Hi everyone,
It's been a long first week between Lily's early arrival, Christmas, stomach flu for me, stepdaughter, & my mom, and recovery in general. I wanted to share about Lily's birth and share a picture as well. It's amazing how much this little girl has changed our lives in the last 8 days and I'm so in love with her.
DH left on Friday, December 20 to pick up his daughter in California and returned Saturday night around 8:30pm. I was praying really hard that LO would stay an inside baby until he got back. Apparently, LO took me literally. At about 6:15am on the 22nd, I woke up to go to the bathroom. As I washing my hands, I felt a wet sensation and thought oh great I just peed myself for the first time in months. I turned on the light and checked my underwear, I realized it couldn't be urine since it was pink. I work up DH and told him that I thought my water broke. He said ok and started waking himself up while I went to call the doctor. The doctor on call for my office (fortunately one that I really like) told me to get to the hospital to be checked and that he'd be over once there was confirmation that it was amniotic fluid. We packed our hospital bags, ate some breakfast, got up stepdaughter, fed her, and headed to the hospital. I called my mom and she got up so she could pack and make the four hour trip from Michigan to be here.
At the hospital, they checked my fluid and sure enough my water broke. They officially admitted me and the doctor was there soon after. Since I had no contractions, they started me on pitocin as well as antibiotics for the GBS around 10am. Pitocin definitely got things going, but progress was slow. I also experienced a painful long lasting contraction while the dosage was being figured out. Around 1pm or so, I was experiencing low back pain from contractions and said I needed an epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and within minutes of the epidural being done, I was feeling much better. At this point, I was at about 2-3 cm. I did experience a blood pressure drop from the pain medication, but was fine within an hour. I can best describe it as an out of body experience. A few hours later, I was closer to 5cm and experiencing back pain again. I got a top off on my epidural and felt much better. It was clear that I was having back labor and baby was face up. Just like I did to my mom! At that point, I got to 9cm within two hours. By 8:45pm, I was ready to start pushing.
I pushed for three hours and was so exhausted. I got to the point where I kept saying that I couldn't do it anymore. The head would get close, but I just couldn't push it out the last bit for crowning to officially happen. DH was amazing through everything. He kept encouraging me, feeding me ice chips, holding my hand, and reminding me to breath slowly. He also kept telling me how impressed he was with how well I was doing and that I was amazing myself. After saying I couldn't push any more for what felt like the hundredth time, my doctor asked me if I wanted him to help the baby out. We asked about options and he said he could assist with forceps. I agreed despite my fear of the pain because it was just time for LO to enter the world.
The anesthesiologist was called back in to top off my epidural and hang a new bag of pain medicine. Once they were sure that my blood pressure was stable (during which time I was able to try to push out LO's head a few more times), it was time for the big show. Three pushes later, a screaming baby entered the world. I was a bit in shock from the pain and immediately had the shakes. I was also mesmerized by the full head of dark hair. That was all I could focus on since that was what my mom was expecting me to have when I was born (yes she did comment that I had the baby she was supposed to have, but in good fun). The doctor told us it was a girl and both DH and I were in disbelief. We had felt the whole time we were having a boy! The doctor had to tell us twice. Our little girl erupted into screams which DH calls her pterodactyl cry. She's got a great set of lungs. DH cut the cord and baby girl was whisked away for cleaning. DH was a scrapbooker's dream and documented her early moments while she was checked out by a nurse and neonatalogist. I kept asking DH if she looked like a Lily since we had just decided on our girl name that Thursday night. In his opinion, she did and the name stuck. Once I was stitched up and baby girl was cleaned up, DH and I got to spend some time just the three of us. It felt like an eternity until I could hold her too. I was so ready for that moment!
I cannot even begin to explain how much this little girl has changed our family. DH is an amazing dad which I already knew, but watching him with Lily is wonderful. She knows his voice as well as she does mine and he can soothe her in seconds. He may have been hoping and planning for a boy, but this little girl has spread into his heart completely. Big sister is in love too, but with a little brother at her mom's already and another one on the way in February, she was really hoping for a baby sister here.
We're slowly settling into a routine which currently involves being up every two hours at night for feedings. Breastfeeding is tough, but fortunately the LC staff at the hospital is wonderful and we'll get there. At least she's feeding and my milk is in. Hoping she gains some weight by our next pediatrician visit on Monday for a weight check.
Sorry the pics are sideways.
Re: Lily Isabelle's birth story *pip*
BFP #5 11/15/14, Team Green EDD 7/22/15
BFP #4 4/30/13, baby girl born med-free Jan. 2014
BFP #3 9/24/12, Missed m/c at 9w1d (baby measured 8w5d)
BFP #2 9/23/10, healthy baby girl born med-free June 2011
BFP #1 5/21/10, Missed m/c at 10w4d (baby measured 8wks), D&C 6/29/10
"Life is like a camera, just focus on what's important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if things don't work out, just take another shot."
Married October 2009. Me 29 H 28.
After 1 year of infertility, our little miracle was conceived via our 3rd IUI on May 5, 2013.
Holland Sophia was born Jan 24, 2014.
SAHM to 4 kiddos... K (5/05), N (4/09), C (11/10) and Baby A 1/13/14
Due Date 11/10/16
I can't wait to meet you Neva Margaret Rebecca
utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1a641b.aspx" alt=" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker" border="0" /></a>
Doctor told me it was hormone related and also from the stress the body just went through. My mom had me drug free and still had the shakes. She's always told me that she was afraid I'd end up on the floor because she was shaking so badly. @amylou333 it was pretty uncomplicated, just long. Just shy of 18 hours. DH watched the doctor take Lily out and told me later that with as much as it took to pull her head out, I'd probably have spent several more hours pushing. Glad I made the decision I did despite the stitches.
Fell in love: Dec 2005 // Married: Feb 9, 2013
Little Miss Rosalie Harper--Born Jan 9th, 2014
DD 2016 ❤
________________________________________________________________________________________________
sibling love
TTC #1 since July 2010
July 2011: Referred to RE, started Letrozole
August 2011: BFP #1! M/C @ 5wks
September 2011 - September 2012: test, after test, after test... S/A, HCG, B/W... Diagnosis: unexplained infertility. Letrozole, Metformin... nothing.
September 2012: Diagnosed gluten intolerance; now living strict GF diet.
November 2012: BFP #2! MM/C @ 6wks (discovered at 8wks). 2 rounds of Misoprostal - nothing. D&C December 2012.
May 2013: BFP #3! Hoping this one sticks! 4x prometrium/day EDD: 01/25/14
06/03/13: 1st u/s We have a heartbeat! Team green!
01/24/14: Team green turned team pink. Baby girl was born!
08/05/14: Surprise BFP #4! (Unmedicated, no pp period, EDD unknown)
08/15/14: 1 u/s We have a heartbeat! Measured 6wks 2 days. EDD 04/08/15. Team green!
04/08/15: Team green turned team pink. Baby girl was born!
03/29/16: BFP #5! (Unmedicated, 1 cycle TTC) EDD: 11/09/16