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Eli's Birth Story (long-winded) :-)

Leelee06Leelee06
in Alabama Babies

I think I was long-winded b/c I felt like I was writing forever and not getting anywhere, lol. Here goes it!

Eli Ayo
Born April 1, 2010
5 lbs 8 oz
18 3/4 in 
(Ayo, pronounced Ah-yo, is a Yoruba name and means God's Joy)

We are so very excited about the arrival of our son, Eli Ayo!  His arrival was so unexpected!  Wednesday was a normal day for us.  I started the day with my 37 week (37wks 4d) OB appointment.  I had not made any progress (still 1cm dilated) but was 60% effaced.  Dr. Davis didn't make any predictions as far as when I would go into labor, so I left the office thinking that the baby could come at anytime but held out hope that he'd come sometime the week of Easter.  Later that day, my coworkers gave DH and I an amazing baby shower.  We had so much fun and were overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and generosity!  From around lunchtime I had some contractions and was really uncomfortable.  By the end of the work day I was so tired and the contractions were feeling different than usual, so I went home to put my feet up and rest.  I couldn't sleep and the contractions were coming about once an hour.  DH got home with dinner and we watched a few shows we'd recorded earlier in the week.  By midnight, we both had showered and got in the bed.  At that time, I noticed the contractions were closer together.  By 12:36, iBump app on my iTouch told me that I'd had 6 contractions in the last 30 minutes.  The doctor told me that if I ever had more than 4 or 5 in one hour to call.  The nurse on call said to go ahead and come in to the hospital to get monitored.  DH and both felt that I really wasn't in labor and that they would send us home.  We arrived at the hospital just before 1:30 AM and we to a triage room where they hooked me up with monitors to track the baby's heart rate and my contractions.  From the time we got there to 5:30 AM, I was still 1cm but 90% effaced.  Luckily, my primary OB was on-call so the decision was made to wait on her to check me when she arrived at 7:30 AM so she could decide whether or not to send me home to labor or check me in for delivery.  She must have been late because Dr. McK came to check me and found that I had actually progressed to 4cm!  I was so surprised at this because not only was I barely feeling the contractions, but I still expected to not make any progress and be sent home.  The doctor had also noted that my contractions only looked like uterine "irritations" instead of contractions, but hey, whatever!

DH gathered my things and we moved to a labor and delivery suite.  We just couldn't believe that we were actually about to be parents and that the baby was coming on April 1st.  We weren't ready!  The house was not in order and I hadn't made my trip to the grocery store to get some food to keep on hand, which was what I planned to do this Thursday.  But Eli was coming and that was that!  We got settled in the birthing suite and the nurses proceeded to stick me and hook me up to all kinds of monitors.  They tried to put the IV on my wrist but I moved and blew my vein.  The hand was more successful.  Then the doctor broke my water, which was the weirdest feeling in the world, and put an internal monitor in to measure contractions.  Shortly afterward, I dilated to 5cm.  Once my water broke, the contractions became stronger.  Now I'm a wimp who has never had real cramps a day in her life.  They weren't terrible, but I knew they'd get worse and asked again when the anesthesiologist was coming.  He got my epi in and it wasn't terrible either, but I was really scared about it.  The epidural took a little while to kicking and once it did I could tell that it wasn't working on my right side because I could still feel my contractions.  The nurse had started me on pitocin right before I got the epi, so it was kicking in and making my contractions a lot worse.  THAT was bad and I couldn't handle much more of them.  I was given another dose of epi and I became completely numb, at which point I was able to sleep.  Before falling asleep I was 7cm dilated and I could feel a little bit of pressure.  I'm not sure how long I was asleep, but I relished that nap like no other!  When I woke up I could feel more pressure, but it wasn't all in my bum anymore.  I could feel that the baby was on his way out.  Dr. P came in just in time for me to tell her to check me.  She said I was 10cm dilated and she could see the baby's head!  Everybody except for DH and my sister cleared the room so that I could start pushing.  It was time!  The most surreal feeling came over me and I couldn't believe she said she could see the baby's head.  So naturally I wanted to see it, too.  They wheeled in a big mirror for me to watch my baby be born.  Yes, I saw the head and everything else, lol.  I started pushing at 12:30 and didn't really feel like I knew what I was doing.  Holding my breath through the first contraction was tough so they put an oxygen mask on me, which helped so much.  Eli came into the world at 12:45pm on the third contraction!  I only pushed for 15 minutes!  The second I heard him cry was the most amazing moment ever.  I brought  life into this world.  There is no way for me to describe that. It was beautiful and it was because of God.  God made it possible for me to do this.  He blessed us with the most beautiful baby in the world and I thank Him!

My recovery has gone well.  I had a minor 1st degree internal tear and have been pretty sore.  My stomach has hurt a good bit, but isn't bothersome if I stay on top of my meds.  Eli is doing great!  He was born full-term at 37 weeks and 4days.  His lungs are perfect (the boy can yell when he's hungry).  He is a champ at nursing and my milk is coming in.  He is a little jaundiced, but his bilirubin levels are so low that he doesn't need treatment.  He just needs to eat as much as he can to flush it out.  DH is a fabulous father.  He is so in love with Eli!  I am too.  He is just the cutest, sweetest baby.  I'll add strong to that!  I knew he'd be a feisty little fighter from the way he kicked in the womb, but this boy will kick you (that's right - you instead of randomly) during a diaper change.  He has the sweetest smile and facial expressions.  I love it when he sees one of us.  He definitely knows who we are.  We are his mama and daddy.  Wow!!!!  :-D

 

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