The Big Day.

When I followed up for my 38 week appointment, I discussed my possible fluid leakage with my doctor. Knowing that I was already dilated and pretty well effaced, and that I was continuing to have little "gushes" of fluid that couldn't be proven as amniotic fluid unless I had the "gush" WHILE they were doing the swab to test the fluid, the doctor asked if we would like to set up a day to come in and be induced the next week. So we said yes! And so, 6 days later, on October 22, we headed to the hospital at 9pm to check in to our delivery room.

I got to the room, got my IV started and labs drawn, and was put on IV fluids and hooked up to the monitors. The nurses checked me, and I was 3cm dilated and 80% effaced. The doctor had planned on giving me vaginal cytotec to thin my cervix, but the nurses decided I was already too far thinned and dilated to need the medicine (which can cause too much stimulation of the uterus). So, I was told to get some rest and my pitocin drip would be started early in the morning.

I tried to sleep, but around midnight I started having really bad pain (which I quickly learned were contractions) and even thought we might not need pitocin. For about 3 solid hours, I had regular contractions. Literally like clock work! Every few minutes, lasting about 2 minutes each. I was unable to sleep while these contractions were going on, but around 3am, I fell asleep, and the nurse told me that the contractions had actually stopped about that time. So, at about 6am, my nurse started my pitocin drip. I could feel contractions from the medicine, but nothing like they had been earlier in the night. When my doctor came around at about 7:30, she broke my water. THAT. WAS. GROSS. Almost immediately after the water was broken, the contractions got HARD and frequent. I guess where the baby's head was now able to move all the way down, it really made things get intense.

I had gone into this whole situation not wanting an epidural (for no other reason than I just didn't think I wanted one), but after the water was broken and the contractions got super strong, I lasted about 3 hours, and then called my nurse to tell her I was going to need an epidural. While my labor was progressing, I was texting one of my best friends who has had 2 babies in the last 2 years, and she said that with her vaginal delivery, she tried natural labor for 10 hours and only progressed 2cm. When she finally got the epidural, she was able to relax, and dilated from 4 to 10cm in 2 hours. This really helped me to make the decision, because I didn't want to have the baby getting squished by contractions for hours on end with no progress, and also, it hurt like hell.

So, an anesthesiologist came in to start my epidural. I was having hard contractions the entire time, so it was really hard to get into the position he needed me in, and it was hard to sit still. He had to stick me FOUR TIMES to get the epidural in the right space. The first 3 times he stuck me, it was sending really weird pains up the side of my back, which he said was not normal if he was in the right spot. But finally, he got it in there, and told me "you will feel your next contraction, then the one after that will feel about half, then you won't feel any more." And he was right! It was fantastic. And the combination of pitocin and the epidural was so clutch...they could keep turning up the pitocin to get the contractions going to get me dilated, and I couldn't feel shit. I took a nap all afternoon. It was fantastic.

Around 3:30, I was having major goo gushing out of me every time I moved or had a contraction. The last time I was checked I was 9cm, so I figured I was pretty much ready to go. At this time, my doctor was in a C section, but I wasn't having any kind of urge to push, so I just hung out and waited until she could get to me.

When she was ready, my whole team of nurses and techs were ON IT. They had my bed broken down, my legs up in the stirrups, and everything in place within a matter of minutes. My husband came up to the head of my bed, my doctor came in, and it was time to rock n roll. When I finally started pushing, I still couldn't feel any kind of pain, but could definitely feel the baby moving down. I pushed for 4 contractions, during the 4th the baby's heart rate dropped into the 60s from her head being smushed, so the doctor stuck the vacuum on her head and out she came, at 4:04pm on Thursday, October 23. 

Our perfect, beautiful, 7lb 15 1/2 oz, slimy gooey little Harper Snow.

Oh, and babies look 900% different a few hours after they're born. They took Harper to the nursery (along with the SIX other babies that were born within the same few hours as she was) about an hour after she was born, and she didn't come back until about 8pm. I thought I had the wrong baby (aside from the fact that she was identical to my baby pictures), because she looked so different. Above is the first picture I took of her, below is when she got back to the room.

38 Weeks...Maternity Leave Begins!

Today I am 38 weeks and I just worked my LAST shift until sometime next year!!! I don't know what I am going to do with myself...I have held a job since I was 16 years old with no breaks. This should be interesting! I will surely find some things to occupy my time...there are endless baby things to do like laundry and organization, and I am also in grad school and need to work ahead on some school work so I won't have to worry about anything being late when I am in the hospital. 

Last night before work, my husband and I actually drove to the hospital where we are going to deliver to be seen in OB triage. Three times in the 24 hours prior to going to the hospital, I felt a "gush" of fluid come out and it was totally thin and clear, and I was concerned that my amniotic fluid might be leaking. I was checked, and am still only 2cm dilated, and was put on the fetal monitor and contraction monitor. I wasn't having any contractions, and everything with baby looked fine. They did a swab to test for amniotic fluid in my cervix, and it ended up negative, so I was sent home. When I asked what the fluid might be if the test was negative, the nurse told me that I could have a small tear somewhere in my amniotic sac that only leaks when I am in a certain position, or when the baby is in a certain position. So now, we wait!

