When Tricia told me she wanted a birth photographer, I was beyond excited. I'd been waiting for the opportunity to photograph my first birth, and this was perfect!
When she hit 40 weeks, I turned my phone on forever loud. Every morning, I would wake in a slight panic that I'd missed the call--THE call!--but I hadn't. Poor Tricia was so done with her pregnancy, having had one helluva third trimester, and so we shared in anticipation daily. Finally, at her 41 week appointment, they did a membrane sweep (her third!) and told her they would induce the next afternoon if it didn't work.
Well, 41+1 at 1:00 PM (her induction time) rolled around, and the hospital was busy. We waited around patiently, but every time she called the induction got pushed back. Finally, right as frustration was peaking, they called--they were ready!
I had decided to go with Tricia to the induction so I could get plenty of photos of her laboring. This being my first birth, even if it was a slow one, I didn't want to miss anything. So I met Tricia and Corey at their apartment and rode over with them.
After checking into the hospital, we waited patiently for a room to be ready. St. Joseph's Labor & Delivery was the busiest I'd ever seen it (apparently this was a "normal" workload for the staff--WOW!).
Once they got Tricia into a room, the anticipation really started hitting. There was so much excitement in the air, and just pure giddiness coming from mom & dad. Tricia got situated and they hooked her up to the monitors. Baby Scarlett's heart rate was a little high, so after waiting a bit for her to settle down, they decided to give Tricia some IV fluids in hope that hydrating would bring baby's heart rate down so they could start the induction.
We watched excitedly as the few-and-far-between contractions that Tricia had been having naturally showed on the monitor. It looked pretty promising for a successful induction!
Finally, sweet Scarlett's heart rate had stayed in the normal range long enough to start the induction. We knew it would be a long night, so we decided to go down to the cafeteria and grab second dinner (it was about 11:30 PM).
After second dinner, Tricia got some rest while we waited.
After she woke, mama bounced on the birthing ball for a bit, then went downstairs and walked the halls to encourage contractions.
We watched the sun rise over Tacoma right before Tricia's midwife came in to rupture her membranes. As soon as her membranes were ruptured--within minutes!--contractions picked up quickly. Less than half an hour later, Tricia was ready to move to the delivery room to finish her labor.
As Tricia was moved to the delivery room, the intensity mounted. Finally, she asked for an epidural. While they waited for the anesthesiologist, Tricia labored in the tub and the nurse gave her some IV pain medication, which brought a few smiles. The birthing team hovered close by while Tricia and Corey sat quietly in the bathroom and labored.
Just a couple of hours after her epidural was placed, Tricia said she was starting to feel a little pain again. She kept pressing the button, but no relief. The nurse came in and helped her turn over to see if that would help, but still she was uncomfortable. They finally decided to check her, just in case, and the news that Tricia was complete and baby Scarlett was ready to come earthside took the room by surprise! As the room was being shifted around and quickly prepped for delivery, mama was in shock and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at Corey and cried, "I didn't think it would happen so fast!"
In just a few short pushes, sweet Scarlett Rose was born on August 9, 2014 with a full head of hair, healthy lungs and a single dimple (just like her mama)!
