January 2015- Part 1

So the new year came and went for us.  Due to my ever growing belly, we were unable to travel during the holidays and both of us had work around Christmas and New Years, so we stayed close to home (or should I say the hospital) and did what we had to do.  My off days were consisting of trying to finish the last few things in the nursery and sleep as much as I could!  Work was becoming challenging and I had an episode around 35 weeks that sent me to the ER (even though I fought that decision by the nurse on call).

I had been having really regular Braxton Hicks and contractions at work and had done everything they told me to do to try and get them to stop without any success...so into L&D for 2 bags of fluid (in addition to the almost 70 ounces of water I had gulped during the day)...several hours later I was heading home still having contractions but less consistently and they weren't causing anything.  (Side note- almost everyone had been expecting me to deliver early, including my doctor.)

So, after that fun trip, I continued to contract daily with some increasing intensity but no progress.  At one of my regular appointments, I was measuring behind and they wanted to double check the baby's growth via ultrasound.  Thankfully, her growth was fine (actually was ahead) but we discovered this little kicker was wrong-side up (breach).  So, everything sort of changed from there on out.  It became a game of watching the contractions closely and if my water were to break, I was instructed not to waste any time getting to the hospital.  So we proceeded to watch the belly (and me) like a time bomb and went ahead and scheduled the c-section.

So, fast forward a couple of weeks.  (Every time I go in for an appointment my doc is somewhat surprised I still haven't gone into labor.)  My last prenatal appointment was the Friday before the c-section (on Monday) and still nothing too exciting happening.  I have decent contractions most of the day Friday but nothing to write home about.  Brian and I go see a movie and have a date.  We ran down the list of the few things we still needed to finish that weekend before Monday and have our weekend set with family coming in town and such.  Despite being 39+ weeks pregnant, I was still managing to sleep almost through the night with very few potty interruptions, so when I had to get up a few more times than usual Friday night, I attributed it to something I ate or too much to drink at bedtime...but then I was awakened at 6:30 in pain.  I went to the bathroom again, thinking that was the problem. Then I proceeded to grumble under my breath and attempt to get comfortable...at which point I started tracking the contractions.  Despite the different nature of these contractions I still didn't believe them (neither did B at first), so I drank a little bit of water and started to attempt getting ready for the day (since I clearly wasn't going back to sleep).  After I brushed my teeth (with multiple interruptions) I woke B up so he could track things while I was in the shower...which didn't help at all (the shower actually made the contractions more intense).  This whole time I am calm and not very vocal about the pain, so once I got done with the shower and told B I was calling the doc on call, he got up to start getting ready.  As he walked into the bathroom I was hunched over having a contraction and quietly cussing and mumbling under my breath.  He stopped in the doorway and said something along the lines of- yeah, okay, so that's pretty convincing.  A quick call to the on call service and within 30 minutes we were heading in.  Thankfully, no water breakage but man do contractions hurt! 

After they called us back and got us checked in they started pre-op and paperwork and then the lovely epidural!!  It was quite the odd sensation, but I love medical advances such as this!!  After B was convinced to be dad, things were well underway and soon we heard a rather robust cry! EG was born at12:05pm weighing 7lbs 9oz and 20 inches long.  We discovered during her birth that she had bounced around enough inside to tie a true knot in her umbilical cord.  To say I was relieved and thankful for her safe arrival would be an understatement!  We are incredibly blessed by the gift of this little girl in our lives!!  From moment one with this child, God has answered so many of my prayers and disbanded my fears!

Welcome to the world, EG!