Our sweet Eleanor Grace was born on August 20th, 2015. She was 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 1/4 in. We love her so much!
Birth Story:
My mom and sisters were in town to help. They came early because Bryan had to fly to Iowa City the 3 days before my due date to take an oral surgery test. We are so glad she wasn't born while he was gone, but she ended up coming later than expected. I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday the 19th, two days after my due date. The doctor stripped my membranes and we went to the sea world water park with my family that day. I started having more regular contractions, but didn't want to get my hopes up! We stayed at the park for a while, then we left to grab dinner. While at dinner my contractions were 5 minutes apart. We got home at around 7 pm and Bryan got home from work around then too. I showered and watched Tarzan with everyone. We put the kids down for bed late, then we decided to go to the hospital.
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| Sea World in early labor |
My contractions seemed to slow down once we got there (about 10:30). According to some of the books I read, this was normal for contractions to slow once getting to the hospital. Once they finally checked me, I was just a 4. It is a learning hospital, so the medical students, a few residents, and nurses all asked me questions. I wasn't informed for a while if I was going to go home or stay for a while. Another resident came in and said the baby's heart rate was high, so she started a bag of IV fluids. They checked me again around 12:40 and I was still dilated to a 4. I had mentioned before I would rather labor at home if it was going to be a while than stay in this tiny ob triage room. Another resident came in and said she was going to send me home. Then a few minutes later came back and said she wanted to keep me there and induce me once a room was open because the baby's heart rate was high earlier. There were currently no open rooms. A little while later I got up to go to the bathroom and my contractions were getting really intense. I kept sitting back down and struggled getting back to the bed. Finally Bryan forced me back to bed.
Periodically during pregnancy, I felt I should possibly prepare myself for a natural birth. I talked to several people about it. It sounded great, but I also did not feel there was anything wrong with an epidural, so I didn't feel my motivation was strong enough to deliver naturally. Still, my platelets were low and I knew there was a small possibility I could not get an epidural. I listened to a few hypnobirthing tracks from a friend, watched "business of being born" on netflix, and read a few books about hypnobirth and natural birth. I am so grateful I did. There is no way I would have been able to cope with my entire labor in triage if I had not prepared myself. Deep breathing and some of the hypnobirth visualization helped in the beginning. The day before going into labor, I asked a friend if she had any natural birth suggestions, and she suggested staring at a spot on the wall. It sounded silly, but that is what helped with the contractions at the end. I tried to take slow, deep breathes, stare at a spot at the wall, and eliminate fear by telling myself my baby was in perfect delivery position and ready to be born! Little did I know, I did not even have the option of an epidural!
A resident came in to get me to sign paperwork. She could tell my contractions were more intense and asked if she could check me again. I initially refused because I figured I probably hadn't dilated much. Bryan insisted she check me. I was a 7. She thanked me for letting her check because they would rush to clean a room of a patient who went for a c section. This was about 1:30. A little later I got up to stand to the side of the bed because I wasn't comfortable and my water broke. Instantly I felt pressure. The assistant in the front ran in and told me to get back in bed. I said "I can't!" And she yelled to get back to bed. She and Bryan forced me to bed. I said "I have to push!" and the aid yelled "don't push!" and ran to the hall. It was a blur, but I just remember an intense urge to push that I could not suppress and several people were running, pushing me me to a room telling me not to push while I was yelling and trying not to push. We got to the room and I was told I could push now. We got to the room at 1:50 and she was born at 1:53!
It was such an incredible, spiritual experience to deliver this sweet girl and then hold her in my arms. I felt so great and had so much energy right after!
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| These pics were taken by a resident because we didn't have time to bring our camera, phone and things from triage! |
I such a great experience not receiving an epidural that I do not plan to get an epidural with future children.
I felt the contractions before delivery were manageable and there was so much adrenaline and excitement while pushing that it was not too painful. I had been warned about delivering the placenta and being stitched up without an epidural, but I didn't really feel those were too bad either. I was just sensitive to any kind of touch. When I first nursed our sweet baby, I felt contractions, which I had been also warned about. They were still manageable. However, a little later when I nursed her on the other side, they got so bad and were way more painful than the contractions before delivery. I was crying and felt out of control. The nurse came to bring Eleanor to the nursery to give her a bath, check up, ect and told me the contractions were normal. Another nurse came in and told me the same thing. I felt faint. She checked my bleeding and called the resident right away. The top of my uterus was firm, but not bottom. My bladder was full and blood was lodged inside preventing it from contracting. I felt like I was going to pass out and that I had to fight to keep my eyes open. The resident said I had 1500 ml blood loss and ordered 2 units of blood. I asked if that was necessary and wondered why I couldn't just get fluid. She said I needed it and I didn't have the energy to fight it. I felt way better after 1 unit, and again questioned if I needed another. I just felt really weird about having blood in my body, especially if it was not absolutely needed. In retrospect I wish I had fought the second unit more at this point, but she insisted I needed it.
I was so incredibly grateful everything else went smoothly and baby girl was healthy. It took us a little while to name her, but we decided to name her Eleanor Grace. She did really well in the hospital. The kids came in to visit that day with my mom and sisters. Lauren made the cutest video of them visiting. The rest of the hospital stay was uneventful. We can't get enough of our sweet Eleanor!
Hospital Video
We came home and were so happy to have her home. My mom took some pictures before their flight that day. I was also happy my mom and sisters could meet her before they had to leave.
That night went well, however I did not feel she was eating great. The next morning she felt warm, and her temperature was 101.9. Thankfully Heather decided to change her flight and stay with us until my mother in law got here. We had to take sweet Eleanor back to the hospital and Heather was so helpful. I was an emotional wreck that day. It took them almost 4 hours to start an Iv. They took forever and they tried 12 times. They finally got one in her head. They had to do a full sepsis workup because she was under a month. She had to get a catheter to check her urine and had to get a lumbar puncture. The ER doctors and residents tried to get the lumbar puncture 4 times without success! I was so upset. We finally got up into a room. The pediatric doctor was able to get the LP the first time. Thankfully all the tests came back negative and they think she just had a virus. The kids, and my sisters and I had all had some kind of sickness earlier in the week that she could have picked up.
We finally came home for good and have been so smitten by our sweet Eleanor. She seems like a pretty mellow baby so far. Guess she has to be with these two older spirited children! The kids love singing to her, reading to her, holding, and cuddling with her. I don't think she will be starved for attention! I am pretty content snuggling my sweet little babe as well.
Pregnancy and delivery really are a miracle. McKay has been asking countless questions about the process, and it really is such an incredible thing. I can't imagine how this little girl was inside my stomach a few weeks ago and that she grew to become a baby in there! Being a mom is the most fulfilling, rewarding calling and I can't imagine my life any other way. I love my babies so much. Each time I have had a baby, it makes me have even more love for my husband and my other kids as I watch how they step up to the plate.
