142 Comments

  1. I’m a new reader of your blog and I loved reading this. Our birth stories are very similar. I ended up with a C-Section after 20 hours of pitocin labor. (I actually made it to 10cm and pushed for 4 hours, but my baby was just too big to come out!). I wanted that drug-free, natural labor, too. HAHAH. Oh well, what matters is that my baby girl got here safely. I know this is years later and that you’ve had another one since then, but thanks for sharing her story!

  2. This is such a beautiful birth story. Thank you for sharing it. I haven’t had any babies of my own yet but I am a nursing student and I loved my labour and delivery rotation. Such a happy time! God bless you and your family.

  3. First, congratulations! What a precious and beautiful girl and story! I had to laugh when I saw the pics of your husband wearing the Tar Heels shirts at Duke hospital! 🙂 I grew up in Durham, but we moved back to Ohio about 9 yrs ago. Thank you for sharing!

  4. I’m very behind on my blog reading but I wanted to still say Congrats on having a Daughter!! Loved reading your birth story it sounded so much like mine. I had to have a c-section too because I stopped dilating at 4cm and that of course was my worst fear..which did end up being my worst fear because the anesthesiologist turned off my epidural too soon and I felt everything from them cutting to the staples..needless to say that was enough to make me never want another child.

    Anyway, she is absolutely beautiful and congrats again!!

  5. I’m a CNU alum also and I forget how I first stumbled upon your blog…but it’s been awhile since I’ve read it. First of all, congrats on your precious baby girl! I loved reading your birth story – I’m obsessed with birth stories, they are fascinating. It brought back so many memories on the birth of my son (our first of two children). I had my mind set on a natural labor, but God had a different plan – it took Pitocin, an epidural, and an IV of magnesium sulfate to get him out safely. But in the end, no matter how different it looks than we imagine, that perfect, precious baby is in our arms and that’s all that matters. I wish you the best of luck in motherhood!

  6. I sat here and cried half way through your story. Wow talk about everything you wanted and God having another plan, but that is how amazing our Heavenly Father is! He knew exactly how sweet baby girl needed to come out! I am due in about 4 weeks and am having all the same fears of you. The unknown is scary, but I just keep praying! She is absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing your crazy journey, but in the end she was all worth it and know mine will be too! 🙂 God bless your family

  7. Thanks for sharing Lilly’s birth story! Someday she will love reading how she came into the world. I can relate to your story. My first son was a long 25hr labor that ended in a c-section. My other two kiddos were HBACs. My doulas wrote birth stories for each of my kiddos and I’ve blogged all their birth stories if you are into reading other people’s birth stories. 😉
    God bless!

  8. I waited forever to read this and I still burst into tears when you talked about hearing her cry for the first time. This was absolutely beautiful and I am so happy for your family. Lily is amazing and so are YOU!

  9. Big congrats Molly! Lilly is soo precious & what a wonderful gift, she is for. I cannot image how strong you had to be to go through this, ouch! Miss Lilly is oh so beautiful : )

  10. Molly! I read your birth story and my heart is full for you and John. I can’t help but be tearful and brimming with happiness for you. That first moment a mother gets to hold her new born child is indescribable and utterly precious.

    Lilly is absolutely beautiful!

  11. After 30 hours of labour and a c-section, I resonate with your story like crazy, Molly 🙂 Right there with you. Isn’t it amazing how the grace of God covers us in life’s unexpected turns. Hope your recovery progresses a bit quicker now that you are well settled at home with your sweet girl xx

  12. Beautiful birth story! You are inspiring and honest and really look up to you. I had a C-section to and really REALLY didn’t want to. But it’s ok. life goes on and the most important thing is that Lily is ok. She’s a beauty and God bless you both!
    Can’t wait to see how great of a mama you are going to be…

    happymedley.blogspot.com

  13. Okay, I read every word of this looooooong but oh so sweet post!! Girl, you were a trooper for lasting as long as you did! Both of my girls were C-Sections, so i know exactly how you felt going into the OR. Get ready, Miss Lily is gonna be a a stubborn one!! LOL! Thanks for sharing all the details. I am just over the moon for you guys!! And DR. Eugene needs to get a sense of humor!! 😉

  14. I’ve always loved your blog since I saw your wedding on KJ, but I’ll admit I’ve been way more blog stalking for updates since you’ve been pregnant! LOVED seeing the pictures and hearing your birth experience. As a L&D nurse it’s always interesting seeing it on this side! Your daughter is gorgeousssssss! So happy for you and your family!

  15. oh my goodness – what a miracle! Aren’t God’s plans funny… so not how we planned, and yet so perfect all along. I am crying big fat alligator tears of joy for you and your new journey as mother & growing family!
    xx
    Here&Now

  16. Oh Molly, girl you went through it all! I’m so thankful Lilly is so healthy. You are a champ for trying so patiently and laboring for so long!
    And the mesh undies and losing all modesty…things I won’t soon forget. It is an experience unlike any other when the nurses come in to check EVERYthing! Oi.
    Sending hugs!

