushing, the intensity, all became very real, very quickly. That feeling of “needing to push”—I most definitely felt it, almost immediately after Mindy broke my water, which I wasn’t expecting. I felt as though I had lost all control of my body, I just desperately needed to push that baby out. It was very surreal. (Although after the fact Mindy told me I was doing a great job of listening and doing what she asked me to do to avoid tearing this time around.) All that open pelvis work I’d been doing had definitely gotten baby down into the right spot, and after about three pushes and a lot of coaching, “stop pushing,” and breathing work, Andrew was placing a baby on my chest. (Somehow in those nine minutes he managed to find and put on some sterile gloves, which is impressive.)

Happy Tears

“What is it?!?!!” Andrew double checked (Baby had come out facing away from him) and then told me that we had a BOY, and I burst into tears. Happy, happy tears. I was just so happy he was out and that he was a he and that he was here safe and sound. As soon as he was out, the pain completely stopped, and I had this major rush of adrenaline and emotion. I felt like super woman! My baby boy was here, two weeks early, and I did it without pain medication, just as I wanted. Mindy informed me that I hadn’t torn at all and that I had done an amazing job. No wonder I felt so great! It was a moment of pure, absolute bliss. I held that sweet, snuggly, sleepy little babe on my chest for two hours (he didn’t want to eat at all—apparently 25 hours of labor wore him out too). He was just so fresh and so new and had so much hair! After cutting the cord, Andrew fell asleep on a chair, and I figured we could discuss a name for our new little one once we all had gotten a little bit of rest. Baby and I rode out the delivery of my placenta and not-so-fun after birth prodding and pains. 

Even though it was 3 AM, I called my family and gave them the joyous news. They were all thrilled for another little Barrett boy. My mom had found a flight for later that day, which was also happy, happy news. I sent out a few texts, though I knew most people would be waking up to the news in a few hours. They weighed and measured our little man (7 lbs 11 oz, 20.25 inches long), and then we were transferred to a recovery room on the next floor up. I felt good enough to walk (I seriously couldn’t believe how good I felt compared to Ray’s delivery) but they had me sit in a wheelchair and rolled me up. Then they left the three of us to get some much needed rest. I still couldn’t believe that our baby was here, two weeks early. Andrew was able to sleep and I caught a few z’s between trying to feed my new baby and getting periodically poked and prodded and checked. I appreciate that they want to take care of us, but why so many blood pressure checks!? Since I wasn’t really getting sleep, I enjoyed watching a perfect sunrise over the lake and getting up and moving around a bit. At 6:30 AM, I realized that I was starving and ordered basically everything on the menu. The first thing I ate was a bag of salt and vinegar chips that Andrew had gotten for me, but I needed a bit more sustenance. The pediatrician came by and noted baby had a slight tongue tie (Ray did too) and mentioned that if he passed all his tests, there was a chance she’d let us go home the next day, a.k.a. Christmas Eve. Yippee! 

A quiet sunrise

Apparently that particular pediatrician is a stickler for the rules, and the nurses didn’t think she’d let us go home early. Because I was positive for Group B Strep and had a history of jaundiced babies, they were supposed to monitor baby for at least 48 hours. We were praying she would make a Christmas Eve exception. To avoid jaundice, I gave baby some formula to be sure that he wouldn’t get dehydrated like Ray did last time around. 

Around 9 AM, Andrew left to go pick up Ray from the Hale’s and bring him to meet his new brother! Ray still didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl. We hadn’t decided on a name and decided to get Ray’s input before we made a final decision.  For most of my pregnancy, he thought he was going to have a sister, and I hoped he wouldn’t be too bummed when he found out it was a boy. Apparently in the car ride over, he was telling Andrew how he thought it was a girl and then changed his mind and said he actually wanted a brother. I was filled with joy when I heard his little voice approaching the door. He walked in and gave me the biggest hug and I asked him if he thought we had a brother or a sister. He said sister, and when I told him it was a brother, he said, “That’s exactly right!” He couldn’t wait to meet the baby. My two boys meeting for the first time was such a tender moment. Ray had the sweetest smile on his face and was so gentle and loving. He is the best big brother. He gave baby the triceratops stuffy that he had picked out for him and then asked if he could hold the baby. I hope I never forget the look on Ray’s face when we put his new brother in his arms. So much tender love. We asked Ray about names, and he said he liked Rudy, so Rudy it was. Ray and Rudy, my two perfect little boys. I will treasure this moment forever. 

