Here's what it looks like to still be pregnant on your due date. Not my favorite thing. I've made it to my due date twice, but never past it, so I spent this whole pregnancy assuming the same would be the case this time. To say those last few days were long and emotional would be an understatement. I went to the doctor at 39 weeks, 6 days (Tuesday) and I hadn't progressed at all - still 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I reluctantly set up an induction for that Saturday, but I spent the next several days crossing my fingers, hoping, and praying that she would come on her own before then.
Thursday morning started with contractions, not unlike many other days over the past 3 weeks. I texted Alex in the afternoon and told him I wasn't getting my hopes up, but that I was having lots of contractions and I would keep him posted. All day long they pretty much stayed the same: not regular, not too strong, but not stopping. We went to Pizza Factory for dinner that night and the contractions kept up. We got home, put the kids to bed and watched a show. Alex started getting ready for bed but I decided to turn on a movie and see if the contractions kept up. Alex knows that I try to play it cool sometimes and I think he knew the contractions were making me more nervous than I let on. He called his parents to give them a heads up since they would be staying with kids. Around 1:15 a.m. I decided it was time to get ready for the hospital. Mark headed up and arrived here around 2:00. There was a little snowstorm that night, so we slowly drove to the hospital on a fresh layer of snow in the middle of the night.
By 2:25 I was hooked up to the monitors in the triage room and I was at a 3.5 and 80% effaced. I was so excited to hear that some progress had been made! They had me stay in there for an hour before checking me again. At 3:25 I was 5 and 90%, and they decided to officially admit me. Hooray!!
They put me in a Labor and Delivery room and got my iv going (GBS+). The nurse told me they wouldn't check me much since I was going unmedicated and I'd be able to tell them when it was getting close to time to push. This sort of terrified me because I was afraid I would go from regular contractions to needing to push really fast and nobody would be around. The doctor didn't come to break my water until around 5:30 a.m. Alex snoozed off and on while I labored, and the contractions started to really intensify. The bed rails became my best friend and I squeezed the heck out of them as I breathed through each contraction. As they got worse Alex came and stood by the bed and I tried my best not to squeeze his fingers off, but the contractions were getting incredibly long and painful. At one point I asked the nurse to check me and I was at an 8. Over the next little bit I started feeling some amount of pressure with each contraction, and I started wondering if I would realize when it was time to push. Within minutes of thinking that, I had THE contraction...the one that told me she'd be coming any minute. All I remember saying to the nurse (who, thankfully, told me she'd be hovering in the room until it was time) is "okay, okay, okay, okay!" I'm sure I said more than that but the pressure was all-consuming and I needed to get the baby out. They called the doctor in from down the hall (she was an on-call doctor, Tenille Cloward) and they came and started setting up the bed. The nurse kept telling me to just push when I needed to, even if the doctor wasn't ready. I can't remember how many contractions I pushed through. Maybe 4? It felt like forever. Savannah's head was huge and extremely difficult to push out. I remember trying and trying to push her out but I couldn't get that relief of it coming out. It seemed like that part lasted an hour but in reality it was maybe 2 minutes at the most. With the first push they noticed meconium, so they called in the respiratory team to make sure she didn't aspirate any of it. Thank heavens for a calm and experienced doctor, and nurses and a husband who didn't tell me that the cord was wrapped around her neck until after she was safely out and being treated. Alex said after a couple pushes the doctor noticed it and instantly got very serious with me that I needed to push her out right then. Alex took one of my legs and the nurse took the other and they pushed them down as wide open as they could. That next push her head came out, the doctor unwrapped the cord, and I pushed the rest of her out. I will never, ever forget the feeling of absolute relief to have her out. That was the hardest physical thing I have ever done.
The respiratory team took great care of her and got her flushed out. It took her a few minutes to stop sounding kind of wheezy, and they debated putting her on a c-pap until she cleared up. Luckily I got to hold her skin-to-skin while we waited to see if she'd clear up on her own. Thank goodness she did! I had to get a few stitches, and then I was all cleaned up and ready to snuggle my baby until we moved to the Mother-Baby unit. My regular doctor woke up that morning and checked the list and saw that I was on there. He was on call that day anyway, but he tried to come in a little early to be there when I delivered. Because of the storm overnight it took him a little longer to get to the hospital. He walked into the room about 10 minutes after she was born.
Savannah Jean was born at 6:44 a.m on February 5. She weighed 9 lbs, 8 oz and was 20.5" I am totally in love with her.
After we were moved to the Mother-Baby unit I got to enjoy some quiet time with Alex and Savannah. I think that's my favorite part of every birth - those few hours right after the birth, before any visitors come and Alex and I get to just enjoy our new little baby. It feels very sacred.
The hospital changed their procedure since I had Cooper. They don't take the babies away for a bath anymore. They let them stay with the mom as much as possible to bond. My nurse came in probably 8 hours after she was born and did the bath right there on my bed where I could touch her and watch it all. I loved it!
This is the face of an exhausted and happy new mom in desperate need of sleep after pulling an intense all-nighter.
Alex went home later in the morning to get a little nap and be with the kids. He checked the girls out a bit early and they came to meet their new sister.
The next day Natalie came and visited for awhile in the morning. Then Mambo and Carla came with Alex and a big surprise: my mom had flown in that morning!! I didn't think she'd get to meet the baby until March but she didn't want to wait that long. It was such a great surprise and I'm so happy she was able to make it.
Savannah passed all her checks and we were able to go home Saturday night. She's a week old today and I couldn't love her more. She has the most kissable cheeks and she's sleeping pretty good and she's absolutely beautiful. We had to go back for two jaundice checks but everything is looking better with that now. We've been laying low at home while we can. The kids schedules will pick up again soon and life will get back to normal but for now I'm enjoying every second of quiet snuggle time at home that I can.
