Monday February 20,2012 started like a normal day, we woke up had a nice relaxing morning and then spent the afternoon walking Southtowne mall. That evening Mike and Heather came over to hang out and eat pizza. I started having contractions while they were there around 11 pm, Heather would get so excited every time I would start to flinch. Mike and Heather left our place around midnight and I proceeded to get ready for bed; still having contractions about 15 minutes apart.
1:30 am: Randy and I had just gotten into bed and were turning off the lights when my contractions changed. They got super intense and started to radiate down my legs and all over in my back. I started thinking, hmmmm… this might really be it.
2:00 am: Randy got up to go to the bathroom and all of a sudden I knew this was not just a normal bought of random contractions. I yelled at Randy to turn on the tub for me and start putting in the rest of our stuff in the hospital bags. I sat in the tub for the next 45 minutes trying to relax and wondering if I really was ready for this. Finally Randy came in and said that it was time for us to go. Suddenly I was not ready to start this labor process; I was scared and excited. I asked Randy to give me a blessing of peace, comfort and strength, it helped immensely. And before I knew it we were in the car and headed to the hospital.
3:30 am: We get to the hospital, check in and get all settled in our labor room. The nurse came in to check me and told me that I was only 1 ½ cm. and 90% effaced but the baby had dropped super low. She suggested we spend the next hour walking the halls to try and make things progress faster. So we walked…. An hour later I was checked again and had dilated to a 3, still 90% effaced with an even lower baby. The nurse again suggested another hour of walking and said that she was pretty sure we would be admitted if I could get my cervix to move forward so they could break my water.
6:30 am: At last we were officially admitted and they stuck an IV in me. I was still pretty much at a 4 cm, 90%, but my cervix was slowly moving forward! Progress!! And I fell in love with my sweet nurse Marianne. She was the greatest nurse in the world! I loved her and her little Who nose!
9:00 am: The resident Dr. came in checked me and decided it was time to break my water and get things moving! I was not expecting that much liquid to come out of me, but WOW! How is there that much water inside of me. I was so amazed at the pressure I started to feel almost immediately.
10:15 am: I gave up trying to be brave and was given my blessed epidural! Oh thank Heaven for wonderful epidurals and the sweet relief they bring! I was at last able to relax and sleep a little bit.
12:00 pm: My nurse came in to check me again, I hadn’t made any progress and the baby was having a little trouble each time I had a contraction her heart rate would drop. So they started to fill my amniotic sack back up with water to cushion her umbilical cord.
12:45 pm: Nurse checks me again and tada! I had moved to 9 ½ cm. and was fully effaced, baby had dropped to a +1. The nurse was really proud of my progress and sent a message to Dr. DeSano to have her come down and check me.
1:30 pm: Dr. DeSano came in and introduced herself to us. (Remember my real doctor is on maternity leave so I was left with whichever of her partners was on call.) She checked me and was really happy with my progress, but little baby girl was still sunny side up. She suggested that I move to my side with my leg up in the air to try and turn baby by myself.
2:15 pm: After 45 minutes of me laying on each side with my leg up in the air the nurse came back in to check, baby still hadn’t moved. So she suggested I try and relax while she went to get a hold of the doctor and see what she suggested.
2:50 pm: Dr. DeSano checks me, baby still not turned but she thinks that baby has dropped enough that I start pushing she could turn baby with her hands. We wait till my next contraction and I push with all my might. Baby turns but when Dr. D moves her hand baby moves right back to where she was. Dr. D says to start pushing and she will check back later.
3:15 pm: Nurse Marianne brings in medical student Dr. Moran. She is like the sweetest little thing in the world. She asks if she can be a part of our birth by helping me push. The pushing begins and continues for a very long time. For the first hour or so I felt really great! My nurse and student dr. kept telling me that I am doing great at pushing. Randy was the most amazing labor partner ever! He counted to ten over and over. He kept asking me if I needed water or ice chips, he would stroke my hair in between contractions and tell me I was amazing, he was the most incredible person in that room; I fell in love with him all over again. At last my nurse said that I had made enough progress that if I wanted she could bring a mirror in and I could see the baby start to crown. I never thought I would want to see that, but I was kind of curious and said that I wanted to have the mirror. It was pretty amazing to see my little girl’s head as I pushed; but eventually I asked to have the mirror moved because I also found it frustrating to hear them say I was making progress and pushing so well but not seeing the progress when I looked in the mirror. After awhile I started to get really tired, I started to drift in and out in between contractions I was really delirious through a good chunk of my pushing. I simply let my brain go, and started to only zone in when I heard Randy say it was time to push again. I would listen to him count to 10 three times in a row and then relax and let my brain wonder until he told me it was time to push again.
5:50 pm: Dr. DeSano comes in one more time to check me. She is a little concerned about the amount of blood I am loosing each time I push, so she asks me to push while she tries to turn baby one last time. I push so hard I thought I might pop a vein! After I push Dr. D looks at me and says that we might have to discuss other options of getting baby here, she is a little concerned about the blood loss and how baby’s heart is doing with each contraction. I push one more time and as I push something happens with baby. Her heart dropped a little bit and then spiked through the roof! It went all the way to 185 and would not come down for the next contraction. Dr. D looks at me and says that she is going to try and use forceps to help guide baby out and if that doesn’t work we are going to have to do a c-section.
5:55 pm: I look at Randy and can see the fear and worry in his eyes. He looks at me and tells me to breath; we had talked about our ideal pregnancy and I had always said I didn’t want the doctor to use forceps and I wanted to avoid a c-section. Of course I would be willing to do anything to bring my baby into the world healthy. Dr. D can see that both of us are freaking out a little bit, and tries to reassure us as best she can. She starts to tell the nurse to make the phone calls she needs to. Within minutes our room went from being filled with only a nurse and two doctors to having about ten different doctors and nurses making the necessary preparations for anything that could happen. They even brought in a little baby crash cart.
6:01-6:02 pm: Dr. D gets the forceps ready and waits for my next contraction; they tell me to push. I hear a tiny little cry and look up at Randy, he is crying and looks at me; “can you hear her?” He asks me. I push two more times and see them lift my baby girl up! Randy and I are sobbing when they lay her across me. I can’t begin to describe the feelings I had when I looked down at her. She looks right up at me and grabs my finger with her tiny hand; I am a mommy!
(Our Amazing team of doctors and nurses! Dr. Moran, Nurse Mariann, Dr. DeSano, and unfortunately I dont know the last Dr. on the end, she helped Dr. D with the delivery and cleaning me up at the end)
Welcome to the world Adalee Joan Bradford; born 02-21-2012 at 6:02, weighing 7 lbs even and measuring 21 inches long. I think the number two is going to be her lucky number! She seemed to be a big fan of it when she was born.
Welcome to the world Adalee Joan Bradford; born 02-21-2012 at 6:02, weighing 7 lbs even and measuring 21 inches long. I think the number two is going to be her lucky number! She seemed to be a big fan of it when she was born.
3 comments:
She is BEAUTIFUL, just like her mommy :)
congrats misty!!! she is sooo adorable. i can't wait to see more pictures!
Oh Misty! Congratulations to you and Randy! She is so beautiful! I would love to be invited to your blog, skktjensen@gmail.com.
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