Elizabeth's Arrival

Some of you have asked to hear the birth story, so here it is. For the rest of you, this would be the post to skip:-).

I was almost 1 week past my due date and ready for this baby to come. It was a Tuesday night and I had gotten to bed late for some reason. Soon after I laid down in my bed, I knew I would be spending another night on the couch due to acid reflux. I was finally falling asleep when around 1 am Hannah yelled out that she couldn't find her flashlight (don't ask... it is a habit we wished we hadn't encouraged). I jumped off the couch (well, as much as an overdue pregnant woman can jump) and rushed back to her room. When I returned to the couch, I realized that I was having a contraction. After a couple, I decided to get the watch and start timing them. They were 5 to 7 minutes apart, but not unbearable. I spent the next 2 or so hours drifting in and out of sleep between them.

Around 5, I decided to check in with the midwife on-call. She said I sounded like I was still pretty early and the could stop, but I would probably be coming in sometime that morning. I decided to let daryl know what was going on and we started putting our last minute hospital stuff together.

At 6ish, I called our childcare person to put her on alert that we would probably need her some time that morning. Not long after that call... the contractions...STOPPED. I was shocked... this doesn't happen... does it? Well, apparently it does, because it did. I took a walk by myself around the block. Stepping over snow piles that were almost gone, but not quite. I had one semi-contraction... no... I can't even call it that... on the walk. Other than that, they were over... really!?!?

So Daryl and I decided to pack up the whole family to go to Grace's 18 month doctor's visit. I called our childcare person and told her what we were doing. I asked if she would be willing to come later that afternoon to watch Hannah and Grace so Daryl could go with me to my ultrasound and midwife appointment (I was going to go alone... it is a good thing I didn't!). She was very gracious to help us out.

Off we went to the Grace's appointment. The office staff wondered when baby #3 was coming. We had been to the office several times over the last month for various reasons. Each time I was there I said "Next time we will be bringing the baby." Nope. After the appointment we went home for lunch and a nap before Daryl and I headed off for an afternoon of appointments.

The ultrasound revealed everything looked great. There was enough amniotic fluid. Baby was measuring fine. The baby even let us know he/she was good.

We weren't sure if the thumbs up meant "I'm fine just hanging out in here" or "Don't worry, mom, all systems go and ready to come out."

We followed the ultrasound with an appointment with the midwife. We discussed what next options. I was not ready to be induced, but wanted to know our options. She checked my cervix and I was 3 cm which was encouraging, but in reality didn't mean much. I decided to schedule my next appointment for the following week, but she gave me the option of calling the midwives on call over the next 2 days if I decided I wanted to start the induction process. She also wanted me to go to the hospital to have NST... standard procedure for past term babies.

So our next stop was the hospital. The baby was really quiet, so I suspected it would take them a while to get the information they needed for the NST. I drank apple juice and water, but the baby stayed pretty still. About half-way through the test, I started having a contraction. I could definitely feel it, but Daryl watched as the baby's heartrate sped up dramatically before dropping. That happened several times and the nurse came back in to let me know, we passed the test and the baby was fine. She discharged me and as we walked out into the hallway, I had 3 contractions back to back to back. They were so strong, I had to stop and lean up against the wall. The nurses wondered if it was wise for us to go home. We decided we should probably see the midwife on call before we left.

Beth came into the room and talked to me while I had another contraction or so. She checked my cervix, but said we probably had a bit of time before labor would really pick up. She said that we probably had plenty of time to go home, get something to eat, and arrange for our childcare person to come. Although she said it could really pick up on the way home and we could turn back around.

I really wanted to go home and see Hannah and Grace, and make the transition between our afternoon childcare people and our evening/night person. That is what we did, although by the time I got home, I wasn't really much help as I went straight to the bathtub. We were home about 2 hours before the contractions were intense and frequent enough that I wanted to be back at the hospital.

We got to the hospital around 8:30, I was given an IV for the antibiotics (since I tested strep positive) and incase I wanted the epidural. After the baby was monitored for awhile, the nurse unhooked me so I could move around and I decided to head back into the bathtub.

