Birth Story: Emily Grace

**As a warning... I'm going to go into detail, read at your own risk.** ;) 

I will back track to Tuesday (12/11/12) at my 40 week OB appointment.  The appointment went well: baby's heart rate was good, blood pressure was good, I was dialated to about 2 cm and Dr. P offered an induction for "later that week."  He said my body was ready... baby was ready and that he was comfortable with the decision.  I said "ok" and he left the room to "make some calls."  

A nurse came back in with the paper work and said the would induce me the following evening at 5pm.  Well, ok!  Bonus, if the induction moved fast I could potentially still have a 12/12/12 baby.  

So I went home and prepped.  I finished up the laundry, cleaned, food shopped and mentally geared up for the next day.  

On Wednesday, I called in and made sure they were ready for me.  They were.  The L&D floor was empty!  We headed over around 4 and were in a room at 4:45ish ready for things to get moving.  

We met my nurse, got an IV in, and waited for the resident doctor to come, check me and order pitocin.  By 6:30 I was checked (1.5cm) and pitocin was started.  Sometime around 7:45 I asked for my epidural.  Don't laugh at me.  Yes, in just over an hour I defaulted to asking for pain meds, but before you judge let me say this, I waited TOO long with Eliz and was in mucho pain.  Not happening again.  

I was checked again (2cm) and got the epidural around  9:00 or so.  They were skeptical about giving it to me that early, but when they called Dr. P, he said to do what I wanted.  I love that man.

Right after the epidural Dr. P came in and checked me (3cm) and broke my water.  Game on.  

By 10:15 I was 5cm and in some pain still so I got a bolus dose of epi meds around 10:30.  Worked like a CHARM.  

So then we waited... 11:20ish rolled around and miss baby had moved away from her monitor... she descended.  No biggie.  I was feeling pressure, but was guessing the doctor would be in soon to check progress.  Then 11:40ish hit and she again moved lower and her heart monitor didn't pick up her tones.  Her heart rate at that point did drop to in the 90's (it was 140-150 before) so I was given oxygen.  I told the nurse that I was feeling pressure and she asked if I wanted to be checked.  Before I could answer she said we would do a cathetor and when it was inserted, she commented "Ohh, your baby has some hair... let me call your doctor."  Game ON! 

Pressure indeed... she was crowning.  So within a few minutes she finished the catheter, and called the doctors and nurses in.  The baby nurse arrived, and extra nurse to help hold my other (numb) leg arrived, and finally Dr. P, the resident and a student arrived.  They broke down the bed and at 11:53 we started pushing.  

Pretty much, I just pushed.  Then I'd breathe... and push.  At 11:59 (after 6 minutes of pushing) her head was out.  Right at the stroke of midnight the rest of her emerged.  When the nurse looked at her last fetal heart reading, it was at 11:59 so they counted that as her birthday.  11:59pm on 12/12/12.  Technically, by the time her body slid out, it was midnight... but only by a few seconds.  

She spent a minute on my belly and then was taken over to be weighed and wiped off.  By little girl weighed in at a whopping 8lbs 9oz and 21 inches.  I was deemed in great condition and no stitches, etc were needed.  Score. 

She screamed and screamed and screamed.  I think she was ticked that she was out of her warm cocoon and was freaked out by the new surroundings.  She made quite a scene for... quite a while.  No quiet bonding going down. ;)

I was Dr. P's last delivery... ever.  I don't know if I will ever find a doctor as amazing as him.  I can't describe it but he just knows what he's doing... if he can get an almost 9lb baby out of me with no tears, in 5 hours.  C'mon.  The man is amazing.  

After we calmed our little screamer down, Jim got a chance with her.  He's once again wrapped around a teeny little finger. ;) 

                 

We were into a postpartum room by 2:30 and got some sleep.  I slept until 4, when they brought her back from her bath.  Then, I was wide awake,  I slept again from 5-7.  Who needs sleep when you have a new baby to stare at? ;)  Thankfully, she slept soundly so it was an easy night.  

    

Visitors came through Thursday including Emily's siblings.  It is so heart warming to see the relationship they all have with her already.  Josh is the sweetest with her.  He seems to know boundaries, wants to hold her, but is gentle and non intrusive.  He is very calm.  Elizabeth simply thinks that Emily is hers.  She was so possessive and didn't want others holding Emily for very long.  At one point she said "Dats my sister."  ::gush::  It's so sweet to see that all those months that we talked about Emily being in my belly, Elizabeth actually was connecting the dots.  She totally took to Emily immediately and treated her like she's known her forever.  June is taking the role he ways does... part parent.  He wants to pick her up, hold her, and be one of the grown ups.  He so loves her though.  

Below is our new family scheme: 

Jim titled this "I still don't know how this happened."  I think that's pretty perfect.  ;)  Who would have pictured *this* as our reality when we said "I Do." in May of 06! 

For now, I'm camping out in the hospital.  Getting to know about Emily and bonding with her.  She is sleeping a lot, nursing like a pro and seems pretty mellow so far (but don't be mistaken, she's LOUD when upset) ;) 

Welcome to the world, Emily Grace.  Enjoy the spot as our 4th child, 2nd girl.  Welcome little one!