Yeah, I was expecting to post that as well. I even had started the post and saved it as a draft so I didn't have to write it after the appointment. But the story of my due date is a little different than I was expecting! If you don't like labor/birth stories then you can just skip to the bottom where you get pictures... or you can just wait for my next post.
I woke up at 3:00 to go to the bathroom (not too abnormal) but was having some pains that just wouldn't go away. By 4:00 I realized that they were probably contractions and that I should start timing them, just to see if they were as regular as they seemed to be. Luckily the night before I had downloaded a contraction timer app, so I just grabbed my phone and headed to the living room so that I wouldn't disturb Chris. I started timing the contractions at 4:25 (yes, I just consulted the app to see) and they were lasting between 45 seconds and a minute and 10 seconds, and coming every 5-6 minutes. They weren't too painful, but I could definitely feel them.
Around 7:00 Chris woke up and was getting ready to work from home (he was planning on coming to my doctors appointment with me, just so he could hear from the doc how things were going). I told him that I had been having contractions for about 3 hours and how they were, he was just as surprised as I was, but quickly got on the computer and started working. This was around the time where things started getting a lot more intense. My contractions were getting to be a little unbearable, so I decided to hop in the tub, which made things feel much, much better! Then I went out to the living room and we watched a couple of episodes of The Office until it was time to get ready to go to the doctor.
By the time we arrived at the doctors office (11:00) my contractions were about 4 1/2 minutes apart and lasting just over a minute. The lady who checked me in told me that I looked uncomfortable, so I told her what was going on. She called the nurse immediately and they rushed me back into the exam room, I hardly even had a chance to walk to the waiting room before they called me back. Mary Francis (nurse practioner) came in pretty quick and checked me. I was expecting her to tell me that I was still "high and tight" like Dr S had said for so many weeks, but she gasped and said "You're about 4 cm, and 90% effaced. Do you want to go to the hospital?" She then looked at a schedule and told me that Dr Cox was the doc who was on call, so she went to chat with him for a minute and then came back and said "Dr Cox agrees, we can send you to the hospital".
Then Adele, Dr S's nurse came to the exam room with a wheel chair, and we were off! They wheeled me straight to the hospital. I was checked in and situated in my room by noon! My nurse was Melinda and she was awesome. She was quick to get my IV started so I could get the fluids they said I needed before I could get my epidural (yes, as I was wheeled to the hospital Adele asked if I wanted an epidural and I said yes. She made sure they all knew I wanted it, and soon :D). Pretty soon Dr Mullens came in to give me the epidural, and Millie came to assist Dr Mullens. Millie made me laugh, we were having a good time as they gave me the epi, and after they left and it started working, I was feeling pretty good!
At some point (I don't remember when) Dr Cox came to check me and I was 5 cm, and still 90% effaced. He broke my water, and then told me he'd be back later to check on me. I remember him telling Melinda to check me again at 4:00 and then to call him and let him know where I was at. Before it even got to be 4:00 Melinda got another patient, and that patient progressed faster than I did so Melinda had to stay with the other patient. Erin came in as my new nurse, and she was pretty fantastic too. When she checked me at 4 I was about a 9 1/2 and fully effaced. I felt like it was time to push, but I had to wait. Dr Cox wasn't available to come back yet, and when he did make it back to the hospital he had to go deliver Melinda's patient first.
Finally at 6:30 I got to start pushing, and around 6:50 Dr Cox came in the room. He noticed that my contractions were super regular but not quite as strong as he wanted them to be, so I got a small dose of pitocin to make them stronger. Pretty soon after that Dr Cox told Chris to get ready to catch the baby. He said that he would get her head out, but then it was up to Chris to catch her, that's how he likes to do things. At 7:07 Chris caught Emma and placed her on my chest! Dr Cox sang Happy Birthday to Emma right after she was born, and that was pretty awesome!
As bummed as I was that Dr Satterfield wasn't there to deliver Emma, I absolutely LOVED Dr. Cox. If for any reason Dr Satterfield isn't around/available down the road when we have another kid I would see Dr. Cox in a heartbeat.
I know that what you really want is pictures, so here you go.
Here is Emma soon after she was born:
And here is the first picture of the three of us that was taken... It's not so great, but it shows our whole family! I'll have a better family picture in the future... a friend came and did a newborn photo shoot a few days after Emma was born and we did some family pictures. I'll share those when I get them from her!
This one was taken the morning after she was born.
And this one! I love this picture. I think that Chris took this picture while I was back at the hospital a week after she was born. I'll tell that story in a different post.
And this photo was from yesterday or the day before... I don't remember which day she wore this onesie, but it was definitely in the past two days because that was when she started wearing her 0-3 month clothes!
I forgot to add... she was born 5/16/13 @ 7:07 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz, and was 19 1/2 inches long! At her two week appointment she was 8 lbs even. We love our baby girl! It's crazy to think back and realize that three weeks ago I was laying on my couch miserable having contractions, and now she's here! Time has flown.
6 comments:
Oh Marci, she is so cute! I'd say pretty much perfect. Sounds like the birth went smoothly. I'd love to hear the rest of the story.
Sandy
What a great birth story! Good job, Marci. :-D She is adorable.
I was just wondering when you were going to get around to telling your birth story. It sounds pretty run of the mill for which I'm sure you're glad of. Having a baby is hard enough work without adding some emergency situations to it. She is so precious. Aren't little girls just so fun to dress up? :)
Congratulations Marci! Love, love, love that baby Emma! She's adorable. Glad you're doing better now too! Can't wait to hear the whole story from your perspective.
Good job Mama! I'm glad you had such good doctors and nurses to help you and I'm glad that Chris was already home that day. As for your first official family photo, I think its beautiful. It's not posed or smiley, but its the reality of your baby's first minutes and that is special. Congratulations.
Well, as cute as Emma is in the photos, she is cuter in person. I loved being there with you, and still remember the grief on your face as you left her in my care, after I promised I would be good to her. And you toddled off to the hospital and STAYED THERE FOR THREE DAYS! So glad they figured out what to do to help you, and that you are off on the grand adventure of motherhood. Emma is ADORABLE, you are all right about that!
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