Here it is Miss Gracie Face's birth story. It is long. You can go ahead and skip it if you want. I am doing this for obvious reasons. So Grace knows her story and for journaling purposes. We all know people just like to look at the pictures anyways.
First let it be known that Little Miss Grace is the first baby in my family to come after her due date... Not long after only 57 minutes, but still. She broke a long standing record of early babies in our family. We are talking after 10 babes or more being born she is the only one that was late.
I was so done being pregnant. I hate saying that because I am so lucky to have the opportunity to be pregnant, but let's be honest every lady gets to a point where she is done. I chalk it up to the fact that we just want to hold that sweet baby already!!
Induction had been brought up twice already. Mainly because my doctor was going out of town twice. One time for just a weekend, and another time for 10 days just after my due date. He also mentioned it because I had told him that I was starting to contract a lot and be in a lot of pain, but I was showing no progress at all!
The Monday before I delivered was a hard day. It had been stormy and rainy all weekend long. So I was in a lot of pain, and I hadn't slept hardly at all. I had just been holding out for my Doctor's appointment that afternoon. I wasn't expecting much because in the last month I had made 1/2 cm progress. That was it. I mentioned to Ron that morning that if induction was offered I was taking it. It had been against everything I was prepping for, but I had no desire to re-live the hydronephrosis in my kidneys again.
Sure enough I went to the doctor and he checked me. I was the exact same as my last appointment. Frustration and disappointment is an understatement. I was a 2 and 70% effaced and a -1 station. That was not what I wanted to hear.
Induction did get mentioned, and I took it. My doctor told me unfortunately they wouldn't be able to take me that night or the next morning because of Pioneer day. He did however, tell me that they were able to take me Tuesday night. He told me to get home and get ready for the our stay, and to make sure I got plenty of rest and ate good meals.
Monday was a pretty crazy night. We debated on if we should have taken the induction. We debated mostly cause I had been preparing diligently for a natural birth, and we basically knew that if pitocin was involved an epidural was going to be as well. I may or may not have cried cause I hadn't progressed, and the fact that my ideal labor was kinda being bagged.
Tuesday came, and I would have though that day was going to drag but it didn't. I had so much to get done even though I was all packed and ready for the hospital. I scrubbed the house down, made sure everything was ready for baby girl, went grocery shopping, and tried to squeeze in a nap to make sure I was good and rested for what I thought would be a really long night of labor. Mostly I was trying to spend one last day with my sweet boy alone. We went out for dinner and just tried focus all of our attention on him.
Ron and I left for the Hospital at 7 pm. We got all settled in, the monitors hooked up, and we were just waiting for the nurse to come in and hook up the pitocin when I felt a sharp pain in my tummy. I knew it was a contraction, but didn't think anything of it because it felt like all the other contractions that I had been having for weeks, and weren't doing anything. Then about 5 minutes later I felt another one... Then five minutes later I felt another one. Again I wasn't thinking anything of it because like I said, been there done that. Ron was watching them on the monitor though, and he told me that they were getting closer together and stronger.
The nurse came in, looked at the feed, and said the same thing to us. She new I was in labor, but because I had come into be induced they were going hook up the pitocin anyway just to get it really going.
I was planning yeah Planning on going naturally. I was handling the pitocin pretty well. Yeah it hurt a lot, but I knew once I got to walking around and in the tub I would be just fine. I was in the middle of an extremely painful contraction when we hear this really loud POOF!!!!!! over the heart monitor. Ron was all sorts of confused. I knew exactly what happened. I felt a huge pop and a gush! My water had broke. Seriously that is the weirdest feeling on the planet by the way. I was so glad it had broke though. All that pressure was gone, and so was the contraction.
Everything changed after my water broke. Now not only was I on pitocin Naturally I didn't have a bag of water to sorta of cushion the blows of the contractions either. It was rough!!!! I couldn't get in the tub anymore because of the risk of infection. The bed was absolutely not an option. I had to just walk around, bounce on the ball, or sway back and forth,or my favorite and this sounds weird but just sitting on the toilet felt amazing. That's all I wanted to do was just sit on the toilet and lean up against ron.
