The Birth Story

We went for our last check-in appointment on December 24th and my blood pressure was high and the baby took a while to perform well on the Non-Stress test (which monitors fetal heartrate and contrations). My Dr decided to have us reviewed by Labor & Delivery that afternoon with the hopes of being induced or a date would be set for an induction (by the 31st ) if I did not go into labor. So we rushed to grab our bags, eat lunch and cancel Christmas Eve lunch with my Dad! We got to the hospital a little after 1pm and Dr. Tein checked me and decided that since my due date was the next day, I could only get worse and she didn't see a reason for that. The induction officially started that afternoon at 4pm.

I won't lie, the evening was extremely rough and contractions hurt! I suffered through the night with 2 failed attempts at different pain meds until finally giving in to the Epidural when I was only (supposedly . . . we now think I was more dilated and not checked well) dilated to 1 1/2 cm at 3 am. By 6 am, I was at 10 cm but my Epidural was not working well, so my cocky Anesthesiologist dosed me again - well that was too much and I turned into a big, huge sand bag!!! My wonderful nurse Bonnie & I decided that to prolong labor was silly, so we turned off the Epidural (I was still very numb for most of the delivery) and I was able to start pushing at 8 am. For some unknown reason, I was able to push and hold my breath so well that with 4 sets of 4 pushes - she was out at 8:45 am! (I swear it was all those years that my cousin Vanessa & I swam my Auntie Claudia's pool back and forth underwater!)

We spent Christmas day recovering with our beautiful baby girl and came home the next day (by my request - hospitals are SO uncomfortable! Poor Danny was on this chair that turned into a slim twin bed!) We are doing well, breastfeeding and sleeping little. Everyone tells you that you figure it out and survive - and I am. Danny and my Mom have been so wonderful and helpful while we all figure out the groove of each other.

Reese is doing well too. She is a tiny thing weighing 6.5 when she was born and now down to 5.11. She is long and slim . . . I have no idea where she got that from :-)