March 28th:
10:45 PM: Turn off nightstand light, roll over to go to bed. Whoa - intense cramping pain. Maybe I have gas?
10:50 PM: Another cramping pain. Maybe I need to, ahem, go to the bathroom?
10:55 PM: My body is going nuts! Lots of early labor symptoms I've been waiting for! Try not to get too excited.
11:00 PM: Get in shower. I think these are contractions. If they're not real, they will go away in the shower.
11:20 PM: Get out of shower. Had 3 contractions and they are super intense. No question in my mind this is it! Wahooo!!!
11:30 PM: Wake up Nate - this is definitely it. BIG MOMENT. He can tell I'm serious and in some pretty intense pain. I tried to let him sleep as long as possible, but I knew we needed to head to the hospital.
11:30-midnight: Contractions coming every 4-5 minutes and lasting a minute. Grab our hospital bag and get dressed between contractions, try not to freak out that it's baby time!
March 29th:
12:20 AM: arrive at Missouri Baptist and go to triage. Checked: 2.5 CM, 60% effaced, -3 station. (TONS of progress since doctor's appt 2 days earlier) Triage nurse called my OB, admitted as I am in progressing labor. Not being sent home this time!
1:50 AM: moved into labor & delivery room. So exciting because all of the baby stuff is in there for when we need it: a warmer, scale, etc. Get hooked up to monitors and baby's heart rate looks great, so glad to have intermittent monitoring. (The top line is baby girl's heart rate and the bottom line are my contractions.)
2:30-3:15 AM: Walk the halls and breathe through contractions. Nate would rub my back and let me lean on him and sway during them.
3:15-4:00 AM: Back to room for monitoring, everything is still looking good. Take last picture pregnant. Hello, beautiful.
4:00-4:30 AM: Walk the halls some more.
4:30-6:30 AM: More monitoring and bouncing on birth ball in room.
6:30-7:00 AM: Take shower to help ease pain.
7:00-9:00 AM: Continue to breathe through contractions - 3 minutes apart
9:00-11:00 AM: Checked: 4 cm, 70% effaced, -2 station. Contractions still roughly 3 minutes apart, but slow down when I lay down. Losing energy since haven't eaten in 12 hours and haven't slept in 24.
11:00 AM: Get lowest level of pitocin to help contractions come more regularly. Things get more intense almost immediately.
Noon: Totally exhausted. Decide to get epidural. Feeling guilty about that decision for some reason until I realize how long I've been awake and how tired my body is.
1:00 PM: Checked and am at 5 cm. Body relaxed enough to progress faster.
1:45 PM: OB on floor breaks my water and places internal monitors. The fluid is described as mostly clear? They are not sure if there is meconium in the fluid or not. To be safe, a pediatrician will be there when she is born to make sure her lungs are clear. Immediately after she is born she will be suctioned and checked out by the pediatrician in the room instead of coming to me. This was a stressful moment, but realized that this is a precaution to make sure she is healthy.
2:00 - 4:45: Take a few short naps. Visits from family. Feeling much pain relief and high fiving myself for deciding to go for the epidural.
4:45 PM: 6 cm
5:30: 7 cm
6:15: started feeling LOTS of pressure. Laying in bed swaying back and forth to help out.
6:40: 9 cm and the pressure is almost unbearable
7:30: checked and am ready to push!
7:31: push once, nurse says I am a great pusher! and calls my OB
7:40: OB arrives and more pushing - feel baby's head
7:45: OB says baby is coming fast and decides to gown up - he says she has hair and it's maybe red!
7:52: OB says to push one more time and she will be here!
7:53: She's here! Unbelievable joy - she is here and healthy! Say thanks to God over and over. Kiss Nate. Cry. She's crying and our new family of three is crying together. The pediatrician announces her healthy and she is brought to us. Cannot believe how gorgeous she is.
Violet Olivia Tenholder: 7:53 PM: 7 pounds, 4 ounces: 22 inches
We picked her name because we have loved it for a few years. There were really no baby name discussions around our house and we didn't even buy a baby name book. We loved it because 1) it is a beautiful, feminine name, 2) our first date was in Violette Hall on the Truman State University campus, and 3) it's the only name we both adored. Olivia is the name of Nate's great-aunt who lived into her 90's with a love for God, family, and baking with no children of her own.
Meeting my baby girl for the first time. This picture will make my cry every single time I see it, probably for the next 80 years.
Nate meeting his daughter. Have you ever seen such a smile?
Our first family picture. The first time I looked at a picture and didn't look at myself first.
Many more kisses to come, baby Violet!
11:00 PM: Moved to postpartum room. Eat most delicious deli sandwich I have ever tasted and drink a gallon or so of apple juice! Stare at my beautiful baby.
First morning - good morning, sunshine!
So perfect
Cannot believe how smitten Nate is. Wonder if he loves her more than me? Assured that he doesn't, but it's close. Really close.
March 31st, 4:00 PM: Ready to go home!
We were lucky to have a sleeping baby the whole ride home. When we brought her in, we had no idea where to put her. So we put the carseat in the crib and just looked at her while we got our wits together. So weird being back home with 3 of us!
This looks more comfortable!
1 comment:
Aww.. Melissa & Nate she is soooo beautiful! Congrats! You all make the perfect family! This is A'isha former member of your community group.
Post a Comment