Worth the Wait

It's a GIRL!


Our daughter blessed us with her arrival on November 20th, 2009 at 12:45am. She tipped the scales at 8 lbs 12 oz and is 22 inches long. We like to maintain our anonymity in the blogophere, so sorry, name will be with held.

It has taken me a while to introduce her to the blog world for reasons you will soon understand. MiniB's birth story began on Wednesday, November 18th. I started having contractions around 10am, coming about 15 minutes apart. By 10pm they were coming 5 minutes apart. I labored at home during the night and we went to the hospital about 5am. I was 90% effaced, but only dilated to 2cm, so they sent us a walkin'. Hoss took me to Sam's Club and we walked and walked and walked, I only made it a few steps between contractions while Hoss made it around to all of the electronics. We journeyed back to the hospital around 1130am and I was admitted at 4cm. We never did get a cute picture of me 40 weeks pregnant, so this one will have to do. Here is me in hospital garb, not looking so cute in all my glory at 41 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Enlarge at your own risk.

I made good progress until around 5pm, I got stuck at 7cm and they broke my water at 730pm. I was having coupling contractions, meaning two contractions overlapping each other which usually indicates a posterior presentation, or sunny side up, meaning head down but facing the front instead of the tail bone. This position makes for very intense and painful back labor. After they broke my water my contractions got even more intense and I lost my focus. I asked for some Fentanyl to take the edge off. After that I was able to regain my focus and concentrate on my breathing. I should put in a plug for the hypnobirthing method for anyone who wants a natural labor and delivery. I couldn't have done it without the hypnobirthing breathing and relaxation techniques, and of course, not without Hoss supporting me all the way. By 11pm I was dilated to 10cm and started to push. I pushed until 1240am without much progress. My heart rate was in the 170's and MiniB's was in the 180's. The baby's heart rate dropped suddenly to 90 and wouldn't come back up. At this point the doctor came up to my side and said "The baby's heart rate has been down for 12 minutes, we need to get the baby out now." They tried suction, but the cups wouldn't stick to her head because she has so much hair. Then they used the forceps and she finally made her first appearance.

Unfortunately, I suffered a 3rd degree perineal tear and was rushed right to surgery after some painful gauze packing of orifices. MiniB was taken right to the NICU where Hoss was able to be with her. My surgery took about 1 1/2 hours and then an hour for recovery, by the time they took me to the NICU it was 330am. She was beautiful, they didn't let us hold her til the next day, but just looking at her made me cry.


MiniB was in the NICU for 2 days, she wasn't able to maintain her oxygen on room air, had excess fluid in her lungs, and her white blood cell count was high so they put her on antibiotics in case of infection. She was finally able to come to our room on Saturday night and they let us go home on Sunday.



My mom and Hoss have been awesome. My mom is taking care of all the little things that make a big difference and drive me crazy, like dishes in the sink, laundry etc. They have been letting me sleep and helping with MiniB. I spend most of my time lying down because frankly it hurts to sit and to stand. To be totally candid, it is really scary to poop when your bum and everything in between is being held together with stitches!

For documentation purposes and to supplement my own failing memory, MiniB was born able to hold her head up and she likes to sleep on her right side, it doesn't matter what I do, she always rolls up onto her side once she lays down!


Her entry into the world was somewhat traumatic, but we are so happy she is here, and she was definitely Worth the Wait.

MiniB