My birth story....super long....

First...this is the first time I've been online in many days...

Second...I had my baby!!  Yes...surprising to most of you since my last post was about packing my hospital bag.

So here's the scoop

 We had a doctor's appointment last Wednesday and I went in my with my usual anxiety because of all the blood pressure issues I had been experiencing.  My hospital bag was packed, but I stupidly left it at home.  No clue why I chose to do this...

My pressure was the same but my baby was not as active has she has been and her heart rate was up at bit during the NST.  So, I was sent to L&D, not allowed to go home and get my bag..I was being induced immediately.

They began by putting Cervidil on my cervix and getting my blood pressure under control.  So there I sat, for 12 hours (for the medication to work it's magic).  I started to have some contractions.  Around 2AM they took the medication off my cervix and I had dialited a little more..but nothing significant.  So we were told we'd wait for a few hours and see what happened.  If nothing..we'd start Pitocin around 5 AM.  

About 15 min after the meds were removed, my water broke.  OMG...that was a very odd feeling...but a good feeling because I thought things were progressing quickly.  My contractions had already gotten much stronger and closer together and they continued.  Apparently my baby girl was not happy about my contractions though.  Very shortly afterward...my midwife and nurses and a doctor rushed in.  My daughter's heart rate was very high and she was not responding.  I was having a emergency C-Section immediately.

They next few moments are a total blur  I was rushed into the OR, given an epidural and the C Section began.  My DH was there and was incredible the enitre time. 

Isabella Grace came into the world at 3:28 A.M. on Thursday March 12, 2009.  She weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and is 17 3/4 inches long.  She was taken to the nursery and I was taken back to my room.  They moved us to our room several hours later and brought Isabella to us.  We were exhausted, I was till drugged and I do not remember a lot of her being there. 

The nurse let me know she was grunting a bit and they were watching to make sure she was not having any issues breathing.  The next nurse came in and was concenred b/c she was still grunting and her color did not look good.  She took her back to the nursery.  

The next thing I remember is getting a phone call from our pediatrician.  They were moving Isabella to the NICU for montioring.  She was having some episodes of Apnea where she would forget to take a breath.  So off she went to be closely monitored.

So here I am...4 days later...my Bella is still in NICU.  I am thrilled to say that she is doing perfectly well.  She scared us a bit, but only that first day.  She has not had any other episodes since then.  They gave her some caffeine that first 2 days and she has been off of it since Friday.  She has to have 5 good NICU days before she can be discharged.  We just finished day 3...so hopefully she will come home Wednesday.

I was discharged last night...but let me just say...if you are looking for a hospital to have a baby in..I would HIGHLY recommend St. Lukes.  They staff here...incredble and they have this thing for NICU parents...you can stay for $35./night.  Kinda like Hotel St. Lukes.  I did not even have to move rooms.  If they had not had that..I would be sleeping outside the NICU.  I pretty much refuse to step foot out of this hospital without my daughter

That's it...that's where we are.  I will update you girls soon.  Sorry this was so long...I'm working on very little sleep and many emotions...but I wanted to share with everyone.  

Michelle