Birth Story

Alright, I've finally have a little time to post another blog ;)

So on Friday (9/19) morning we went into the hospital for our induction. During our initial tour I had asked what would happen if there weren't enough beds since ours was an induction. The lady said that the nurse would call my OB and he'd contact me and let me know when to come in. So anyway, we get there and lo and below - there are no more birthing rooms available. And no one has let us know. Instead, they put us in this back room - kinda like a supply room. I think they actually call it a "recovery room"... well, the recovery room is where they store all the extra supplies. It just happens to have a couple cots (not birthing beds) and fetal monitors. We figure (and are told) that they'll get us in a room when one comes available and it shouldn't be long. Ok.

So, the dr comes in and places the cytotec to start contractions more fully. Last time I had pitocin, so I had no idea what to expect, but the dr said that it mimicks labor more naturally than Pitocin and that I have a couple of hours before it gets too uncomfortable.

So, we go downstairs and get breakfast, walk around a little, etc. and come back every hour to be hooked back up to the monitors. After a couple of hours it's starting to get definitely more uncomfortable and the contractions close together. By the way, we're still waiting for a room.

Well, to make a long and story short(er), we keep waiting for a room, all the while my contractions are getting stronger and closer together. We are passed up for a room a couple of times - once because another lady came into the hospital already in full labor. Then, another time was very frustrating because the lady wasn't dilated as much as I was and our contractions were about the same apart and intensity. Ah well... we're trying to keep a good attitude, but with each passing hour, it definitely gets harder. (The bed was very uncomfortable, the room was curtained off but only about 10'x10' and Aaron had to steal a chair in order to even sit down. We didn't have a tv, radio, etc. either. Eventually we were sitting around staring at each other... it got very boring ;)

My contractions were getting very intense and finally they gave us access to the hot tub. That helped a lot, but we still didn't have a room. They didn't want to give me an epideral (for obvious reasons) until we had a room. At one point our nurse changed and the new one was... not nice. Aaron would have hit her I think if I would have let him. She came in to check on me and I told her that I was worried that I wouldn't get a room or epideral before the baby came. She basically said "Ah well, that's how it goes sometimes." You could see the blood boiling behind Aaron's eyes!

Well, they finally got us into a room a little after 7:00 p.m. (we got there at 8:00 a.m.). I was dilated to a 6 and my contractions were one minute apart, but finally we had a room. We got the epideral in quickly (we told them it had to be before they broke my water) and then the dr broke my water at 8:00. Then... he went to go get the nurses ice cream (he's a great guy, but didn't understand just how quickly I meant when I said it'd be quick). Well, I soon was breathing through contractions and trying not to push while the nurse is on the phone with my OB telling him that we're about to have a baby whether or not he's there. (By the way, the epideral was great, but I felt WAY more than I thought that I would.) There was a resident physician on the OB floor that day and he was getting ready to deliver the baby... I'm thinking "Oh please NO - get MY doctor!"

Well, Dr. Robbins gets there and we have a baby! I really love my doctor - he was great and really listened to me when I told him about my history (with Sophie I had a lot of problems - they couldn't stop my bleeding, etc.). Through his precautions and also the epideral, I was kept out of surgery this time and that was SUCH a relief!

Baby Brielle Mae was born at 9:02 p.m. She was 7 lbs 7.3 oz and 20 inches long. She is such an angel! She has very dark brown hair and quite a bit of it, which was a surprise to me. Sophie didn't have hardly any hair to speak of.

We ended up having to stay in the hospital another day and a half past what we thought we'd have to because Brielle had some elevated body temperatures. They wanted to observe her longer and run a lot of tests. They did a chest x-ray. They did blood work (which they had to stick her SO many times, oh, I'm glad I didn't see that). They put in a cathedar to get a sterile urine culture. My poor, poor baby! (I know a lot of babies have to have worse, I'm so sorry for them and their mommies and daddies!) Everything ended up coming back ok and we ended up going home on Monday night. It was so nice to be home!

Brielle is such a good baby! We're still up a lot at night to nurse and whatnot, but she is actually sleeping in the bassinet or the crib... it's AMAZING! I didn't realize that babies did that! lol (Again, Sophie only slept when she was being held...which wasn't conducive to sleeping.) She even sleeps in the bassinet in the living room while Sophie plays, the garbage disposal is running, the tv on, or there is silence, etc. WOW! She hardly ever cries, just when she's waking up and wanting to eat. She's nursing well. She's just overall such a good little baby! Ahh, what a relief. Now, if we could sleep more than an hour at a time at night, it'd be great.

Ahhh, what a sweetie! I just can't imagine our family now without her. She's so great.

Sophie is doing well too. She's having a little bit of mommy withdrawl and is a little more needy, but I think that's to be expected. She also doesn't want mommy to sleep if she's awake, so it's been great to have Grandma and Daddy to keep her occupied while Mommy takes a nap. My mom has been so helpful! Sophie loves to hold her baby sister and love on her.

We're so blessed!