Look What the Stork Delivered

May 5 (38 weeks)

Today I was at the salon working like any other regular Saturday. The Salon phone rang and Danielle answered it, I heard her say “congratulations” a ton of times. My heart dropped- after she hung up the phone  my biggest nightmare came true… Jessica (a girl I work with who shared the same due date as me) had her baby early this morning. That’s 2 weeks before our due date!! I was so discouraged! I really wanted my lil Anna. I got a few minutes in between appointments and I ran to the bathroom. There was blood in the toilet- it was such a horrible sight! I’ve lately been cramping a lot- especially today! So I called Mike and then Labor and Delivery. They said that bleeding was NOT normal and that I should come into the hospital. I called my appointments and told them what was up and I rushed out the door. I was so nervous -what If this meant labor?

So I met Mike and we drove up to the hospital. The ride felt like forever! My cramps were terrible! Finally we got there and I dressed down into the gown and they hooked me up to all of the monitors. It was such a delight to hear Anna’s heart beat strong and proud. They made me do a urine sample, I came out of the bathroom afraid to show Mike, it was bright red! We couldn’t believe it, when the nurse came in to collect it she couldn’t believe it either! My heart started beating faster and a flood of thoughts occupied my worried mind. The Dr. came in and said that my urine was so full of blood that they couldn’t test it, they had to send it somewhere else in the hospital that had stronger equipment. Long story short the Dr. said that I had a terrible bladder infection (and possible kidney stones). All of the cramping pain was from my infection. They checked Anna and she was completely fine. Wow- what a day!

No baby but I’m so grateful that it was me with the infection instead of her.

May 16 (40 weeks/Due date)

I took work off thinking that Anna was actually going to come on her due date. That was not the case. Mike and I ran some errands and found out that our car needed to go into the shop. While packing up to drive to Fairview I stepped on a bee! I was pretty ornery today, and then I got stung… this was not my day L I haven’t been stung in years- so to have this happen and on my due date. No good. Anna didn’t come today L when will you come baby?

May 17

My last Dr. appointment… I got my membrains stripped AGAIN and he said that I was still measuring 2 cm and 80% effaced. We had my induction date scheduled for May 21^st but he said that I wasn’t making much progress and that we should get started on the 20^th. That was music to my ears, a day early- no problem.

May 20 (Sunday)

I’ve been having contractions for weeks now- I’m super nervous for the unknown. I’m so grateful that I’m going into the hospital tonight, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to continue much longer. 9 months is forever! We called the hospital at 4 to see if there was room for us in labor and delivery and there was!! So we packed the car up and began the last journey to the hospital, just Mike and I. The next time we’d be home would be with three!

We showed up at 5pm, I dressed into the glamorous gown and we got started. They gave me some medication to “ripen my cervix” whatever that means... Mike and I sat and watched ‘Downton Abby’ while we waited for the meds to work and he read to me. We’re pretty big geeks but I love listening to him read!  At 10pm I got my epidural- I wasn’t quite sure when I should ask for it. I figured since I’m going to get it anyways, then why wait and try to be tough. So they loaded me up. It was such an interested feeling. It was great not feeling the contractions!!! The Dr. came in and broke my water (also a strange feeling and pretty freaky looking- a big crochet hook, yikes I’m glad I didn’t feel a thing)!  

They started the pitocin at 11pm  and it was a waiting game. Up until then everything was going textbook.

Oh yeah by the way it was the eclipse of the sun tonight. Too bad I missed it, I guess I was busy with more important things ;)

Once midnight came around I started noticing Anna’s heart rate was starting to drop. My eyes were glued to her monitor.  It would start out at 160 then slowly drop down to 70!! Once it got to 100 the nurses and Dr.’s on the floor would rush in and make me change positions and put the oxygen mask on me. It was such a nightmare to watch that monitor and know that I couldn’t do anything to help her. Just watch it drop. This was happening about every 20 min. I know I was so new to the whole thing but when your Dr. and nurses are panicking you can’t help but freak out too. My whole entourage came running in after one of the scares. My Dr said that they were going to put saline back inside me, apparently she was running out of fluids after they’d broke my water. So they did. It didn’t change her heart dropping, it kept continuing throughout the night. They stopped the ‘P’ and gave me meds to counteract. Apparently the Pitocin was causing my contractions to be too strong, it was very traumatizing for her.

At one point of the Dr.’s noticeable stress and worry I began to panic. I started bawling and my nerves were out of control. I was shaking uncontrollably. It was a feeling I can’t even explain, I lay there helpless not knowing if my baby was going to be okay or not. Mike was so adorable to me, he was such a great support during such a scary time.. I just focused on him and prayed so hard that everything was going to work out and be okay.

They finally found the right position for me to be in that would help her calm down… on my stomach! So with my epidural working I somehow maneuvered onto all fours and rested my tummy on a yoga ball. Haha this was extremely attractive and somewhat uncomfortable- but anything that would help my baby breath better I was all for.

Although my new position was helping, it wasn’t good enough. The Dr frantically said that Mike needs to get suited up in scrubs because we may have to do an emergency C-section. My heart dropped, I’d had dreams and ideas about how my delivery would be and this Is not what I had in mind. Instead of being a beautiful time it was so scary!

All those chick flick movies of  deliveries… haha sneezing and the baby pops out- I wish!

 Anyways they said they wanted me to try pushing and if that wouldn’t work then they’d rush me into surgery. The Dr. checked Anna’s head, she was looking to the side rather than down. He said they couldn’t deliver her looking to the side. So he manually tried to turn her head and as soon as he did, she would  quickly move back. This happened multiple times. They tried with two different kind of forceps and then with the vacuum. Finally she turned her head long enough for me to start pushing. FINALLY she came! She came out with the cord wrapped around her neck twice and purple. They quickly cut it and rushed her over to her warming bed to get her to cry. It was, like I said not what I expected. I thought we’d have our little skin on skin moment, and we didn’t. That kind of made me sad.  I survived though, just as long as she was healthy! They kept flicking her little feet to make her cry. She was such a calm baby she barely made a sound.

Wow I’ll never forget just laying there as they stitched me up thinking about what had all just happened. I was so drained, emotionally, physically and spiritually. But I was on top of the world!  I look back now at the experience and geez it was like a drug, I want to go back to that moment, it was so special when I saw my baby for the first time. Her big eyes staring up at me, such innocence and admiration.

Anna you’re the apple of my eye, I truly know now the love of a mother. I fall in love with you every day more and more. It was worth all of the scary moments and pain to get you here. You’re my baby girl, and you always will be.