Indie Jo Young's birth story.

**This story will include all the details of my experience. I will be sharing all my honest thoughts and feelings and I wouldn't say that it makes labor and delivery look nice... read at your own risk haha...**

March 26, 2017, 1 day passed my due date. At this point I thought I would probably go 2 weeks over my due date! I had not been feeling any different. I was anxious to meet our baby, but I didn't have any signs of labor up to this point... We went to church, came home, went about our day as we would normally. We took a nice big long walk around the farm too, which may have been the kicker! Around 9 o'clock we started getting ready for bed. Chance had started to build a fire in our wood burning stove and I was just sitting on the couch hanging out feeling baby kick... THEN I felt a little leak... and I thought "umm did I just pee a little?"... then I felt more than a little leak! I stood up and fluid was running down my legs. "Chance! I'm leaking everywhere! I can't stop it, I think my water just broke!" Chance got all wide-eyed and said "It's happening! It's today!!!" I just stood there laughing so hard! I didn't know what to do! Chance grabbed me a towel and I ran into the bathroom into the tub to let my water empty out. I just couldn't stop laughing. Once it thought it had stopped I called my mom to let her know. I had face timed her earlier that day and so when I called her she just answered and said "We're coming!" but she was just joking and then I told her my water broke and she was just like, ahhh!!! Haha.

I was still feeling okay, but my contractions started about 15 min later. They were very mild and I was fine. The doctor had previously told us that if my water broke that I should go to the hospital, not 100 miles an hour, but soon after. Since I was feeling okay, I decided to take a shower before going. After I showered we packed up a few things and drove to the hospital. I was still doing fine so we walked in the hospital around 10 PM and I just said "Ummm my water broke, so I'm here, haha." They were expecting me anytime since my due date had passed, so they took me to a room, I changed into a hospital gown, and they started hooking up some monitors to me. Then they went to put in my IV. I was not planning on an epidural, but they put it in just in case of any complications or anything. Unfortunately the nurses had to try 3 times before they got the IV all hooked up. I have some pretty gnarly bruises from the first 2 fails... Not an awesome experience with my first IV. They had to put it in my hand, which was painful and uncomfortable. The nurses were then just talking to me about some tips for breathing and such. My contractions were getting a little stronger, but definitely tolerable. At this point I was dilated to a 2.

My mom and dad got to the hospital around Midnight and I was still doing okay. We all just chatted for a little bit, and some time later my contractions were getting much stronger. In the beginning I was able to just breathe calmly through the contractions. Chance would hold my hand and help my breathing by squeezing my hand 8 times as I breathed out. Each contractions was about 3 sets of 8. As my contractions got stronger I started sort of humming through them as I breathed out. The nurse checked me (not sure what time it was) and I was dilated to a 4. Soon, my contractions were becoming extremely hard to get through. I was breathing/humming loudly, and it was very hard to relax in between contractions. I was also feeling the pain strongly in my back as well.. I had Chance on one side and my mom on the other, both of them helping me get through them. A long while had gone by, stronger contractions came, and I was still at 4 cm. and absolutely miserable at this point, basically yelling through the contractions as I stared deeply into my husbands eyes and counted as I breathed out. I finally told Chance that I wanted the epidural. **I am now very emotional as I type this**

I was disappointed in myself for going back on my decision to not have an epidural, but it was too much for me. I just wanted it so badly. I wanted relief. I cried to my mom and to Chance and told them I just needed it. My mom encouraged me that the stronger the contractions were meant that it was doing something. She said "let's have the nurse check where you are again" and I just said through my stress "I don't even care, I just want it anyways!", but the nurse checked me and I had gone from a 4 cm to a 7 cm in about 20 minutes and the nurse said "I don't think you're getting an epidural!" My mom was by my said telling me how amazing it was that I had progressed that much that fast. At this point I was absolutely yelling/screaming/crying out through all my contractions.  The anesthesiologist came in and basically told me it was likely I would have the baby before the epidural kicked in, but if I wanted him to do it he would.. but I needed to decide now. I looked to Chance and my mom for counsel and they both encouraged me so much that I was so close and that I could do it. I told them "Okay, no I don't want it then. But is there ANYTHING ELSE? What are my options!?"The nurse gave me a pain reliever through my IV and it did take the edge off some of my contractions... but it didn't last very long. However it did make it possible for me to relax between contractions WAY MORE than I was able to before. So relaxed, I felt like I could have fallen asleep in between... but when those contractions started to come on, I would open my eyes, squeeze Chances hand, and look straight into his eyes and he told me to breathe in through my nose and then count to 8. I had to yell or scream the count of 8, or just scream without counting just to get through it. When it was gone, I was able to relax and close my eyes and Chance would sometimes have to say "Aubrey, BREATHE!" Again, I'm not sure how long that lasted, but sometime later, I had a big contraction and I said through my screaming "I think the baby is coming!!!!" The nurses started getting things ready to have my start pushing. They put my bed up high, put my legs in those stirrups, and explained that through the next contractions I would take a deep breath in through my nose, big breathe out my mouth, and then deep breath in through my nose again, hold my breath and push for 10 seconds. This was also painful, but in a different way... After some time of pushing Chance told me he could see our baby's head, and I was ready to get this baby out, knowing I was so close. I pushed so hard!! The doctor came in, I pushed 2 more times an our baby just kind of slipped out of me and I immediately felt all the pain go away. It was all gone and I just let out huge breathes of relief. Chance through his tears (I've never seen him cry before.. my heart!!) "Aubrey, it's a girl!!". They cleaned her off for just a second and then put her on my chest. She was so tiny and beautiful! She was crying, I started singing to her, since I always loved singing to her in the womb. She stopped crying. I looked at Chance and he just had tears going down his face, and I was just so in love. So in love with him and our baby. I kissed my baby, I kissed him, in such disbelief that our baby was finally here.

Indie Jo Young. March 27, 2017 3:49 AM, 6 lbs 8 ounces, 19 inches long. Lots of hair!

My labor was about 6 hours total, which apparently is really fast, especially for a first timer. It all seemed to long and fast at the same time...but it was for sure the absolute hardest thing I have ever done. Even though it was painful and I did get a second degree tear... it all went very smoothly with no complications which we are extremely thankful for. I also want to say that I have no judgments at all toward anyone who has had or is planning on having an epidural. It was just something that I decided I didn't want to have, and even though I feel like I can't totally take credit for following through with my decision, I am proud of myself for doing it. (Not sure I'll ever do it without one again though... haha). Our insurance covered 2 nights at the hospital, so we decided to take it. All the help from the nurses was great and they helped us get some sleep, as we were both extremely exhausted! I was a little nervous to take her home and be on our own, but also very excited!

As I think back on my experience, I get emotional. In the first few days when I thought back to it, I would actually say it was kind of traumatizing... the pain that I felt. But when I think about Chance by my side, helping me through it all, how I absolutely obeyed everything he told me to do breathing in through my nose, counting with him, etc, and how deeply I looked into his eyes and focused on him during those moments, and how all of that brought our beautiful daughter into the world, I realize that the experience is something that I will hold sacred and dear to my heart forever. I don't know how I could have done it without him.

We adore our Indie so much and we are so blessed to be her parents.