The Story of Bailey
(Note: this was written as a journal entry and therefore contained some very personal information. I left most of it in, but in some spots if it doesn't flow or make complete sense, it's probably because I've removed a sentence or some part of the entry. Either that or I was exhausted when I typed it. Or both. This is a labor story. And a little bit of a love story…)
The Story of Bailey
We had planned to have an induction on Friday March 4, 2011. We were to call the hospital at 5am (and when I say "we" I mean Ryan) to make sure there was a room for us and then they would tell us when to get to the hospital. We had made arrangements for Andrew to stay at a friend's house Thursday night so we wouldn't have to wake him up (and our friends up) when we left for the hospital. I was starting to feel nervous. I didn't really want to be induced, but it made sense for a lot of reasons. First, Andrew had a place to go with plenty of time to ask our friends for help, pack up his bag, and get him all ready. Second, I was positive for Strep B and needed to take antibiotics for 4 hours before Bailey was born. This would allow me some time to get the medicines in me before I delivered. It also gave us the weekend so Ryan wouldn't have to take as many days off and our friends were home to help. Lots of reasons to have her induced on Friday. I was still a little nervous. I wanted to go into labor "naturally". I felt that my body would be more ready for labor if it started off on its own. It probably doesn't really matter, but that's just what I felt.
So Thursday night we dropped Andrew off at our friends, The Dyers, and headed home. I packed a few last minute items in my hospital bag, put the laundry in the dryer and called it a night. I wasn't really tired because I was anxious and a little nervous. Not really about the labor or Bailey, more about Andrew. How would he adjust? Would he felt neglected or left out? Would he be ok at our friend's houses? Andrew can be a handful sometimes. All those questions were running around in my mind that night.
I woke up around 2:30am. I usually wake up around that time to go to the bathroom, but when I woke up, I felt a little odd. I thought, ok, I'm awake, I must need to go to the bathroom, but I felt that needing to go to the bathroom wasn't what woke me up. I stayed there for a while and then I knew what must have woken me up. I had a contraction. Not a bad one, but strong enough to wake me up and keep me up. It didn't last too long, but this was my first one that felt like the contractions I remember with Andrew. I just breathed through it and thought, ok so I had one or two. No big deal. Ryan woke up around 3 to me "breathing" (heavily) though my contractions that were now about 15 minutes apart. Ok, not a big deal. We're going to the hospital anyway in a few hours, I can handle it. (Side note: I was having contractions with Andrew for 3 days before he was born. They felt worse than these ones so I figured I wasn't in any harm of going into labor. I didn't really keep track of how far apart they were because I thought it wasn't a big deal. Ryan on the other hand, made sure I told him when I had them and he was watching the clock). So, I'm having these contractions, breathing though them, almost as if I was waiting for them to just, go away. Then I felt a little "ping" and…"Ryan! Get out of bed! GET OUT OF BED!!! My water just broke!" (Now, why we didn't switch sides of the bed so I was closer to the bathroom is beyond me). I hopped over the bed and ran to the bathroom Luckily, I didn't make a mess anywhere. That was really nice. But once I made it to the bathroom, everything changed. Oh, also, "water breaking" is a polite way of saying "a continuous amount of (yucky) liquid (goo) coming out of you without your consent or permission." It wasn't a huge gush like I expected, so it was more annoying and gross. I thought I had time so I plugged in my hair straightener, thought about what I was going to wear (because I wasn't going in that!) and then had another contraction. Much worse now. "Ryan? Um, we need to go. Now!" Ryan had been eating breakfast I think but he heard the urgency in my voice and packed us up. I grabbed a clean shirt and pants and turned off my straightener (I hope!) and off we were. My contractions were now 5 minutes apart and getting worse. I could still get though them, but couldn't talk though them anymore. I was however, in great spirits! Andrew was asleep, we were all packed, we knew we were having a baby today, and I went into labor on my own! What a blessing. Heavenly Father sure knows what He's doing!
So we're in the car and the song that was on the radio was, "Girls just Wanna have Fun" How appropriate?! It was so perfect. Our little girl didn't want to come on someone else's schedule. She was ready to come out and have FUN! I called my parents (2:30am there) and told my parents the news! (They were happy I called). It was expected that we would have her today, but it was so different now that it wasn't exactly as planned. It was nice to talk to my parents. I felt I had to tell somebody! At this point I was really excited! It really couldn't have been planned better.
