Byer Family: Marley Reese Byer

Well, it's been 9 months since we welcomed Marley Reese Byer into this world, and I have been meaning to share her birth story ever since. I think it's high time that I did it.

Marley Reese Byer was born to us on May 3rd, 2018. She was born into this world at a whopping 5 lbs. 14 oz. She was delivered via scheduled c-section at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, where we delivered both Kylie and Beckett as well. Her delivery was scheduled at exactly 37 weeks gestation.

She cried.

And, it was the most beautiful sound we've ever heard.

Marley Reese was our third baby, and it was the first delivery in which we got to hear our baby cry. Dr. Haakenson pulled her out of me, brought her sweet, tiny body up to the clear plastic sheet in front of my face, and our baby girl started to scream. And then, I lost it. I sobbed and thanked our good and gracious God for a healthy baby girl. Until that very moment, the moment in which I got to see our baby wiggle around and hear her use her mighty lungs, fear and anxiety consumed me. It took just moments, and those feelings of intense worry that I had been battling for months dissipated.

No matter the way a baby is birthed, mommas, we are all strong. Natural, medicated, via surgery... it doesn't matter. What matters is that baby arrives in a healthy manner and that we mommas are healthy too. By God's grace, I will never again experience labor. The risk to my body and our babies is too great. Our c-section this time around went as smoothly as one can go, yet my OB sent my placenta to pathology as we are always trying to learn more about why we lost Kylie and why Beckett's birth was so disastrous. We learned that even with the precautions taken to prevent tragedy (baby aspirin, additional blood thinners, and frequent monitoring) there was micro-clotting in the vessels that attached my placenta to the uterine wall. What does this mean? Well, my placenta likely would have abrupted from the uterine wall yet again. This confirms that it was the correct decision to deliver at 37 weeks and that I should never again experience contractions. So, c-sections it is for me. I thank God for modern medicine. I may never have been able to be a mother to biological children otherwise.

Oh goodness, we are treated so well by our friends at Ridges. Upon our arrival, we did all the things one must do in preparation for surgery, and then we waited. What a weird feeling... knowing you are about to walk yourself to the OR, sit up on the table, be cut open, and handed your baby. Once Marley was born and checked over at the baby station in the OR, they laid her on my chest. She remained there for hours. I got to do (almost) immediate skin-to-skin with our baby girl on my chest. As soon as we arrived back on our recovery room from the OR, Marley nursed for the first time. I cried big old crocodile tears. These are things that I do not take for granted. These are things I never experienced after delivering our first two babies. What a joy it was to nurse our girl for the first time and to just lay in my bed with her on my chest.

We are so blessed by the incredible people who joined us on Marley's birth day. Because of her sister and brother, we had a team of unbelievable people with us in the OR. Both of the nurses who were with us when Kylie and Beckett were delivered joined us that day. Nickie and Emily have become sweet friends, and I am so thankful for them. Dale, the neonatal nurse practitioner who led the team that resuscitated Beckett for 18 minutes, joined us as well. He took over care for Marley Reese once she was delivered, and I felt such comfort in this act of kindness. Dr. Osborn, the anesthesiologist who assisted in the delivery of Beckett, came in on his vacation day for Marley's delivery. And, my OB, Dr. Haakenson, who has been with us since before Kylie passed, delivered our girl. I have so much trust in this woman. She is an incredibly skilled doctor who serves her patients with such compassion. We were so blessed by each and every person in the OR on May 3rd.

There was a period of time after I was given the spinal in which we were waiting for me to be fully numb. It's an odd and rather scary time in the OR. Patrick was still waiting in the hallway to be allowed to enter the room. I was numb, laying on the OR table with a whole lot of hustle and bustle going on around me. I physically didn't feel the greatest. I was filled with fear of what was to come. In those moments, Dale, the man who helped give us our son's life, walked over to me, and he placed his hand in mine. I remember letting out a deep breath, and just thinking to myself. "Thank you." God places each person right where they need to be at just the right moment.

Welcome to the world, Marley Reese Byer!