For the next 2 hours, contractions were intense, but very manageable in the tub. The idea of getting out was not a pleasant one for me, because my back would hurt so much, so I just stayed there. The nurses came in every 15 minutes or so to check the baby's heartrate. The baby was doing fine and I was managing it. Around 11 or so, the nurse came to say I would need the next dose of antibiotics at 1 am. She said that I could stay where I was for now, but around 12:30 I should get out and the midwife would check my progress. I agreed to this and continued where I was for about 15 minutes or so...

All the sudden, something popped. I thought for sure my water had broken (there was some debate about this) and the nurse came in to help me get out of the bathtub. Contractions intensified and came more frequently. I was HURTING and ready for something. The nurse suggested nubain, which I was all for.... then, I didn't want Nubain, I wanted the epidural. Beth came came in at that time to gently burst my bubble.

I can remember her words and then I just went into panic mode. She said "I never deny anyone an epidural, but I think before we get the second IV bag into you, you will be holding your baby." What!?!? But I'm in PAIN NOW! All that "managing the pain" stuff when flying out the window. I was not managing and it HURT... A LOT! And this surprised me?!?! It is LABOR, Dana, what did you think?

Daryl, the midwife and the nurses did great with trying to get me to refocus, but I just felt out of control. My back hurt from the back labor and I knew there was no relief coming... well, it was coming, it just took pushing a baby out to get here. I was scared and upset and hurting and basically felt out of control with everything that was going on.

Beth suggested I turn over on my hands and knees to take some of the pressure off my back. That helped... a little, but I still was really upset. At that point I was saying "Who thought this was a good idea?" I just wanted to quit, but Daryl knew I couldn't and he was amazing as he kept encouraging me to keep going. He said later that it felt a little like encouraging a marathon runner. The only difference was a marathon runner could quit before the end of the race. A laboring woman can't.

They kept telling me that I would feel the urge to push, but I didn't and I felt like this would last forever. I could feel my hips pulling apart and it was excruciating. I have finally experienced at 10 on my pain scale (at least I hope I have... I would hate to experience something worse.) Then I did... I felt the urge to push and her head came out. The nurse had me control my pushing, but in the next moment the baby was here! It was another beautiful girl!

I was in such relief that the pain was over and then they passed my daughter up to me and she was BEAUTIFUL! I was such an incredible moment to see her and hold her for the first time. My other girls had to be taken straight to the warmer, but this little girl stayed right with me. They turned me over and after a little while I got to watch her daddy cut the cord that connected her to me physically. Did I say she was beautiful? She didn't have a name, but we knew she was ours.

The midwife and nurse were waiting for the placenta, but I was oblivious to them as I watched my little girl. The placenta came (I didn't realize how much that hurt too... the epidural really does protect you from a lot), and then the nurse started massaging my stomach, apparently they were concerned that not all of it had come out.

The next moments are blurry to me, like in a dream, but the room got deadly silent. The midwife pushed something back into me and ordered the nurse to go get the doctor. The nurse came back in and said the doctor was on her way, but the midwife told her that the doctor needed to be here NOW. At some point, Daryl took the baby from me and watched with wide eyes as the doctor comes in and orders morphin to go into my IV. It didn't take effect yet when she reached back inside me with her hand to sweep my uterus. I remember screaming and Daryl said it felt like a scene from ER.

The next moment, they were done, the room emptied out and Daryl and I were left with our beautiful daughter. A nurse came in to finish cleaning the baby and I before moving us to the postpartem floor. As we were waiting to be moved, Daryl and I decided that we would name our third daughter Elizabeth Anne.

We were in love already! 

Three beautiful girls... three gifts from God and we are so grateful.

And they grow up so fast. Elizabeth is already 7 1/2 weeks old! Her sisters are 20 months and almost 4 years old. Thanks to Nana and their love of dress-up, they are ready for prom!

Oh, please, not yet! Stay my little girls for a little while at least!

PS The scene from ER... well, the midwife feared that my uterus was detaching! She called for the doctor and they both quickly determined it wasn't my uterus, but some of the membrane had been retained in my uterus. Apparently my placenta had come out backwards... the side toward my uterus first and that left some membrane inside. The doctor was doing a sweep to get it all out. OUCH! They later determined that I had the beginnings of an infection in my uterus. Praise God that infection didn't get passed to Elizabeth and I believe the quick acting of my midwife protected me as well.

Thank you, Beth!