Rylee was born on Friday, March 28th at 4:55am. She weighed 6lb 14 oz and is 20.5 inches long.
Here is the birth story (more for my record, but enjoy the journey!)
Wednesday - March 26
4pm - Brad and I show up for our final OB appointment. We waited forever! I was told that I was still a fingertip dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor asked how much I had felt her that day and I said that it was one of those days where it was hard to get her to move. She did the dopplar on her heart and said that she was going to send us down to the hospital to have a non stress test done. She said that her heart rate was going up and down. I joked with Brad that we should grab the bags. We didn't but we did get a light dinner (best idea ever!)
7:30pm - We began the NST and saw her heartrate drop during contractions. I was getting a little worried. It would go from high to low. The doctor came in and said that we would be having a ultrasound done to check on the baby.
9:00pm - Had the ultrasound. It was so amazing to see her again. She looked so beautiful. The tech said what she was doing and said that the only thing that the baby didn't do on the ultrasound was pratice breathing. The tech guessed her weight due to measurements to be 8lbs.
10pm - We went back to Triage and the nurse came in and said that the doc would be in shortly. We were told that the baby scored a 6/8 on her ultrasound and that we would be getting induced. I was in shock and starting getting all teary. The doc came in and said that while she didn't think anything was wrong, that me being so close to my due date, it just made sense to induce.
10:45 - We were brought to our L&D room. Things started to feel more real.
Thursday, March 28th.
12am - Started the induction wtih Cervadil. Its a small packet placed on the uteris to get things moving.
12:20 am - Got two Ambien - slept well until contractions woke me up around 4am.
8am - we were up and just waiting for things to get started...
12 noon - they took out the cervadil and I was sitting at 1-2 cm's and -2 station.
2pm - started the Pitocen. Contracions started, but were nothing too bad yet. Still could talk and breath. I used a birthing ball to relieve some of the back pain.
5:15 pm - The doctor came in to check me. I forget where I was (i think the same) but she looked at her fingers with the strangest look and said "Your awful leaky" and at the same moment I felt a small gush - water broke! Contractions started to get more real, but still were manageable with no drugs.
9pm - I stood up from the chair I was sitting at to go to the bathroom and when I got in there, my water BROKE - like a HUGE gush and lost my mucus plug. After that the contactions were UNREAL. My parents were in the room up until that point but I think seeing me in such pain and crying so hard was too much for them. I was literally grabbing onto the bed crying in such awful pain. Brad was staying so strong for me as I was literlly clawing at his hand. I was in such unreal pain. I was checked by the doctor and she said I was around 3-4 cm and 80%. I begged to her let me get a Epi and she agreed. I suffered thru the worst 5 contrations os my life as we waited for the doctor to come. I was crying and begging for the pain to stop.
10pm - Got my Epi. It wasn't too bad, but I did jump during the "small poke and burn" I think it was the shock. The doc was like "Whoa, Leslie, do not do that again!" I was so scared that he was going to refuse to do my epi. I closed my eyes and knew that in a few short hours I would be holding my baby girl. The epi went in and I told the doctor that he was my favorite person ever (besides brad!). The epi was truly a lifesaver. I know I could not have done it without it.
11:30pm - The baby kept getting lost on the monitors so they put a internal heart monitor on her and a internal contraction monitor in me.
Friday, March 28th
1:20 am - I was checked and was 7 cm and 100%. I had four more contractions after that and said that with each one I felt like I had to push.
1:30 am - I called the nurse and asked her to check me. She came in and said "you have no more cervix!" I started to push. I was so tired at that point that I was sleeping during contractions. I pushed for two hours. With each push I felt more and more. By the end of two hours I was so exausted I just could not do it anymore. The nurse said I was really not moving the head down past my pelvic bone. I was trying so hard, I pushed with only one leg to see if that would work. It didn't. She left for a few minutes and I just cried to Brad and told him that I didn't know how much more I could give. I was so tired, I just had no more strength. The nurse came back with the doctor and she said that I just wasn't making any progress. They also said that it could be that the baby was unable to fit thru my pelvis. She said I had two choices - I could push more, or have a c-section. I cried to Brad (and my mom who was now in the room) that I just could not do it anymore. They both said how proud of me they were and said that I did all I could. I felt defeated, but wanted to meet my girl so bad. Within minutes there was a fury of people in the room getting me all ready.
4:30 am - The c-section begins! Brad sat to my left and I moved the curtain so I could see the baby in the warmer when she came out. I kept my eyes on Brad the whole time. I could feel the whole table shaking. I kept looking at the ceeling and saying "its ok, its ok, its ok" I was so scared.
4:55 am - Finally I heard them say "come on Rylee, come on out! Oh, she is beatiful!" And I
heard her cry and saw her being brought over to the warmer. I started bawling right away. I was so amazed and releaved. Brad was able to cut the cord. All the nurses in the room were guessing her weight and one got it right 6lb 14oz. I was still crying when they brought her over. I gave her a kiss and watched Brad hold and cuddle his daughter. Priceless moments. The nurse told me that there was actually NO way that I was going to be able to push her out and that we made the right choice, I felt so good about that. And she scored a 8/9 on her APGAR.
I think around 5:30 I was in the recovery room. I was able to hold her for the first time. It was amazing. She is so beautiful. All in all, it wasn't the way we thought it was going to happen, but it was priceless all the same. We got out beautful daughter out of it who we are totally crazy in love with.
She has been doing so well since then. She has taken very nicely to breastfeeding and sleeps all the time. Whenever we pick her up from the nursery they always let her know that she never made a peep.
She always has her hands by her face, has the hiccups and takes them like a champ and loves to be held. We are more in love with her and eachother then we ever thought possible.
Bonding has been amazing as well. Just tonight when she was sent to the nursery after Brad went home, I called my mom and told her how hard it was to send her off. As I said that, they brought her back saying that she was making signs that she wanted to eat. I took her in my arms and after two sucks, she stopped and feel asleep. Almost like she knew just what she had to do to be back in my arms. I let her sleep and put her back in her basket to bring her down again, when she once again started making the signs. I was so amazed. I feel so bonded, and it felt like she was doing those things just to be close with me.
Well, the journal has only begun. You all have followed her during the pregnancy and now you can follow her during life! Enjoy!