We pulled up to the emergency room entrance because the labor and delivery entrance is still closed. I waddle up and go straight for a wheelchair. My contractions aren't horrible (yet) but I know they will get worse so I wanted to sit down right away. Ryan goes up to the window and says, "um, my wife's in labor". I said, "It's ok, my contractions are still 5 minutes apart." I was wheeled down to the labor and delivery area where I had to prove that my water actually did break and I wasn't just peeing on myself. J I had to take this tiny piece of paper and make it turn blue. It was kind of a stupid test. It would have been easier if it was like a pregnancy test with the test area at the end of a stick. Anyway, this women, who wasn't very friendly, had to come in the bathroom with me to "check" that it was amniotic fluid. So I passed that test and they made me walk over to this bench for "laboring mothers only". It was your typical wooden bench. Man, you'd think they'd splurge on at least this one couch and make it a little more comfortable. Maybe even get some massage chairs or something. That would be sweet.
Anyway. They tell me they are getting a room ready for me. The nurses think it's funny that I was the first on the list for inductions that day and I arrived "too early". They tell me that I have a room ready and make me walk down the hallway to my room. I was a little annoyed that they made me walk when my wheelchair was right there. My contractions were getting stronger and it was getting harder to walk. I didn't have to go to triage like I did with Andrew though. I was headed straight to my labor/delivery and recovery room.
I got settled in and they gave me my IV and some medicine that I needed to take 4 hours before labor. I was 4 cm and about 100% effaced. My contractions were still hurting, but after the IV hydrated me, they came farther apart. Then I got the epidural (ahhhhh!) I was actually really scared for this part because I remember this being the most painful part when I was in labor with Andrew. While the doctor was prepping me and administering the epidural, I just had tears running down my face. This is when I started to get nervous and really scared and I think it finally hit me that we were going to have a baby that day. When I got the epidural, my left leg had a spasm, which I'll come to later. The doctor then put the medicine in and I felt a cool rush though my body. It was actually neat to feel. My body was uncontrollably shaking though. It was cold in that room! Thank goodness I told Ryan to run back inside the house to grab me a sweatshirt right before we left. I remember it being cold last time, but Ryan ended up wearing my sweatshirt and I bundled under warmed blankets. Luckily, he grabbed my largest sweatshirt so it actually fit him. Finally a nurse told me that we had a temperature control in our room. After that, we were perfectly comfortable (temperature wise that is).
My OBGYN came in to check on me around this point I think. I love this woman. She is awesome! I was so happy to see her. She just makes me feel so comfortable and at ease. (Even in these situations!) She said she'd come back later when I was ready to push.
So after I get the epidural, the nurses check my contractions. They are between 3 and 7 minutes apart. Since my body is able to relax now and I'm hydrated my contractions are not as regular. I still have to get a second dose of the medicine that I mentioned I needed 4 hours before delivering. The nurses were worried that it would take me a long time to get to 10 cm with irregular contractions so they gave me a dose of pitosin. Apparently I went from a 4 to a 10 in less than an hour (which is fast). They told me to do a "practice push". I thought they were joking. We'd only been in the hospital a few hours and I look over at Ryan, with a face like, "is she serious". They told me to hold my breath and not let it out. Of course I tried, but then started laughing. What was I doing? Really? We're having a baby?! It was just funny to me at this point. So I try to push and then the nurses said, "STOP STOP STOP! We better get her doctor in here fast!" It wasn't as funny anymore.
Side note about the epidural. With Andrew I was completely numb from the waist down. I just thought that was how it was supposed to be. I didn't understand when my friends would tell me they just felt like they had to push. I didn't. I didn't even know how to push or when to push. With this epidural, I could still move my toes in both feet and my right leg. My left leg was dead from the ankle up pretty much. (maybe that spasm from the epidural??) It was so weird. I kept poking it. It felt like when I go to the grocery store and pick out a nice piece of meat. It was weird, and gross when I thought about it that way. Then I realized, it is just muscle and fat and bone. It wasn't as weird then, but I still kept poking my leg. Also since I could still feel pressure, I knew when to push. I loved this! It made such a huge difference! I could tell where and how to push because of the pressure I felt. I wish I knew this was an option with Andrew! I think that made me much for effective in the labor process!