Work Shower...nurses are the best.

Another nurse at work and I are due on the SAME day! She works day shift and I work night shift (sorry manager and scheduler, that didn't work out too well lol), and we just have a few weeks left til due date and work threw us a shower :) It was beautiful! All the nurses we work with really outdid themselves with two beautiful cakes and tons of really generous gifts. We sure are lucky!

Maternity Photos

After this past week I certainly felt like time was running out! So I made sure we finally took some good maternity photos (I can't explain how hard I would have sobbed if I went into labor before we had taken some). My father in law shot them and I edited them, and I think they turned out pretty good! And I love the low low price of free :)

 

35 & 36 Weeks

The past two weeks we attended prenatal classes. The first week was informative and we got to tour the Labor & Delivery rooms and get a feel for where we will be when we get to the hospital. The second and final prenatal class SCARED ME TO DEATH. It talked all about labor and epidurals (still don't want one) and pain management, but that isn't what scared me. I know it is going to hurt. What scared me is that I was not totally ready for baby yet and we could essentially go into labor any minute! The day of our prenatal class we were 35 weeks and 4 days. The nurse teaching the class stated that first time moms come in at 36 weeks "all the time" and 37 weeks is considered totally full term and ready to go, as far as they are concerned. I still had to paint a wall in the nursery, I hadn't washed ANYTHING with the baby detergent, and I had nothing packed (or even considered) for the hospital.

SO, we got home that night, my husband went to work, and I GOT to work. I painted the last wall of the nursery. I got ALL of our baby gifts put in their proper places and opened up all the swings and gadgets and rockers and got them strategically placed. I washed all the laundry in my house, then got to work on all the newborn sized clothing and all of the baby blankets. I packed a hospital bag for me, one for the baby, and one for my husband. I put the car seat and base in the trunk of the car, along with all the hospital bags. I vacuumed and mopped and cleaned the whole house. I was up until my husband got home from work at 8am. Talk about NESTING! I got weeks (or even months) worth of work done in one night. It's a good thing I had such a burst of energy, because now I am wore out, lol.

Later in the week, on the day we turned 36 weeks, we had our first weekly appointment complete with cervix exam. I gained another 5lbs (no surprise, my feet and ankles and calves are about double normal size, and I can't stop eating). My doctor checked me for dilation (OUCH) and to my complete and utter surprise, I was 1cm dilated and EIGHTY PERCENT effaced. This made me a little sick, I wanted to cry and throw up at the same time. This made everything feel so REAL and SOON! I was sure glad that I got all my baby prep done, after this news. My doctor had asked before checking me if I had been having contractions, and I said no, because I honestly didn't think I had been. After she felt how thinned out I was, she told me I MUST be having contractions to have gotten that effaced. So, alright, I guess I have.

 

 Our appointment was yesterday, and I woke up today and lost my mucus plug. Talk about a week that slaps you in the face and makes you feel like your baby is going to come rushing out at any second! I had gotten up, went to pee, and felt a big "gush" and when I checked out what all that gush was, I had my plug. Gross. So real now....

34 Weeks

The past 34 weeks has flown by! This week we had a doctors appointment, which just consisted of talking to the doctor for a few minutes. She said that our  next appointment in two weeks starts our weekly appointments, when they will check my cervix every time. Fun. The only change in the past few weeks has been some swelling (mostly in my feet and some in my hands), and one day a week ago my feet swelled A LOT really fast so I was kinda worried until I got to a pharmacy where I could check my blood pressure, and everything was fine. My belly is getting BIG and I am starting to get excited to lose it. 

 

My friend (who is due a few days before me) and I went to a breastfeeding class this past week. It was very informative (since I knew basically nothing before I went), but it was also pretty terrifying and made breastfeeding sound pretty awful, at least at first. The next two weeks my husband and I are going to attend some prenatal classes about labor and delivery and newborn care, all of which we really know nothing about, lol.

  It is starting to feel VERY real!

My dog has been loving on my big huge bump, how cute :)

 

Baby Shower #2 - So Spoiled!

Today was my second baby shower (one more to go, but that one is just for people from work). I got another whole car load of baby gifts! We got LOTS of clothes in all sizes, and pretty decent amount of diapers, wipes, creams, and bath stuff, and a few big items like (another) boppy and a bouncer seat (which we we trading in for a swing, we already got a perfectly good bouncer seat used from a friend). We got some gift cards, but I think mostly what we got today is clothes. This kid will never have to repeat an outfit! No laundry for mom! :)

My friends decorated our family's church and got the cutest cake, they really did spoil me today! I also got a visit from the local florist, because my husband had a bouquet of flowers sent to me right at the baby shower :) What a guy.