Baylee Felix's early arrival

CBomback · March 2013

So Ladies, Baylee Felix arrived 10 days early on February 28th. I guess she really wanted to be a February baby like her mommy, cause she arrived with minutes to spare.

I went into labor at 9pm on the 27th as I was taking out the last tray of cookies I was baking for my office for what was supposed to be my last day of work. Contractions started 10 minutes apart. We tried to sleep a bit, but the contractions were coming 7-8 minutes apart by 3am, so we watched a movie and then tried to sleep again at 6am. By 7am contractions were coming every 6-7 minutes, so we started to get ready for the drive to NYU Langone. My mom left work and rushed to our apartment. By noon, contractions were every 5 minutes, so we left for the hospital a bit after 1pm. We hit a lot of traffic, so we arrived at the hospital and were checked in and brought to a room by 3pm.

I was totally celebrating because I was 4cm on arrival, and wasn't going to be sent home. My OB wanted to break my water to speed up the labor, which I was OK with because I was starting to get tired, and I wanted to make sure my OB was the Dr who was going to be there when I delivered the baby. It turned out that the baby passed meconium, so it suddenly became something to worry about in terms of how long they wanted to let me labor for. After laboring for another 2 hours with contractions at 2 minutes apart, I was checked by another OB from the office, who I also really liked.

Unfortunately, I had regressed from 5cm to 4cm during that time, and the other OB really wanted me to get the epidural so she could give me some pitocin, especially since the water that was leaking had a lot more meconium in it. I had REALLY wanted to have a drug-free birth, but was also starting to worry about whether baby was going to have issues breathing because of the meconium in the water. I realized it was more important to give up my plans so that baby didn't end up spending her first night in the NICU.

Let me just say, the epi was amazing! I was able to drift into sleep for a few hours, and when I woke up, I was 8cm. We had a bit of a scare when baby's heart rate was plummeting during each contraction on the pitocin - C-section was mentioned several times. I guess that really freaked the baby out, because she suddenly had a totally even heart rate, and then I was 10cm!

While I was approaching 10cm, the OBs had weaned me off the pitocin and epi, so I could feel the pushing part. I think I must have pushed for about a half hour, about 20-30 sets of 3 pushes, with both my OB and her partner, my DH, and a really nice pregnant nurse cheering me on. We also had 3-5 residents observing, plus 3 Drs from the pediatric staff because of the meconium.

I didn't get chest-to-chest right away because they had to clear her passageways, but that was happening right by my head so I could see her while they stitched my lower end up (I got my natural experience - a natural episiotomy, yay!).

We had a few hours alone with Baylee in the delivery room, and then we got moved to a private (yes, we totally lucked out on that!) room for the night. There was even a cot for DH, and private bathroom with shower. Baby roomed in with us. We were able to go home on Saturday morning.

It has been quite an adjustment, but I think we're finally starting to get the hang of things.

I don't know what I've missed on TB while I was gone, but I hope everyone is well and can't wait to read those March baby birth stories!

ann_jeremiah · March 2013

Congrats!

guilletskichuk · March 2013

Congratulations! Glad to hear you and baby are doing well!

Jerry77 · March 2013

Awww congratulations!! Glad that everything turned out great! Complications are definitely scary. Healthy baby, healthy mom, right? All that really matters!