The nurse finally came in and said I had to get monitored. So to the birthing ball I went. I started noticing that the more pain I was in the shakier I became. Ron said I became pretty pale, and I noticed I was hot and light headed. Yeah those for me are all signs of passing out. I told Ron that I didn't think I could sit up anymore, but I didn't want to lay down either. That is when we opted for the epidural. Ron was worried and had no clue what to do for me, and I just didn't want to risk passing out and hurting the baby.
Once we opted for the epidural the Nurse checked me and I was at a 4+, and then the anesthesiologist came right in to get things started. Seriously it was all I could do to not move with that blasted needle. I was in so much pain. I would flinch a little bit, and the doctor would say "DON'T MOVE!!!" I couldn't sit still I wanted to scream I hurt so bad. He finally got the epidural in, and I noticed that the pain hadn't gone away it had just moved straight to my butt... TMI? Probably but its true. So I told the nurse it didn't feel right. I still felt every contraction coming. She told me to wait and be patient that it would subside. I got as comfortable as I could, and started watching Gilmore Girls to take my mind of it.
The nurse came back in and asked if it has helped, and I told her no. I still felt it really strongly. She told me that she was going to go back and get the doctor to see what was up. They checked the Tube and everything, and said it looked fine. Finally the doctor decided to double the dose to help ease it. (Side Note) I must have a weird reaction to epidurals because I always have to get a strong dose! It completely wore off with Hayden, and I went naturally for the last 3 hours or so. I felt a bit better after the second dose, but I could still feel those dang contractions. Finally the nurse checked me and said "Oh my word you are an 8+!" No wonder I was in so much freaking pain!!!! i went from a 4 to an 8 in just under an hour! This baby wanted out, and out now!!! She started pulling out the baby warmer and getting everything ready, and then afterwards she left to do some paperwork.
We were in our room alone maybe 20-30 minutes, and I felt one big contraction and told Ron that I was pretty sure the baby was coming.
We called the nurse, and she checked me again. She said I was still and eight but the baby had dropped quite a bit. She decided to empty my bladder (don't we just love catheters?), and see if that might have been the problem. She was just finishing up and telling me she would be back in 20 mintues when I told her to check me again. She did, and couldn't believe that I was complete. She looked at Ron and said "We are having a baby."
It was 12:45 when she told us that. She quickly called the doctor. It was funny to hear her on this end. "Hi this is Joni from Labor and Delivery. I am with your patient Maggie Garner, and I am just calling to tell you she is complete and at a +1. We need you to get down here as fast as you can."
It was 12:50 when Ron looked at me and said "Hey sweetheart if you have this baby in 8 minutes here and hayden will have the same birth time except one is am and the other is pm." I just laughed and said yeah right. The nurse agreed with me.
The Doctor came in soon after, and checked me. Sure enough I was complete but this time I was a 3+. Meaning the baby was going to be crowning any second. I got all prepped for delivery which didn't take long, and then the doctor looked at me and said next contraction you need to push.
Apparantly this time around my body new exactly what it was doing. I pushed once and the doctor looked up and said "You're good at this." I pushed twice and everyone was telling me she had a ton of hair. I pushed a third time, and the doctor told me that in next contraction I would be holding my baby.
So many thing were running through my mind. First I couldn't believe how casual this was. Yeah I was having a baby and we were all just talking like it was no big deal. Second holy cow I am going to be a mom of 2 kids!!! Third: Why on Earth was Hayden's delivery so difficult! This one was cake!
Second Contraction came I pushed twice more and and the most perfect baby girl was placed on my chest. First thing out of my mouth was..."THAT WAS EASY! Ron if all of our kids are this easy we might just have 6!"
After only 4.5 hours of labor compared to Hayden's 30+ hours, Grace Emma made it here at 12:57 am on July 25, 2012, weighing in at 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 inches long. She arrived only 7 minutes after Ron told me Hayden and her would have the same birth TIME. I pushed not even 5 minutes and a total of 5 times. Dream Delivery. Dream Everything. It was love at first sight.
I can't believe the spirit that fills the room when a child is born. It is absolutely incredible. The only thing I really remember at that moment was my little family. It felt so right and so complete. I have a caring and loving husband who would do anything for me and his children, a happy little boy who just loves life, and a sweet precious little girl who was healthy, safe and finally in my arms. Life is beyond perfect.
Welcome to earth Grace Emma!! We love you so much little miss!