My doctor arrived quickly and made me feel much better. She said " You ready to have a baby?" At this point I was. I pushed a time or two and they told me she was crowning. That was fast! A couple more pushes and out was my baby girl! They said it took about 8 minutes. Wow! Andrew took over an hour of pushing. Way to go Bailey! She was just as eager as I was I guess. With Andrew I was so exhausted I don't remember anything after he was born. I woke up 3 hours later. With Bailey I was able to enjoy this whole amazing process. I am very curious about prenatal development and wanted to see what she looked like the second she was born. I wanted to see the umbilical cord and Ryan was able to cut it. (PS: I don't think Ryan likes the whole birthing stuff. He was as far away as possible while still being able to touch my shoulder. I think it's funny). They put her on my chest and it was love at first purple gooey sight. She is the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen. Goo and all. I was so happy. This labor was so much easier than Andrew's! I really didn't believe I was done already! The nurses cleaned her up and did all the measurements and testes and stuff and the Doctor and I just chatted while she finished with me. I don't know why but I really wanted to see my placenta. It's gross to some people, but I was just so curious. She showed me. I don't think it's gross. It kept my baby alive! Without it she would be nothing, so I thank you placenta! (plus it just looks like a organ or liver).
Bailey was born at 9:26am on Saturday, March 4th, 2011.
(this next part I just typed up a few days ago so I may repeat some stuff.)
My doctor put her on my chest and it was love at first sight. Even though she was covered in muck, she was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. I don't remember if she was crying, but I just fell in love with that little face and I knew for the rest of my life I'd do whatever I had to do to protect her. The nurses took Bailey and cleaned her up. This delivery was soooooo different from Andrew's. With Andrew, I was so tired I was falling asleep between pushes. When he was born, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep right after he was born and I don't remember waking up until it was much later (about 3 hours later). With Bailey I was able to watch everything the nurses were doing. I saw them clean her off, measure her, weigh her and whatever else they do to her. I felt more involved, although I was just lying there in bed. It was great to watch all that though.
After she was cleaned up, Ryan and I took turns holding her. We made some phone calls announcing her arrival and just soaked up the overwhelming love and joy we felt. She is perfect. I hated, hated, HATED! being pregnant, but every time I look at her I tell myself, it was worth it. It was so completely worth it.
The nurses kept coming in to check me and push on my tummy. I didn't know what they were doing. They said they were checking to make sure my uterus was going back to where it was supposed to. That makes sense I guess, but I didn't expect it to go back so quickly. They came in quite often, but I really liked my nurses so I didn't mind. A little while later she came in to see if I was ready to try to get up to go to the bathroom. My epidural was wearing off at this point, but my left leg was still pretty numb. I could move my right leg, but couldn't stand on my left leg yet. She asked if I felt like I had to go to the bathroom and I said no. They wanted to give me fresh sheets and they change some part of the bed since the delivery was done so I hobbled over to a chair while they did all that. (I felt, and probably looked like, a pirate with a peg leg). Then got back into my clean bed! Ahh, sweet. After I settled back down, the nurse checked my tummy again. She made an "uh-" sound (half of uh-oh). I don't know about you, but coming from a medical professional, that can't be a good sound. So I look at my tummy which is surprisingly going back to normal already and see two large bumps. One was lower left and the other was higher on the right (from my angle for all you people who know the human body). Apparently, my bladder was bulging quite a bit. Not a little bit, but I could literally see an orange sized bump starting to show. (ok, it wasn't like a complete orange, like a third of an orange sticking out…too much info??) The other bulge on my side was my uterus. Oh. Now I see why they check. My uterus couldn't go back to where it was supposed to because my bladder was too big so it scooted over to the side. Not ideal. So, the nurse told me that the catheter probably didn't work and all the fluids that I had from the IV was still in my bladder. Because I was still numb, my body couldn't tell my brain I had to go to the bathroom. The nurse immediately put a new catheter in so my bladder wouldn't explode. (that would be no fun). … The good news is my bladder didn't explode. Yay! Now I know why they check my tummy so often.
After that, everything went well. The nurses said when they first tested her right after birth she scored a 10. I'm not sure what that means, but I think it's good. She passed the hearing test first try (Andrew took two tries) and she's just been doing great. She did spit up a lot in the hospital. I was worried that she had reflux. Our pediatrician said sometimes newborns have mucus still in their bodies that they have a hard time digesting or getting rid of. She would spit it up in her mouth and then swallow it again. This happened for a couple days until it finally got digested I guess. I'm so glad she doesn't have reflux! (Although she throws up when I drink milk, so it's soy for me now).
One month later and she is so sweet and I am so grateful that she chose to join our family. We love you Bailey!
More photos to come…
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