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Lexie's birth story: Part 3
The OR is a creepy, scary room. It's bright, white and has an intense sterile smell. The big lights shining down from the ceiling are incredibly intimidating. They wheel me next to the operating table where they promptly scoot me over. From there they begin prepping me for surgery.
They tie my legs together and strap them down to the table. They flip my hospital gown up so I lay exposed, which is awkward when there's 8-10 people buzzing around. My lay my arms outstretched and begin lathering my belly up with iodine. They poked needles up and down my sides to make sure I was numb. My husband comes in to sit my by side and hold my hand. The place the sheet thing over my belly, string up the paper barrier and not two seconds later I hear my doctor say "I'm cutting."
I remember laying there feeling tugging and lots of pressure. It's the most insane feeling in the world to be able to feel that. You feel as though they are literally lifting you off the table. Minutes later I heard the most amazing sound I have ever heard in my life...my daughter's first cry.
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Lexie's birth story: Part 2
The contractions were bearable and just more of an annoyance as I progressed from 2-3 centimeters to 6 centimeters. They were like really bad period cramps that were easy to breath through. At about 4 centimeters they broke my water. They were anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart giving me plenty of time to recover. I wasn't able to talk through them, but they were still manageable.
At about 6 centimeters they got much worse. I know people say that contractions hurt while others say it's like bad period cramps. I got to 7 centimeters and my contractions were about a minute and a half apart....and completely UNBEARABLE. I told my husband that it felt like someone was reaching in and riping my woo ha part like a pallet expander. I told the nurse that I wanted the epidural as fast as it could get to me.
The anesthesiologist finally arrived. Do you know that when you get an epidural they want you to sit...through contractions...which is incredibly painful. When he arrived he said "so are we ready for the epidural?" I must haven given him a "seriously" look, because he said "well I guess we are. Let me get started." I gasped as he inserted the needle, but the pain relief was instantaneous. A warm sensation ran from my back to my toes and it was the most wonderful feeling ever.
They laid me back in bed and I could finally relax...not to mention breathe. There was no way I could have done labor any further naturally. I give major, major props to any woman that does it naturally, because that shit hurts. There's no other way to put it haha. Now that I was comfortable, I ordered a cherry popscicle and laughed as I watched the contractions come and go because I couldn't feel them. I could feel the tightening and the pressure as they came but that was it. My husband laughed at me because I was feeling no pain and completely enjoying it.
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Lexie's birth story: Part 1
Thursday, May 19 I started having inconsistent contractions. They would come and go, but nothing painful. Just like a bad period. Thursday night I started having more consistent contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. We went to bed and I woke up Friday morning at 1 am with contractions that were fairly uncomfortable. They started out about 7 minutes apart then jumped around from 8 to 6 to 10 minutes apart from 1 am to about 5:30 am. At that point I called my OB's hotline to see what they thought. They told me it definitely sounded like early labor and to call back once the office opened at 8:30 as they didn't think I would have a baby in 3 hours.
The contractions continued and I debated calling into work. I wasn't sure if it could be false labor or what, but I knew there were a few things I needed to do at work should I decide to go home at lunch. I wasn't feeling well at all, but decided to go ahead and head to work. My contractions continued staying anywhere between 7 to 10 minutes apart. It is not incredibly easy to drive while contracting, I might add.
I get to work and have a decent contraction right in my work lobby, which freaked out all my co-workers. I called my doctor's office when they opened at 8:30 am explaining what was going on. They told me to come in at 9:30 am. By this time the office was buzzing about my potential labor and everyone was in and out of my cubicle. I needed to leave at 9:10 to get to the doctor and with everyone talking to me, I didn't get anything done I needed to - making going into work pretty much pointless.
I drove to my OB's office with my contractions starting to die off. I started to get my hopes up that this was false labor and they'd just send me back to work. As I sat in the waiting room, my contractions became very inconsistent. I was so bummed. They called me back and as I sat on the exam table, I realized how dead tired and uncomfortable I was. I had been up since 1 am and was dead on my feet.
