Baby Gould’s Arrival! All About My Labor and Delivery Experience

Shortly after my last blog, our baby BOY decided to make his entrance a little early—at 37 weeks!

Carver Wayne Gould

5 lbs 7 oz · 20 inches long

Our tiny baby boy is absolute perfection.

The weekend of April 12th, I was out all day celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday. Carver was unusually quiet and didn’t move much, which had me a little uneasy. But by Sunday, I had videos of him moving all over, so I felt reassured. That night, however, everything changed. I couldn’t sleep. I was tossing and turning and just felt… off. I noticed I was losing my mucus plug, and when it became slightly bloody, I knew something was happening. I decided right then I was going to call off work Monday and head to the doctor to get checked.

Around 5:30 a.m., I rolled over and felt a little gush. I went to the bathroom and felt more fluid. That’s when I knew. I woke up Colin and told him, and as we stood in the bathroom, the fluid started trickling down my leg—right onto our rug! My water had officially broken!

Colin still had to pack his hospital bag (of course!), but thankfully Carver and I were ready. I jumped in the shower since I wasn’t having contractions yet, and then we called the Iowa City nurses, who told us to come in. We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast (because who knows when you’ll eat again in labor), and now every Monday, we pass by that spot and remember our last meal before meeting our son.

The last meal before delivery LOL

We valeted the car and went straight to labor and delivery. I wore a diaper for the ride because the amniotic fluid kept coming. Once there, they got me into a gown and confirmed my water had broken with a quick test strip on my leg—it instantly turned blue, confirming amniotic fluid. I was only 1cm dilated, and getting the IV in was rough. After multiple failed attempts and some blown veins, I was pretty bruised up.

They started me on a dissolvable pill to soften and dilate the cervix, which helped me progress to 4cm. I’d heard horror stories about the balloon method, but luckily, I didn’t need it. My body was doing great on its own. Once they started Pitocin, the contractions kicked in hard—every 2 minutes.

Check in time

Our labor and delivery nurse was incredible. Being first-time parents, we had no clue what to expect. She kept moving me to find the best position for both me and Carver, especially when his heart rate dropped. Colin was my rock through it all—so calm, reassuring, and helpful. At 6cm, I opted for the epidural, and it was amazing. I finally felt relief.

We could hear Carver’s heart rate dipping on the monitors, and our nurse kept repositioning me. A doctor checked and said I was 8cm and might be pushing soon. But then a new group of doctors came in, closely watching the monitor. They were concerned about his decelerations and started gently preparing us for a possible C-section. His heart rate would drop but recover, but they explained they didn’t want to wait until it became an emergency.

They gave us a plan: go to the OR and check again. If I was 10cm, I could push. If not, it would be time for a C-section. Unfortunately, I hadn’t progressed past 8cm. It was go time.

Colin was such a trooper through it all. The OR can be overwhelming, but he kept me calm. The staff was so supportive, and our amazing labor and delivery nurse even stayed an hour and a half past her shift to meet us in the OR and take pictures of Carver’s arrival!

The C-section itself was strange—so much tugging and pressure. Then, suddenly, there he was. The doctor held him up and all I could see were his big, beautiful eyes and a very obvious sign we had a boy. He was so awake, alert, and perfect. He didn’t need any NICU time—he was healthy and breathing on his own.

Later, we learned the reason for his heart rate dropping so badly at times: Carver had a true knot in his umbilical cord, and the cord  was also wrapped around his neck twice. That’s why his oxygen kept dropping. The doctors said he never would’ve tolerated a vaginal birth. It was scary, but we’re endlessly grateful for our care team and the decisions they made to get him here safe.

Sorry for the graphic photo but, it's so crazy!

Carver is here. He’s healthy. He’s strong. And we are so in love.

Adjusting to life with a newborn hasn’t been easy—just when we think we’ve got it figured out, there’s something new. We’ve already had him fitted for his cleft lip device, which is like a small retainer that sits at the roof of his mouth. It sticks out a bit and he’s definitely not a fan, but we know it’s the start of a journey that will make things easier for him in the long run.

This is the NAM device that he will wear most of the time. We take it out for a few hours a day so he gets a break. It looks so uncomfortable but he's adjusting. Our docs say they actually like the device and it helps him eat better!

We’re already so proud of our strong little guy, and we’re excited to share his cleft journey with all of you. Thank you for continuing to follow along—we truly feel surrounded by love and support.