Charli's Birth Story

Charli Jenae Hollingsworth was born at 11:16 am on June 22, 2020, weighing 6 lbs 8 oz and she was 19.75 inches long and it was the very best day of our lives! Here's how it all happened..

Friday, June 19, 2020

I was exactly 37 weeks pregnant when Parker and I went in for an ultrasound in the morning to check on my placenta as it had been close to my cervix at our last ultrasound. If it had moved far enough away from my cervix then we could wait for a spontaneous vaginal delivery but it if was still too close, we would schedule a c-section before 39 weeks. Since this was the first ultrasound in North Carolina with my new doctor, they did a full anatomy scan which was awesome because Parker had missed the first one and hadn't been able to be with me for any ultrasounds since the first trimester due to Covid. I was really glad he was there with me because it turned out to be a bit of a crazy appointment. After the ultrasound was over, the doctor came in to tell us that the placenta hadn't moved further away and if anything, it was closer to my cervix so we needed to schedule a c-section. They asked if I had eaten anything that morning (which I had) because if not, they would get me in that afternoon!! That was a bit shocking to both of us as we hadn't quite prepared for the baby to come THAT DAY! We waited a ridiculously long time to be told that since I had eaten breakfast and you typically have to fast before any anesthesia, they didn't have any appointments available late enough in the day to make it work which was honestly quite a relief. We needed time to get everything in order at home, buy a few last-minute things, pack our hospital bags, etc. Finally, we scheduled the appointment for Monday, June 22 (which I LOVE because 22 is my favorite number) at 10 am which was great because we had the weekend to prep for baby time! 

That afternoon we went out and panic bought a bunch of clothes, diapers and wipes, and any other random things we thought we would need. We spent the weekend getting the house cleaned up and ready to bring our baby girl home to. Her clothes were all organized and put away, we had a diaper/nursing caddy ready to go, our hospital bags got packed, and we went on one last date as a couple without kids. Sunday night was nerve-wracking and exciting but we managed to go to bed early as we knew sleep may be difficult. 

Our last date before baby day!

Monday, June 22, 2020 

I got up early enough to shower, curl my hair, put on makeup (bonuses of a planned c-section), and double-check that we had everything we needed for the hospital. While getting ready we got a phone call from the hospital saying that they were ready for us earlier than expected so we could get started as soon as we got there. 

Parker and I hurried to finish getting ready and headed to the hospital at 7:45 am. We got checked in and into the pre-op room where they hooked me up to my IV, tested me for covid, took some blood, monitored baby girl, etc. Overall I felt fairly calm but there were definitely some underlying nerves. I just couldn't get over the fact that we were about to meet our daughter for the first time! We were supposed to have her at 10 am but we had to wait a while for some labs to come back and to make sure they had some blood on hand should I need some after the surgery. Finally at 10:53 am they took me back to the OR to do my spinal tap.

The spinal tap wasn't bad - having done IVF, I learned to get over any fear of needles - but I was surprised at how quickly things started to go numb. My butt was tingly even before they had me lay down haha! It kicked in rather quickly and I really hated the feeling of not being able to move my limbs. The anesthesiologist kept pricking my skin with a safety pin or wiping my skin with a cold cloth in different places every few minutes to measure how far up the numbness had gone and that was more annoying than anything. All of the people in the OR were so kind and made sure that I was doing okay the entire time. I started to get a little light-headed and nauseous from laying on my back and the mask I was wearing because of covid was making me claustrophobic. The sweet anesthesiologist kept asking if I was doing okay and what she could do to make me more comfortable. At one point, she had to hold up a little bag in case I threw up and they pulled my mask down so I didn't throw up into it. The mask being under my chin and on my throat just made the feeling of throwing up even worse so they ended up just ripping it off and it tore so I didn't have to wear one which I wasn't mad about, especially for photos. I didn't want my baby seeing me for the first time while I was wearing a mask and I sure didn't want to be wearing one in any photos. 

Parker waiting to be taken back to meet me in the OR. 

At 11:11 am Parker was brought into to OR to join me and they began the c-section. As soon as I saw him, I started sobbing. The anticipation of what was about to happen was so overwhelming I couldn't contain my emotions anymore! We were about to finally meet our baby girl!! I think the doctors thought I was crying because I was scared or in pain or something because they kept asking if I was okay but it was just nerves and excitement and anticipation. So much pent-up emotion over years of waiting and hoping for and wishing for that moment and it was finally here and our entire lives were going to be drastically different from that point on. 

Five minutes later, at 11:16 am, our baby was here! It happened so fast!! Parker watched (and filmed) the entire thing and they lowered the drape partway as they held up our beautiful, scowly baby for us to see! She was so precious!! They cleaned her up, weighed and measured her, and brought her to snuggle me for the first time. She had strong lungs from the get-go and her cries were like music to our ears. They slipped her under the sheet and onto my chest and we just looked at each other and had our first moments as a little family of three. She was so alert and just stared at us for a good while, as they finished sewing me up. It was pure love at first sight and we were totally, utterly, and completely smitten with our perfect girl! 

We struggled to pick her name for a day or two but finally settled on Charli Jenae and we can't imagine any name suiting our girl better! Being her mom is one of my greatest joys in my life and I am just so, so grateful! 

xoxo, Chelan