Quinn Ditto’s Birth Story

Little baby Quinn’s birth was absolutely perfect for us. Angelic is the only way I can describe it. Not a day has gone by where I don’t think about just how beautiful, calm, and heavenly the entire experience was.

Going into the birth I felt such a strong feeling of peace. PEACE. Over and over, this emotion and thought was going through my head and heart the entire time. 

Friday: The morning of Quinn’s Due Date

We started the day going to the gym- it was his due date, and Alex and I had a whole weekend planned of fun things to do with friends and family. I was convinced he was going to be a late baby. So the morning of his due date we were at the gym and I was walking the track. I was trying really hard to walk but only made it about half a mile before I got really bad stabbing pains in my lower left abdomen. These types of round ligament pains had been happening frequently during my pregnancy, but had increased in strength and frequency the four days prior.

After not being able to walk, I tried bouncing on a birthing ball and doing some pelvic tilts. That also didn’t last long. We decided to head home, and it took me twice the amount of time to walk out of the gym with Alex because of how often I had to stop to breathe through the pain. 

We got home and had some time to take a nap, I was feeling really tired and in pain at the point. My uterus felt like it was tightening and contracting more frequently. I was experiencing what we now know were early labor contractions! 

I took a nap, woke up to more pain. Alex brought me a glass of milk and a bowl of blue hot takis! I had barely finished the bowl when the sharp pains became too strong. Some of them would bring me up onto my hands and knees in bed, and I’d sway my hips to help ease the pain. 

Going in to Labor & Delivery at the Hospital

After about an hour Alex convinced me to call the midwives just to talk through my symptoms since I was worried about if the pains were negatively affecting our boy. I honestly thought my placenta had torn from my uterine wall or something wild! 

We call and the nurse encouraged us to go to labor and delivery to check it out. Alex packed our hospital bag and had us eat some dinner just in case we had to stay the night, I thought he was crazy! I told him to leave our bags since I was sure we’d be sent home. The entire drive to the hospital I felt so stupid. I kept telling Alex that it was probably nothing, and that I’d be turned away like the stereotypical first time mom who thinks she’s in labor… 

So we get there and I keep having contractions down the hall. They hooked me up to some monitors and while the nurse was talking to me I had another sharp pain. I told her that was the round ligament pain I was talking about, and she turned to me and said “what you just experienced was a labor contraction. You’re in early labor.” I was dilated at 3cm, then 3.5cm an hour later. The entire time Alex and I were floored!!! We couldn’t believe that there was a good chance we’d be having the baby that night. 

Showtime

We were admitted into labor and delivery and met our nurse and midwife. Our nurse was Cami, and our midwife was Janessa. They were both AMAZING. 

They talked to us about our birth plan, and we moved forward in getting the epidural and then later breaking my water so that active labor could start. 

Birth Timeline

5:10pm first cervical check… admitted us an hour later!

9:22pm Epidural in, water broke, 3.5cm dilated

10:25pm 4cm dilated 

11:40pm 4.5cm started Pitocin at the lowest dose

1:30am 7cm

2:30am 10cm and felt a strong urge to push!!!

2:40am pushing!!

2:58am Quinn McLean Ditto was born!

Epidural & Water breaking

The epidural was really painful to get. I leaned on Alex and kept counting down from 10, just squeezing his hand, taking deep breaths and talking about whatever came to my mind. I was in a lot of shock after that and just needed to cry. Alex held me the entire time and let me feel the emotions as I worked through them. 

They broke my water at 9:22pm which was the strangest feeling. I just kept apologizing for peeing, thinking that what I was feeling wasn’t my amniotic fluid gushing out. The next part was a cycle of rest and cervical checks. 

“While I am both a little anxious about all the changes to come, I feel such an undeniable PEACE. Just such a pure feeling of comfort that this is part of my calling, and that this little boy belongs here with us. I feel Heaven around me, and like a mantle has been placed on me, a responsibility and yet an empowerment to do the task before me. I feel up to it. I feel grateful that yesterday so many years ago the Savior suffered for me, felt this fear and pain, and overcame them so that I don’t have to alone. 

Alex is also my hero. My strong man, my loyal partner and love of my life. Together we can bring this little boy into this world.”

Side note: my whole life I’ve had trouble with needles. I get anxious, nauseous, sometime pass out and almost always cry. Most doctors I’ve had have responded to my needle fears with “how are you going to have a baby some day?” At this moment I found myself in the birthing bed, preparing to have my little boy, and yet feeling brave.

