Caroline Simmons Pregnancy and Birth Story
Caroline is a mom of two girls under two from Houston, Texas! Read about her pregnancy and surprise c-section with baby number one.
Was your pregnancy planned or a surprise?
It was a surprise!
How did you share the news with your partner, family, and friends?
I did fun little gifts for those closest to me. I gave my dad a card with a sonogram picture in it. I purchased little onesies to surprise my mom. I did the same for my niece and nephew on Christmas morning. The one person who didn’t get a big reveal was my husband. I was too excited! I called him in the middle of a big conference to tell him the news!
Which was your favorite trimester?
The 2nd. I loved when I first started to show and feeling those kicks for the first time!
What was your pregnancy MUST HAVE?
My Yeti tumbler! The ice cold water helped with my nausea. I loved that I could fill it up before I went to bed and it would be cold all night long and first thing in the morning.
Did you find out the gender?
Yes!
Were there any complications throughout your pregnancy?
Luckily, no.
Did you go into labor naturally or were you induced?
I was induced.
How long were you in labor?
14 hours
Did you get an epidural or go all natural?
I received and epidural.
What was the best and worst part about labor and delivery?
I really loved going through the experience with my husband. There’s just something really special about going through the process of bringing a child into the world with your partner being by your side to help.
Were there any complications with your delivery?
Yes. After hours and HOURS of pushing I ended up having an emergency c-section. My baby wasn’t progressing and her heart rate was constantly dropping.
Give us the stats!!
Our daughter was born at 8:53 PM. She weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 20 inches.
What was the hardest thing about the first few weeks of motherhood?
The pain from my C-section made it difficult to do just about everything. Getting out of bed was very difficult physically. Luckily it only lasted a week or so but I needed a lot of extra help during those first days home.
What is the best advice you received as a new mom?
As all moms do, I’ve faced some tough decisions throughout motherhood. And of course, I work through them by talking to my mom. Whenever I tell her “well, I read this…” or “so and so said its better to do it this way…” she reminds me that every baby is different and that no one knows my baby better than me. She encourages me to trust my mom gut and feel confident in knowing whatever decision I make will be the right one.
What is your best advice for expectant or new moms?
Taking care of you is just as important as taking care of baby. You won’t be a lesser mother for taking some time out to do what makes you happy, if anything, it will make you a better one! Happy mama, happy baby!
You can follow Caroline’s blog at www.swaddlesnbottles.com and check out adorable photos of her sweet baby girls on Instagram.
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