The Birth Story

The development:
Monday, January 11, 2010
-go bowling, trying to induce labor. It only starts contractions

Tuesday, January 12
-38 week check-up. 2 cm, 75% effaced!
-hope to go into labor that night so my sister Jennie can meet baby before she flies out to India the next day. No luck.

Wednesday, January 13
-10pm, contractions start again. Seem to be "real". Can't sleep. Get up and fold laundry, watch movie, etc until 1am. They stop. darn.

Not much happens for the next week other than normal irregular contractions.


The long "travelogue" version of the labor and delivery:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
10:30 am:
-39 routine week checkup
-stats: at 3 cm, 75% effaced, head at -1 station
-midwife stripped my membranes
-had some minor contractions right after but then they went away, common daily occurrence
-drink 2 mugs of raspberry leaf tea to strengthen uterus

6pm:
-contractions start, nothing out of the ordinary
-I notice they are coming regularly so I time them
-they are consistently 4 minutes apart
-try to stay distracted--do laundry, start dinner
-try walking, sitting, monitoring strength and frequency
-by the way, I've never labored at home because my water broke with Jocelyn and I was induced with Samuel

7pm:
-call Tyler's sister, Emily, to come over for dinner and perhaps stay the night

8pm:
-call midwife
-contractions still 4 minutes apart but getting more intense
-she suggests I come to the hospital to be monitored

8:30pm:
-arrive at hospital
-Tyler gives me a priesthood blessing
-hook up to contraction monitor/baby heart monitor
-they check me and I'm only at 3+ cm. bummer.
-they suggest I wait an hour and they'll check me again to see if I am progressing

9:30pm:
-they check me again and I'm still only at 3+ cm. bummer.
-contractions 2 minutes apart now
-they give me the option of going home or staying but be off the monitor so I can walk around
-I definitely don't want to go home especially since contractions are so close together and growing more intensely
-Tyler has to run home to grab some forgotten things
-I turn on the TV because I am bored. Man vs Wild is on in the background as contractions get harder

10:20pm:
-they put me on the monitors again
-I have to start breathing through the contractions

10:40pm:
-they check me again. I've progressed to 5 cm! Wahoo! I can stay!
-they call my midwife to come to the hospital (luckily, she was able to take a little nap during the last 2 hours, she's prego too)
-call Emily and both parents telling them we'll be having a baby soon!

11pm:
-they try to give me a heplock (the needle that is a pre-cursor for any needed IV)
-the first nurse can't get a good vein. pokes me 2 times trying. calls in a 2nd nurse.
-the 2nd nurse, who obviously has never delivered naturally, keeps telling me how amazing it is that I am going to try to go naturally, while slapping my arm trying to get blood to flow better through my veins
-by the way, I ask that they try poking me between contractions, not during one
-2nd nurse and 2 more pokes, they call in the 3rd nurse. I am rolling my eyes and wishing they'd get the darn needle in already!

11:15pm
-midwife arrives
-they move me to a delivery room, luckily they let me stay on the bed and don't have to walk or sit on a wheelchair. I do not feel like moving!
-focusing on each contraction
-feel like I am heading into transition
-not really aware of what nurses are doing at this point. starting to shiver, another sign of transition.

11:30pm:
-3rd nurse, and 2 more pricks later, finally get heplock in!
-I suggest they prepare a bath for me to labor in
-midwife asks if she wants me to have her break my water or if I'd rather get into the bath
-at this point, I don't feel like moving so I say nay to the bath that is running
-she checks my cervix. at 6cm. She breaks my water

11:30-12:25pm:
-midwife pushes on my knees during contraction. It really helps. they (Tyler, nurses and midwife) take turns as they set up delivery stuff, call pediatrician dude that checks babies when they are first born
-continue breathing through contractions, trying to relax and focus on opening up
-contractions are seriously intense!!
-midwife continues asking if I feel the need to push. not just yet.
-she suggests I get on my hands and knees to open up cervix
-I wait a few contractions. That positions sounds hard to get into at this point.
-trying to stay relaxed and breath, not whimper, through contractions
-ready to get on all fours. I place my knees on the lowered part of the bed and my arms on a pile of pillows.
-first contraction hits. oh.....my.....goodness! I immediately feel the "ring of fire" and her head descend.
-trying not to cry and feel like I am dying. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but in all honesty, it was intense pressure
-go through one more contraction like that and feel like she's going to fall out of me. the midwife and Tyler and practically yelling--because I was whimpering so badly, I think....(what it felt like, I don't think they really were yelling but they had to ask me repeatedly) at me asking if I wanted to deliver her that way or turned back over. I want to turn over.
-they help me turn over, I throw the pillows off the bed.
-I am ready to push!!!
-They see her head. They tell me she has dark hair. yes!!! More motivation to get her out!
-I push her head out and the cord is loosely wrapped around her neck (just like the other two). They mend that. and I push the rest of her out, or rather, she slides out, that is how it felt anyway.
-Delivered naturally again! No time for an epidural, even if I needed to resort to that.
-She immediately cries, such relief, and they place her on my chest.
-She is beautiful!
-She is healthy!
-Oh, and I didn't tear this time!!!!

12:25pm
-Cecily Rebecca is officially born and named shortly after.
-Call my mom, per her request, to let her know the news.
-She weighs in at 7 lbs, 3 oz, 20 inches long
-rosy red lips, medium brown hair, smashed nose and round head.

the Aftermath:
-they give me pitocin to help deliver placenta. It is so much easier this time around. not painful.
-while holding Cecily I hear dripping on the floor. my IV comes undone. lol. We have to call a nurse to have them put it back in except half the bag is already dribbled out. They just take that darn heplock out. wahoo!
-contractions continue even after she's born. they continue all night long, and worse when nursing. heard this is typical with subsequent births. Darn. Should have taken Lortab when they first offered it.
-Take Lortab all the next day, switched off with Motrin for swelling.
-Whoa! Lortab is stroooong stuff. Makes me totally drowsy and incredibly tired. Stop taking after the first day. Not sure if I should take that next time.
-no soreness w/no tearing, just pain from contractions and nursing.
-she nurses well right away.
-Tyler goes home to sleep in a more comfortable bed.



2:30 am:
-I finally get to sleep :)
-6 hours of labor and I am so happy she's here instead of inside of me!
-When I check out of the hospital the nurse notices I don't walk like I just had a baby! Wahoo! It's true. I feel no soreness and have no problems going to the bathroom or sitting or any of that. It's so nice :)



The kids love her immediately. They smother her with hugs and kisses. They love to visit me in the hospital not just to seem me but mainly because they get to play on the stool with wheels and eat oreos from the snack room. I enjoy going to bed at 9pm but Jocelyn, in particular, has a hard time saying goodbye to me. She's had the hardest time adjusting to not having my attention. But she is so good to Cecily....so far. My mom was here for the first few days to help out and my now my mother and sister-in-law are here to help for a week. It has been so wonderful to have help. I was a little emotional the first day and probably will be as my help leaves. My house will probably be messy at first and the kids will probably watch a lot of movies until we all adjust. I have to remind myself to sleep and not run faster than I need to, especially since I am not sore this time around.

Life is good. I love my little Cecily. Even when I only get cat naps every 1o minutes until 3am. She'll adjust to the night/day difference eventually. Luckily, though her billirubin counts are high, she doesn't have to be under lights because she is eating/pooping so well. What a blessing, so far!

I am happy she's safely here. I am tired. But I am not pregnant anymore! I have a lot of weight to lose but I have a new daughter to grow to love! I am blessed.






Thanks to my dad who was able to take these photos for us :)