The Long Day But Well Worth It

Last Wednesday started out a normal day with a doctors appointment. Our sitter came and watched our kids so I could go by myself. We love Emmily, our sitter, and are very sad she will be leaving to go to college this fall. At my appointment, I was surprised to find out I was at a 3 dilated. I have never been at a 3 without being in full labor. My doctor scrapped my membranes and said hopefully I see you tonight or tomorrow. I left so excited. Hopefully it would be soon we would get to see this little girl. I was so ready. That afternoon, at around 4:30 I started to have some good contractions and we decided to get our babysitter and head to the hospital 45 min away.

We got to the hospital at 7:15 that night. I was at a 3 and half and they told me for hours I needed to make progress to be admitted. They are now really strict on rules. They will not do anything to help your labor unless you are at a 5 dilated or 39 weeks. I was 38 and a half weeks. We walked probably about 3 miles inside on the bottom floor that night- I'm not even kidding. We were both so exhausted but I was ready to do anything to see our little girl.

At around 2 am I was at a good 6 and ready for my epidural. I had been hesitant to get an epidural because my labor was going so slow and I didn't want it to stop. I had a horrible reaction to my epidural where my blood pressure dropped fast to 70 over something, I threw up, and felt horrible. It took 3 doses of medicine and 3 times where I felt horrible to finally get everything under control. Well, my epidural did what I didn't want it to do. My labor didn't progress for hours.

The nurses called the on call doctor at 4 am and she wanted to just wait for my doctor to finish things up and he was on at 6. The nurse said she was worried I would go fast when they started me on pitosin. So we waited some more. Then at 5:45, my doctor wanted to wait until 7 to start pitosin. I was feeling a little frustrated. I hadn't slept in almost 24 hours. They kept changing my positions to help get things going again, kept checking my blood pressure, and I had to keep oxygen on my mouth because her levels would drop a little. At least Ryan got a little sleep during this time.

Finally I got my pitosin and after a few hours things started going again. At 12:12 pm on Thurs, April 26, after 2 and a half pushes our little Emma joined our family. It was such an amazing delivery for me this time around. After the little one is born they usually give the baby to the nurse and they clean them off and I just watch waiting for my turn to hold. With Emma, I touched her head while she was inside me and then as I pushed her out, the doctor put her on my chest. I just hugged her and kissed her and loved her from that moment. Ryan kind of laughed when I told the nurses I wasn't ready to let her go when they tried to take her. She was all worth every second of that exhausting night!!

After Emma was born, we noticed she was breathing in her nose and out her mouth. That's not a normal way a newborn breathes. Her color was good and she wasn't struggling so the nurses just thought she had a little swelling from her delivery. That night she was getting upset a few times. I just held her and wasn't sure what was wrong. She had been a pretty easy going girl. The next day she was getting mad again at the time a nurse came in. She checked her over and noticed she was struggling to get air in. That's why she was getting mad. My poor girl. When they took her to do her PKU prick the pediatrician was there and they tried to stick a tube up her nose but it wouldn't go through. They were worried it was blocked so little Emma got a CT Scan. We went with her and it took about 2 minutes. We were very worried but her oxygen was where it needed to be so that was a relief. After a long wait, we got good news. There was no blockage!!! Whew! They said it was either swelling or one side her septum is larger which is why they couldn't get tube through and her nose would grow into her bigger septum. We were relieved. We saw the doctor yesterday for her newborn checkup and it now appears to be just from swelling. She is breathing better and easier. Her bed has been her car seat to help her breathing be easier. We are very grateful for this little girl and are very grateful she is perfect in every way!!

We love you our sweet Emma Lacey!!!