Meet Jakob Antonio Welfle, born August 15, 2020 at 12:49PM at 6 lbs 6 oz. Both Jakob & Vanessa (mommy) are happy and healthy! I’m so proud of how Vanessa did, she was a true champ throughout. And Jakob is beautiful, we’re so in love with him.
He ended up coming 4 days earier than our expected induction day (37 weeks 2 days), because during our final OB appointment he had a higher than normal heart rate. So they sent Vanessa to triage to be further examined, where I was able to meet her. During our time there his heart rate started to dip too low, so they decided to start the inducement process that day/evening so they could monitor Vanessa/Jakob. Vanessa didn’t leave the hospital till we had Jakob (I left briefly to get our suitcase with all our stuff already packed).
Labour & delivery was up and down, but overall it progressed pretty quickly. They started at 8PM on Friday evening and Jakob was in our arms the next day at 12:49PM (17 hours start to finish). Here is a rundown of what happened:
- 8PM – Inserted foley balloon/catheter. This was a little more intense then what we were initially expecting, Vanessa was in discomfort and a little anxious as this was only the start of the whole journey. But she was able to breathe through it. All things considered, Vanessa was thankful that we were at the hospital for this part, instead of our home as initially planned. It gave her peace of mind to be monitored and ask questions about what she was feeling.
- 2AM – The catheter fell out, which was instant relief for Vanessa. The doctor then broke Vanessa’s water at 2:30AM and started to insert oxytocin through her IV.
- 5:30AM – The contractions came on very strong at this point, we were trying to get Vanessa to breathe through them, but she was starting to feel nauseous, exhausted and was throwing up from the pain & oxytocin. At that point Vanessa was 4cm and we decided to get Vanessa an epidural. Once that kicked in, Vanessa was able to feel better, relax & get some rest.
- 10:00AM – The doctors came in to examine Vanessa’s progress over the last 4 hours. She progressed a lot! From 4cm to 9cm! Jakob was still high in the birth path, so they wanted to give him 2 hours to see if he’d naturally make his way down, as Vanessa opened up to 10cm. During this time Vanessa could feel the pressure still, but it was manageable with the epidural and she still used her breathing techniques, as well as listened to her affirmations. It helped take her mind off of any discomfort she was still feeling.
- 12:30PM – Nurse came in to examine Vanessa again, and Jakob was already right on the doorstep – he had done everything possible to make delivery as easy as possible. Earlier the nurses & Rhondda (our Doula) told us to expect 1-2 hours of pushing, but Vanessa only needed 20 mins! He came so fast, that the doctor only arrived during the final pushes – she didn’t even have time to grab a glass of water from her previous birth. For the most part it was myself, Vanessa & the nurse during delivery, holding Vanessa’s legs and coaching her through it. It was truly an amazing experience that we’ll never forget, we really liked how intimate it was. I was able to watch the whole thing, Vanessa was able to pull Jakob out (as per our birth plan) and I was able to cut the umbilical cord!
It was such an amazing experience, from start to finish. Vanessa did so well, but we want to thank you so much for all your help, support and preparation for this big moment. We used a lot of what you taught us, and we’re so thankful that we got the chance to work with you. The breathing and affirmations were so helpful.
The first 10 days have been a great learning experience, some ups and downs – but you just look at his face and can get through any of the challenges! We’re starting to get into more of a routine, which is helping us manage our sleep better!
Thank you for everything, we’ll always remember the role you played in our pregnancy.