Alex gave me a priesthood blessing of comfort that things would go smoothly and that I would have a strengthened testimony of God’s plan for us on this earth as I birthed our little Quinn. Peace. Instant peace. I knew that no matter what happened, that this little boy belonged to us, and we to him. That we’d be okay, and that I would know how to do the task before me. 

The only time I felt fear

At one point little boy was having decreased heart rates “lates” because of the pitocin and my placenta not profusing enough blood to him. This was the only part where I was truly frightened. I could hear his heartbeat on the monitor slow down so slow after each contraction. I was terrified. After 20 minutes I asked them to turn off the sound of the heartbeats while the nurses were away so that I wasn’t laying in silence with the fear of his heartbeat looming over me.

Trying to focus on oxytocin and calming myself through prayer, my thoughts were racing to my little boy. “You’re okay. It’s time to come. It’s time for you to come, and it’s safe. I’ve got you.” I really felt a connection with him. It was as though I was able to almost speak to him, reassuring him of my resolve to bring him into this world safely. I was praying to Heavenly Father that He would help Quinn be safe. That no matter what interventions had to happen, that he’d be safe.

“1:40pm 

Baby had been having a few “lates” so we’ve changed positions a bit. Cervical check and I’m at a 7! 

I’m kinda feeling strong urges to push a little bit… idk “

Shortly after I felt really strong feelings of needing to push. It felt like I had an extremely big bowel movement I needed to make, and that with each contraction I was trying to hold it in. They ramped up the epidural, my birth team came in and confirmed that Quinn was in position! I was at a 10cm, baby was coming NOW!!! 

Time to Push!!

We practiced pushing, then the real thing started. I was situated on my side to push, Alex held my left leg, the nurse on my right leg, I grabbed behind my knees, took deep breaths and PUSHED!!!! Each push I imagined being one wave closer to Quinn. My focus was on getting him out, and I would look up at Alex, his expression one of complete love, excitement and encouragement, and some awe I must add! He would say over and over “great push Lexa!! You look so beautiful, great push!!” My heart. I felt so supported and loved. 

His head was out and they told me two more contractions and he’d be out! I remember asking if he had hair! (Oh the things I care about sometimes). I felt Quinn’s whole body roll out and instantly he was up on my stomach, turning from grey to pink, and being wiped off. I couldn’t believe it. I was told I pushed for 15 minutes… and that I was born to birth babies. (So there! To all my previous doctors who freaked me out).

I was both in shock and just amazement at him being there. I started to tear up a little bit as he was placed on my chest. Heaven felt so close to us. He was here, Alex was right beside us, everything else in the room faded away and all I could think of and see were the two most important people in my life. 

Thoughts After

It’s been amazing to be days away from labor, and to still feel just the absolute angelic peace from that day. It’s been a hard adjustment at times! Sometimes I mourn the feeling of no longer being just a duo with Alex, but I know it’s part of the hormonal postpartum adjustment and part of feeling my emotions. Something I know even more so however, is that this little boy and all our future children have chosen Alex and I, and we have chosen them. I truly believe that!

I believe that our souls and purpose in life reaches beyond right here right now, and expands to before we were born and after we die. There were so many times during the birth that I felt his sweet little spirit there with me. And holding him now, looking at his sweet little face, I am floored with a feeling of reverence. Disbelief that God trusts us with one of His precious souls, and humility & gratitude that He does. 

I believe in Heaven! I believe in Angels! I believe that God has a plan for each of us, His children. And I know for a certainty that heaven was around me in that delivery room at 2:58am. 

Easter Sunday 

We brought him home on Easter Sunday. There was such a beautiful feeling of reverence as we drove home, welcomed him into our little house, and just soaked in the reality that we were now a family of three.

Written Easter at home:

This is heaven❤️ I feel sometimes scared and anxious about the future but I know with absolute certainty that this little boy is precious and that God will help me and Alex be his parents❤️ 

The birth was amazing. I felt empowered, I felt divine, I felt protected, I felt at complete peace. I’m in love with this little boy!!! And very in love with his dad. Alex has been a hero. He’s been so patient helping me, so confident caring for Quinn, and just so loving. 

On we go, onto our next adventures together as a family of three.

XO,

Alexa