Allyse Gracie- December 23rd 2010

Ok, so I know it is almost a month after she was born, but better late then never! So here is our story! 

I have to say as December rolled around I was getting more and more excited that my due date would come soon! I hoped that maybe she would be born a little early. ( Ya, that never happened!) I had read all kinds of things to try to induce labor naturally, and Jason wanted her to come early and made try all kinds of things. Braxton Hicks were a daily thing for me. Finally on the 12th of December, which is my birthday, I started having series pains. It was a Sunday and we had gone to church, we were sitting in the foyer because of my pains, and when they were 5 min apart we decided to go to the hospital. I thought, finally it is here, and early! Ha ha, I was wrong! Upon arriving at the hospital, they checked me, and I wasn't even dilated. I was not even effaced hardly. It was a real bummer to be told, that if I was dilated at all or effaced more, that they would have kept me. 

At my next doctors appointment, my doctor (who is one of the best I do have to say) told me basically I would not come on my own for at least another three to four weeks which was  two weeks past my due date! I was crushed. After talking with Jason and my Dr. we decided to induce. The tricky part was when, because we had to wait until after my due date, which was fine, but Jackilyn's birthday was the same day they would induce me and then we ran into the problem of possibly having her on Christmas No way did I want them to have the same birthday. I just don't think its good to have siblings have the same birthday, and it should be avoided if possible. Also, I really did not want my baby born on Christmas. So finally it was decided that they would induce me on the 22nd of December and most likely she would be born on the 23rd of December. 

After this was decided, I just had to wait it out, and let me tell you it was the most miserable week and a half of my life. I couldn't sleep, I kept throwing up, and the acid reflux was the worst it had been my entire pregnancy. My mom came the weekend that I was suppose to be due (the 19th). And of course, my due date, came and went, just as I expected it to. We also celebrated Jackilyn's birthday! 

I felt so miserable the day of Jackilyn's birthday, I just wanted it to be the next day so that I would be induced and not pregnant any more! No one was more happy then I was when it was finally the 22nd. 

I went into the doctor's office that morning and they put in a catheter to help speed up the induction. Anyone who says that, those do not hurt is a bold face liar! It hurt like heck. However, in the end I would do it all over again to have her. After the catheter, the doctor wanted to check my fluids. Little did I know that the night before my water actually had started to break. I say started because it wasn't broke all the way but I was leaking and the fluids around the baby were very low.  I got told that if I was not scheduled for an induction today I would be having one anyway because of how low the fluids were. I went home thinking, ok I have until 9 tonight to get what I need to get done before she comes. Ha ha hah, that was not the way that was. I got home, and started to have pain. I figured it was the catheter, and I just laid in bed an cried. I didn't know it but I was going into labor! The catheter was working better then I had thought it would! My mom was the first to suggest I might be having contractions and that it wasn't just the pain of the catheter. Then Jason started to time my pain. I was having contractions ever 3 minutes. After about an hour and a half we called the doctor and he said to just come in now, and they would start me. So we headed to the hospital, they started me on the potocin and the labor pains just kept getting worse!  There was no way I was going to have this baby without pain killers! The epidural was heaven sent! Then came the waiting, the never ending popsicle craving and the problems.

high as a kite on meds

I was progressing nicely until about 11 Pm when I just stalled. By 5 Am I had finally accepted the fact I was going to have a C-section. Did I mention that the epidural was wearing off and I was starting to feel EVERY contraction! The doctor said they didn't want to give me more of the epidural if I was going to have to have a c-section. I kept praying that if it was possible, the Lord would allow me to have a vaginal birth rather than a c-section and they would be able to give me more pain meds. I have to say that the praying paid off! When the nurses changed at 5:30 I started to have the shakes really bad. I thought I was cold or something. My mom, in her wisdom said that maybe I was progressing fast. She said that some people when they progress fast, shake, the nurse said that she would check me to see where I was. I was at a 9! I had progressed from a 5 to a 9 in about 15 minutes!! It took me another 5 min and I was ready to start pushing and for the pain meds to be given! By the time everything was ready and the nurse wanted me to start pushing, I was so tired! I couldn't even feel the contractions, I just wanted to sleep. Jason had to tell me when I was having contractions so that I could push. After 2 hours of pushing she was still not down far enough. She was so close, but not enough. Finally my doctor came in and in his odd sense of humor told me I had three options, I could push for 2 more hours, have a c-section or he could suction her head out. I opted for the suction. I pushed three more times and she was here!!!

I cried as they placed her on my chest I started to cry. I was so happy and then what all new moms dread, the nurse started pumping her chest with her hand, I had heard her cry but they said that Allyse as not breathing right. The next thing I know they are taking her to the transition room to see if they needed to admit her to the nicu. She had to have a breathing tube then oxygen and finally after a couple of hours they brought her to me. I was so happy she was ok and I couldn't believe how much hair she had!

  

Since then I have enjoyed every minute of her, even the middle of the night feedings and the never ending poppy diapers! All  she has to do is look up into my eyes and I melt!