Rudy had always been a top name on my list, and I knew I wanted to use some sort of family name for a middle name. One day the idea came to me to use the letter, J, in honor of my sister, Jennifer, who I often call “J” as a nickname. She is the most genuinely kind, caring, sincere human I know, and someone I would love any son or daughter to look up to. I brought this idea up to Andrew, and at first he thought it was a bit odd to potentially name a boy after girl, but realized that it was indeed a cool tribute. Once we decided Rudy at the hospital, J seemed like the perfect addition, so after a quick call to J herself, we made it official: Rudy J Barrett. 

We then spent a quiet day in the hospital eating snacks, reading some new stories from Mindy and Milo about being a big brother, watching some Christmas movies, and trying to rest. Andrew took Ray on a few dinosaur hunts around the hospital as we awaited my mom’s arrival at 5 pm. Rudy passed his preliminary jaundice checks so we had hope for an early discharge. Ray and Andrew left to go pick up my mom, and my friend Arielle stopped by with some popcorn, dried fruit, and Lacroix. YUM! 

I am so glad that my mom hopped on the next flight to come meet Rudy and help with Ray. One perk of a long labor was that she got to meet him on his actual birthday. There is something so special about meeting and holding a brand new babe. I think she fell in love with Rudy immediately. She got some snuggles and took some pictures of our now family of four (FOUR?!?) and then took Ray home to get some sleep. Andrew stayed with me at the hospital as he had to round the next morning. They came and got Rudy for his bath and a few tests around 3 am, and I finally got in a few solid hours of sleep. He again passed everything with flying colors, and I kept praying for an early discharge.

Christmas Eve was another slow day in the hospital with lots of blood pressure checks, semi-okay food, paperwork, weird videos about safe sleep, and snuggling my little Rudy. I couldn’t believe his perfectly soft head of hair! Ray and Grandma came over around lunch time (with Chipotle!) after a morning spent cookie decorating with friends. We had to wait for the 36 hour mark to be discharged as long as Rudy was low risk for jaundice. The afternoon seemed to pass so slowly and as we got closer to 3:30 PM, I started having some anxiety about the jaundice check. All I wanted was to be home for Christmas morning, and we were so close! We started gathering our things (a.k.a. every diaper, mesh underwear, pad, peri bottle, and wipe in sight—we paid for it, might as well right?), and I hoped we wouldn’t jinx the test. Sure enough, Rudy was cleared to go home right around 3:30 and we celebrated with the congratulatory bottle of sparkling apple cider that was in our room. Of course it took some time to get discharged, but we changed Rudy into his going home outfit, put him in our carseat (so tiny!) and got cleared to go. 

On our way home we stopped at Target to snag a few necessities and some random stocking stuffers so Rudy could have a few gifts for his very first Christmas. While my mom and I shopped, Ray and Andrew snagged us all peppermint milkshakes at Chick Fil A, and the person in front of them in the drive-through bought our shakes! Another definite good omen. We eventually made it home with our sweet little Rudy and it was simply magical to hold him and love him by the Christmas tree. We opened our traditional Christmas Eve pajamas, got Ray to bed, and started preparing for a magical morning. 

What a wonder that Rudy came when he did. Today is his due date, and I’m still in a bit of shock that he came so early and that my two pregnancies and deliveries were so different. I’m so grateful for my body: even when I wasn’t sure I could do it, I did! I’m grateful for my amazing support system, my husband Andrew, my mom, and countless friends who have dropped by with meals or offered to take Ray so I could get some rest. I’m grateful for my midwife, for her encouragement and coaching. I’m grateful for my firstborn, Ray, his immediate love for his new brother and his love for me; he made me a mother, and for that I will be eternally grateful. I’m grateful for the newest addition to our family, my darling Rudy. I can’t wait to get to know him more each day. Although I’m now outnumbered 3 to 1, I couldn’t be happier to stay a “boy mom,” and I can’t wait to see how my two little boys are similar and different. 

My three boys!

Happy due date Rudy J. We love you, and we really are so happy you’re here.