Introducing baby awick!

[awick14]

After my OB appointment on Friday December 23rd I felt kinda defeated. I was 3 days overdue and my OB said that I still hadn't progressed past 2cm. Which is where I was for the past 2 1/2 weeks. But my cervix was a little softer. She swept my membranes again. I was cramping on and off the rest of the day but nothing worse then period cramps. In the evening the cramping did stay around and it didn't really ever go away.

When I went to bed the cramping was still there but not bad enough that I couldn't sleep through them.

I woke up at about 2:45am in quite a bit of pain and I started timing my contractions they were anywhere from 3-6 minutes apart but they weren't as painful as I was expecting. My sister (who has a kid and been through this) was working night shift so at 4:45 I text her and asked what she thought I should do. Her only advice was to not wait too long as her contractions went from being painful to really bad really fast as she ended up being 9cm when she went to the hospital. (Her first child.)

So I woke up DH and we headed to the hospital. I was still contracting every 3-6 minutes but I was checked and I was still at 2cm. I wanted to cry, I figured some progress would be made. The nurse got orders for some morphine and gravel (anti nausea) as I wasn't able to sleep through the contractions. DH and I then went home and I slept another 4-5 hrs before the meds wore off.

I woke up around 12:30-1pm having contractions that were more painful then before. DH had stayed in bed with me so I told him he could get up and do whatever. He came in and checked on me every 45 mins or so, I guess this was him telling me we should probably go to the hospital. But I didn't want to be turned away again so I kept telling him I just wanted to sleep. (Which of course wasn't happening)

Finally at about 4:45 I called him into the bedroom and told him I wanted to leave now. He went and started the car, gave the dog dinner and such. I went to the bathroom and when I stood up I heard a small gush. It wasn't enough to make me sure my water broke but enough to bring a towel to sit on in the car.

I could not get comfortable in the car at all, i kept moving around, I wasn't timing my contractions but I guess DH was. He said they were about 2-3 minutes apart.

Upon arrival to the hospital they checked me (around 5:45/6ish) and I was 4-5cm and my water had broken. I told myself up until then that I wanted to go med free if I could, but I asked for an epidural instantly. They called my OB and put in the request for one.

By the time I got into a labour room and everything I was checked again and I was still at 5cm. (Check was done by a resident OB) We were still waiting for the Epi as there was an emergency c-section that I got bumped for.

Around 7ish they started to have some trouble hearing baby on the monitor when they checked it, so the nurse got an OB to place an internal monitor. Once that was placed they could hear babies HR again but it was on the lower side of normal. So in between contractions I was told to change positions quite a bit to see if any if that helped. I ended up labouring on all fours for a while, this was the only position that her HR would stay above 100 in. (But the most exhausting for me.)

After a while they allowed me to lay on my back again and baby was ok there, which allowed me to rest which was nice. But at around 8 I felt the sudden urge to push, and it was hard not too. The nurse called the OB and her resident back in, and I was then checked again, by the resident. He then asked the OB to confirm his check, she asked why and he said that I was almost at 10. She was quite shocked and checked herself. She agreed that I was at 9 1/2cm, but my cervix wasn't complete effaced yet. So she didn't want me pushing just yet. (I was still given the option of the epi as the anistiologist was there now, but I declined because I didn't want to have to try and sit while it was placed and then have all of the side effects of it just for pushing, which I was hoping I wouldn't regret.)

Babies HR started dropping again so I was moved back onto all fours. This time this did not help bring the heart rate back up. So I was moved back onto my back and the OB checked to see if my cervix was ready. It was so close and she felt like if I tried pushing it would be ok. So I tried pushing a couple times and then she checked again and said that I could continue pushing through each contraction. After I had been pushing for 15 mins of so babies HR dropped again and the OB asked if she could auction baby out. I got very emotional but said yes. (I could hear babies HR and knew it was in the 60-70 range)

Applying the suction to babies head was probably the most painful part of the labour because it would place right so it took a lot of manipulation, and an episiotomy to get it placed right. But once that was done baby came out on the next contraction.

Then at 8:52, after 22 minutes of pushing, She was placed right onto my stomach, she didn't cry right away but she was whimpering. The nurse picked her up enough so DH could tell me she was a girl. (Followed by a he was right, lol. It was an ongoing debate between us.)

I started to cry as soon as she was placed on my chest. They wiped her down a little bit and then she started to give us some big sobbing cries. Best sound ever. DH then got to cut the cord.

It was a very emotional day. Everything went way quicker then both us and the hospital staff expected.

We got to call our families and tell them the good news. (Which was super easy because everyone was celebrating Christmas Eve. So we only really called our parents and they spread the news quickly.

Both families stopped by on the way home from their parties. They didn't stay long just enough to say hi and off they went. Which was nice.

Breastfeeding isn't going overly well, she really doesn't have much interest at all, but she's starting to come around. We will see how tonight goes.

PDQ pic or name will DD

We ended up going with 2 middle names because we could figure it out. Which is not what I overly wanted but now I'm happy we did.

**poof**

Edit: 7lbs5oz, 21 long

**poof**

[awick14]

Poof**

[bk1]

She is beautiful! You have a baby! Congratulations, love her name and strong work going med free!

[tacocat]

She's beautiful!! Thank you for sharing the story! Congratulations again!!

[luv2rn4fun]

She is absolutely perfect! I am crying reading your story...so much happiness for you! She's here, she's healthy, and she came just in time for Christmas! Congratulations friend!

[christy082]

Congratulations. She's beautiful ❤

[estrellita]

And I'm crying! Haha. So happy for you guys, she is beautiful! Hope you're recovering well!

[MrsMB]

She is gorgeous and I love her name!!!! Great job Mama!!!! I'm so unbelievably happy for you!! Enjoy ALL those baby snuggles!!!

[wanderingenough]

Congrats! You did it! She is beautiful. You look beautiful. I dig the two middle names.

[pooh8402]

Congratulations! She is so beautiful and I love her name (all of them)!

[awick14]

wanderingenough- DH didn't want to name her after anyone. But I really wanted to name her after my mom. Our compromise was using both moms names.

I didn't really want two middle names as I think that's weird but DH has two middle names and he likes it, lol. So we went with it.

[HoneySpider]

Congrats!! She is beautiful! I am soooo happy for you guys!

[krystee]

Congratulations!! She is adorable!!

[tiptoetulips]

Perfection! Congrats!

[MrsAggie]

Congratulations on your sweet baby girl!!!!! She's beautiful! I had a feeling, since I guessed boy, that she would be a girl. I'm always wrong

[amaranth]

Her name is beautiful! Love it! Congrats on your perfect baby

[anyastroud]

.

[Deleted]

Congratulations!

[rockinrobyn]

Congratulations! So incredibly happy for you!

[Blue Moon]

She is beautiful and perfect!

[Deleted]

Congrats friend!!!!

[katespade]

Congratulations, awick14!! She's absolutely beautiful, and I love her name.

[raangoli]

She's perfect! Congratulations, awick14!

[travelbug]

She is so sweet! I loveeeeeee her name so much. Congrats to both of you, you'll be amazing parents <33

[D2M]

I am in tears! YOU HAVE A BABY!!!! You deserve her so much. I am so, so happy for you. I missed her name and pic, but I trust that she is beautiful in all ways. Much love to you.