  17. Great story!!! She is precious!!!! I pray that your recovery time is filled with rest and is a speedy process. Congratulations on your sweet girl! Enjoy Lilly!!

  18. I loved reading and living every word of your story. I am so happy for you, John and Baby Stillman. Thank you for sharing.

  19. First time commenting. I was induced by my water being broken. I has been having contactions for weeks and i was dilated and effaced before going in. labored for a long time on a ball before getting pit. I had a very similar situation with a failure to decsend c section. Its hard to not get those moments you had been dreaming of but out little girls are worth it.

    If they gave you an abdominal binder I recommend wearing it. It helps a ton with the incision pain and getting around. I’m 7 and a half weeks post and still having some pain but it gets better. Lily is beautiful, congrats!

  20. This is one of the sweetest blog posts I’ve ever read…in the history of blogs! You are such a strong mama! Loved reading this incredible story!

  21. Molly – thank you so much for sharing your story! I followed along through all of your weekly updates during your pregnancy, and I loved every minute of reading how it turned out even through the tears pouring down my face. As a soon-to-be-mom, I’m so thankful for women that share their stories. I love seeing how different every story is and how each baby enters the world in his/her own way. I can’t wait to see how my own story pans out in just a few months. Thank you again for your honesty and transparency. And, congratulations on sweet Lilly! 🙂

  22. Molly that is crazy what you went through, but to such a perfect end! I do love that photo of John’s phone with the time on it. I’m in tears reading this, happy tears(!) for you and your family and your sweet Lilly!

  23. Oh my friend, what a ride!!! It sure is crazy how a lot of this is simply beyond our control! So proud of you for rolling with the punches……and what an amazing story!

  24. This was such a beautiful story. Even though things didn’t go as planned, all that’s important is that your sweet daughter is here and that she is healthy! (and super adorable too!!)

    xo,
    Angela

  25. Your strength and determination are so inspiring! I don’t know if I could have gone through what you did, but I am so glad that you shared your story with us. What a little blessing. Lilly could not be more perfect. I am so glad that both you and her are healthy and happy! 🙂

  26. Thanks for sharing all the details Molly! Lilly is the sweetest, most precious baby and I’m so glad that she had a safe delivery despite all that you had to go through and that it wasn’t what you wanted. She is perfect! Congrats to you and John!

  27. Beautiful story Molly. I had a similar one except that I pushed for 3 hours and ended up with a c-section. I’m so glad everything worked out well and you have a healthy baby girl.

    Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow and link up for my weekly Tres-Chic Fashion Thursday Link Up.

    Agi:)

    vodkainfusedlemonade.com

  28. I couldn’t help but think of a song… “You can’t always get what you want / But if you try sometimes well you just might find / You get what you need”.

    Maybe the Stones were onto something. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing. Clearly, Lilly couldn’t be in two better pairs of hands. 🙂 Congratulations!

  29. This is such a beautiful story, thank you for sharing it with us! In the end, it all worked out and you now have a beautiful sweet baby girl! I laughed when you said you were telling the doctors how hot your husband is, haha. Congrats again Molly!

    xo, Yi-chia
    Always Maylee

  30. This was a beautiful story Molly. To be honest, this usually freaks me out, but you really spoke from your heart and it was a beautiful story. I am so sorry that it didn’t work out the way you wanted to, but I am SO happy that the c-section worked out for you and your baby girl came out healthy! She is such a doll! And I can’t believe that you were in labor that long, What a strong person you are, and what a wonderful husband you have to be there by you every step of the way.

    Hope you are enjoying every moment with your beautiful girl!

  31. Molly I have been waiting on this post since you gave birth, thank you so much for sharing your story and Lilly’s story. It brought tears to my eyes. I marvel at your strength, your faith in God, and your ability to find humor in all situations. I know LillStill will have an amazing life with her amazing parents.
    xo

  32. You are so amazing and strong. All birth stories are beautiful and I find myself in tears as I read this. Isn’t God amazing?? I know He was by your side thru the whole thing. You have a beautiful birth story and Lilly has one brave and wonderful Mama.

  33. Thanks for sharing Molly…what an amazing birthing story…and Lilly is SO beautiful! What a strong mama you were for her. I have to be honest…the laboring process sounds terrifying…haha…but at least you know what you’ll end up with on the other end of it 🙂

    Also – what a coincidence that my cousin Kayla interned for you?! I saw you liked one of her instagram photos so I finally got to ask her if she knew you this weekend…too funny 🙂

    Annie
    The Other Side of Gray

    1. thank you so much for reading, annie!! and yeah! CRAZY small world that Kayla is your cousin! she was the BEST intern i ever had!! in fact, she is kinda the one who pushed me to make a move on my now hubby… hahahahahaah funny story.

  34. Thank you so much for sharing the story of your family, Molly! I cried, I smiled, and my heart might have even skipped a beat. Although your birthing story doesn’t match your original expectations, it seems like little Lilly Eileen well exceeds them, and that’s all you can ask for <3

  35. Is it weird that I got all excited about reading your story? Maybe a little, but I so did enjoy it! You’re a great writer Molly and I laughed plenty of times. Sometimes things don’t go according to how we plan them and sometimes they do, I’m sure you know all that, but in the end “All things turn out for the Good for those who Love GOD!” Romans 8:28 And I can definitely see not only the Love of God in your life but also the Heart, Love, and Awe you have for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For God.