My doctor came in, checked me and said I was 2-3 centimeters. She said I was in pre-dromal labor, which could go on for days. I wanted to cry lol. She told me she thought I'd go on my own sometime before Monday, but that she wasn't here over the weekend if I did advance to active labor. So her advice...
"Let's have this baby today!"
At that point she got on her phone, called over to Labor & Delivery, and set me up. She got off the phone and said "Ok head over to L&D, get checked in and I'll be over there shortly." I'm pretty sure I sat there and stared at her thinking "I'm really having this baby today?"
I walked out of the OB's office and started on my way across the street to the hospital. Alone, mind you. It was all very surreal. So there I walked alone, over to the hospital, to admit myself all the while still thinking "Shit, I'm really having a baby today."
I got to the hospital and sat in the lobby while talking my husband through grabbing everything we needed at the house. The hospital bags were packed outside of his clothes, the camera, charger and lap top. It was so strange knowing that I would be having a baby in a few short hours. I called work and said "So I won't be back in today as I'm going to have a baby." lol
After getting off the phone, I went up to L&D and stood at the nurse's station. "Hi, umm I'm checking in..." It was such a strange moment. I pictured my arriving to the hospital something like the movies portray. My contractions would be 5 minutes apart and I would be in painful labor as hubby and I checked into L&D. Not so much.
They walk me into my room where they give me a laundry bag for my clothes, a cup for a pee sample, and a gown. I change with trembling hands and return to the room where I get into the hospital bed. I remember sitting there in a bit of a daze that I was really about to have a baby. The wait was over. I was going to meet my baby girl....today. I answer umpteen questions and then my husband gets there. They get my IV set up and start the pitocin to speed up my labor. They offer me ice chips or a popscicle. My husband gets a popscicle and I get ice chips.
We turn on E! Network as I begin to breathe through manageable contractions...
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Alexis Anne was born Friday, May 20, 2011 at 3:57 pm via emergency c-section. She weighed 7 lb. 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.
She's a beautiful, healthy baby girl and we're overjoyed that she's here. I'll be back to post more later on sometime. Just wanted everyone to know that she's here and she's gorgeous :)
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I went yesterday afternoon for my weekly checkup with my regular OB and then we had our last appointment with our specialist.
At the OB we hadn't had any more progress from Friday. Still at 1 cm and 50% effaced.
We went to the specialist to get an estimated weight and length on little miss and boy were we surprised. Are you ready for this?? At 38 weeks, 4 days she's estimated to weigh...
8 pounds 2 ounces!!
And is estimated to be 20 inches long. 20 inches. 8+ pounds. Whoa.
My specialist has recommended that we induce on Monday. I have to go through my OB though and let her make the final decision. I called this afternoon over to my OB's office to see if my doctor heard the latest. When I spoke to the nurse I let her know that I would be 39 weeks on Saturday and that the baby was weighing 8 lb 2 oz. Her response? "Oh geez! When do you see the doctor again?" I told her not until next Thursday. Her response? "Oh no no no. You need to come in sooner than that. Be here Monday at 10am."
So we meet with my OB at 10 am Monday where I guess she'll make some kind of decision. I'm not sure how I feel about being induced as I've heard some major horror stories. I also know that when you induce you run the risk of having to get a c-section if things don't progress. However, I also know that if the baby gets too big, there's a possibility I can't have her. The main thing is that she's healthy (obviously), so whatever my doctor thinks is best is what I will go with.
I do know, though, that I've had period-like cramps since 5:30 this morning with irregular contractions all day. So maybe she's on her way out...maybe. Nothing has been consistent. They told me when they are a consistent 5-10 minutes apart for an hour that I needed to call. So still just monitoring.
On another note...check out my chunky monkey!!
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I finally got the proofs from our maternity pictures and they are so awesome!! If I could buy them all, I seriously would. I decided to buy just 2 web images for blogging and facebook, though, so we save our photo credit for actual prints. Plus we've got to leave some moolah to buy newborn pictures once that time comes.
Anywho...I wanted to share with y'all the 2 pictures I bought :)
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