    God bless You Lily and Hubby in Jesus name!

    ♥ Linda Mendible

  36. Molly, this is such a beautiful story!! Thank you so much for sharing it. The Dr. Eugene part was so funny! Definitely an lol!!

    I try to crack jokes at the WORST times to lighten the mood, too. A couple weeks ago, we rushed to the ER with our daughter because she’s (apparently) highly allergic to fire ant bites. So, we’re in the ER and the nurse is trying to put the thingy on Izzie’s big toe to monitor her oxygen levels. Side note: Izzie hates her feet being touched. Greeeaaat, right? So, it’s the nurse, me, my hubby, and Izzie who is swollen from her eyelids to her toes; we’re wrestling to get the thing on her toe, and she’s wrestling back so we don’t put it on her toe. And at that moment, I decided to say “This is just like cutting her toenails! Hahaha!” Cue the crickets. Both the nurse and my husband just look at me, like, “What are you saying? And why are you saying it?” and then continue to, you know, proceed with the matter at hand. Ehhh, I thought it was funny.

  37. Love reading birth stories and yours was great! Isn’t it the truth that birth is one of those things we just have no control of? No matter what we plan, our bodies and our babies are going to do it their way. What a pretty girl she is.
    Tricia @ roadtriptheworld

  38. This was beautiful, Molly. I cried and smiled right along with you. I’m so happy for you and John and your sweet baby girl. I can’t believe she’s two weeks old and smiling already. That shows how much she loves who she’s been given to 🙂 xoxoxo

  39. I cried as I read this because it reminded me of my labor. I also went with option 2 that then turned into a csection. You did such a wonderful job, Molly! Aren’t the shakes awful? I kept asking if there was something wrong with me lol Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! Hope you are recovering well!

  40. That sounded like a thoroughly miserable ordeal, but thanks to that Molly Buckley humor and positive attitude, you survived and we enjoyed reading it. When I saw the photos of you three announcing her birth, I saw the OR first, and immediately concluded C Section, which made me think ‘Oh, no, they induced you’, which I knew was not what you wanted at all. Glad to know it was an option of last resort, and 26 hours of labor is absolutely long enough, and I don’t know how you made it through all that with a smile on your face. But you did, and poor John is just going to keep drowning in estrogen. (I laugh because I suspect that will be my luck. Kristi and I both want two or three boys with maybe one little girl for them to take care of, but with my luck I will throw nothing but girls and maybe get one boy!)

    The two big takeaways from this, for me, are that Lilly still chose her own birthdate, because you did go into labor on your own, and that, even through all of that chaos and pain and suffering – and risk of paralysis, yikes, yet another reason to pass on that procedure! – Lilly came into the world safe and healthy.

  41. What an incredible story. I got all teary eyed. I don’t know why, I’m just weirdly emotional like that even though I’m no where near a mother. But it was so sweet and made me wonder about my future. You seem to have a great husband and it’s good you had people there to help you! Maybe it’s me, but it does seem God tends to do things how we DON’T want them, but the good thing is knowing that it’s not because He’s cruel, but because He’s far wiser than we are. Even if it seems pointless to go one way or another, He has a purpose. Even if it’s just a test to know we would count on Him when things don’t go our way. But whatever reason, He is always good, and that proof is in ya’lls arms right there! 🙂

  42. Oh Molly. What an amazing post. I read it as I was nursing my sick 8 month old back to sleep and couldn’t help but hold her closer and tear up as I read about the way your sweet Lilly arrived. Things don’t always go as we plan them, but in the end things happen the way they do for a reason. She is a beauty and she is healthy and she is yours. You are already such a wonderful mama. I am so happy for you and your little family! Congratulations on your little beauty! ❤

  43. Oh Molly! Thank you so much for sharing this!! I can relate to a few things!! My son, who is now 3!, was high too causing me to have a c section too. Like you I wanted to have him the natural way, after all I have an older sister who spit out 3 without batting an eye! You’ve inspired me to possibly blog about Lil Hunkie’s birth story! I commend you for all that laboring! You are the woman! You know every person’s story of how they got here is unique to them because God created us all unique. You’re such a blessing, thank you! Congrats and welcome to the mommy club! 😉

  44. oh man what a story! I guess I just got lucky with the gentle birth formula! You just brought back so many memories of my labor exactly one year ago. I’m so happy to hear everything worked out and that your little family is at home and thriving!

  45. I read the entire post and lingered on your every word. What a story! It brought me back to my C-section some 29 years ago. I remember that post surgery not being any fun at all, in fact it was terrible and I had to stay in the hospital for 5 days. But my son was the best gift I ever got from God and I still Thank him everyday. Your Lilly will be the apple of your eye for the rest of your life and you will be forever thankful.

  46. I don’t know what my hormones are up to but this is one of the best birth stories I’ve read and I may or may not have teared up reading it. Thanks for sharing!

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