Abby's Birth Story

Sweet Abby - this is the story of how you came into the world.  You are my second little one and so my mind was full of what birthing was like last time and wondering how similar or different your story would be.  It is full of some similarities and some differences and I would say second time around things were easier - not easy, just easier!   Once again my body went into prodromal labor - I was hoping that like with your sister it meant the end would only be a few days later at the latest!  Starting Sunday the mucous plug began to fall out and I was having random mild contractions every 10-30 minutes. I walked a couple of miles hoping to jump start regular contractions with no luck. Nana and Papa headed over the mountains because we knew you might come anytime now. We had a full and late night Sunday - Autumn and I went to the park with Grandma and Papa, your dad went to a birthday party in Denver, and we went for walk with Papa while Autumn told us about things that do and do not make sense. It was midnight before we were all tucked into bed.  I was able to get some sleep, only waking with contractions a few of times and a couple hour stretch I couldn't get back to sleep.  By Monday morning I was sure all the plug was gone and  the contractions were stronger.  Papa, Autumn and I walked to the park and I walked while they played. I also called the clinic just to see if it would be good to get checked in case the spread out contractions were actually doing more than I thought.  They said that would be a good idea, so your dad and I packed up and drove to the hospital.
 

It didn't take long for them to let us know that I was only at 2 cm, 80% effaced and -2 station and that true active labor had not started yet.  We headed back to the house and I was able to nap while Autumn napped for a couple of hours.  Papa headed back over the mountains to work since we didn't know when you were coming.  Nana made us burritos and then daddy, Autumn and I walked to the park again.  My contractions still did not pick up and so I figured it would at least 24-48 hours before we would get to meet you.  We got ready for bed and I couldn't sleep so I showered and dinked on the computer having contractions 10-15 minutes apart.  I got about two hours of sleep and then woke up around 3am with contractions too strong to sleep through and had to work to relax, breath and get through them. I started timing them on contractionmaster.com and they were consistently 10 minutes apart and about 90 seconds long.  At about 4 I went upstairs to see if a bath would calm them down and it didn't seem to make a difference. I woke your sister as I moaning through a contraction in the bathroom - they were not letting up. Luckily daddy explained to her what was going on and she fell right back to sleep. Around 5 I told your dad we should probably head for the hospital as I assumed the contractions would pick up as soon as I was up and walking.  He took a shower and I packed a few more things to take with us and the contractions started coming every 3-5 minutes.  We woke Nana to come downstairs to be there when your sister woke up, got in the car and texted everyone else to let them know we were headed to the hospital.  I ate an apple on the way there.  We checked into the registration desk for the 3rd time this pregnancy and hoped like crazy this would be the last time.  The nurse came down and got us and I told her I might cry if I wasn't at least 4cm, as the contractions were quite intense!  I gave the urine sample, answered 20 questions, they checked your heart rate which stayed a health 140, breathed through contractions and then found out I was already at 6 1/2cm dialated and completely effaced and your head was way down.  We were so excited!!  The end was in sight - we were going to meet you very very soon!!!  They admitted us to the hospital and took us to our room.  Dr. Slack was called as we are on his special list. He had just finished his on call shift and had patients in his office that morning, but still was able to come.  We had arrived at shift change and there was apparently not much going on so our room was full of like 6 nurses getting things ready.  They got the IV antibiotics going and I relaxed through contractions - they were all strong enough that it was easiest to moan through them.  The one nurse called it labor singing - that sounds so much nicer than moaning.  Our labor helper Rachel arrived - she is a good friend of ours that is a Junior in HS and interested in nursing - she took really great photos for us too!!  As soon as the antibiotics were finished they ran a nice warm bath. Since I was dilating without having to walk around and we were in no hurry, relaxing in the tub sounded the very best.  My contractions slowed to every 8-10 minutes, but were very powerful.  It was kind of odd to be lying there just having conversation with Rachel and Aaron and then take 90 seconds to 'sing' through a contraction and resume conversation again.  Dr. Slack came in around 8 and checked me in the tub and I had progressed to a 8 or 9.  He reminded me that he did not bring his fishing net and so here soon the nice bath was going to need to end!  I had a couple more good contractions and told Aaron we had best be getting me out.  Right after another contraction ended I got to the toilet - I expected to have a whooper contraction getting out, but didn't really have another until I was settled in bed.  The nurses had pretty much disappeared until we got out - there were 3 of them there, one training from a small banner hospital, one supervising and a CCU nursing student. The one training checked me (let's just say she needs a bit more experience or a women on an epidural - ouch...) and the cervix was a completely open 10cm and ready for pushing!  Aaron and I looked at each other and were surprised as we didn't really have a transition moment - seemed too easy!  I was still having contractions 8-10 minutes apart so we just chatted between a couple more, turned  on the slack key guitar Sonny Lim pandora station and waited until Dr. Slack came in and they got everything together.  Now for the tough part - I'm not really a fan of the pushing stage from Autumn's birth, it really is one of the most painful experiences. Doable and not really very long, but quite intense.  I asked Dr. Slack if they could just slide you on out of there! The first contraction came and I pushed as hard as I could, but also did a fair bit of screaming.  The next one I did the same - we made some progress but not enough.  Because the contractions were so far apart there was still plenty of time for chatting between. Now there were 3 nurses and 2 nursing students as the baby nurse and student had arrived.  We had enough time between contractions that Dr. Slack told the students the story of Ignaz, a Jewish Dr. that linked hand washing to decreased maternal and newborn deaths from puerperal fever in 1848.

I decided maybe I'd try squatting to push.  They changed the bed around but it was a far cry from the Brazilian births I'd seen on video in Bradley class where they simply squatted on the bed.  They wanted my feet in the stir ups which was at an angle and were too low and I had to drape myself over the bar to keep my balance.  It was just silly and did not work at all.  So back to the bed, which wasn't so bad, I had just hoped maybe if my pelvis was more open in a true squat it might hurt less.  So another contraction came and I pushed, screamed and stopped and said it hurt too bad.  Because my contractions were so far apart and I wasn't being super successful at pushing hard enough to get you out, Dr. Slack pretty much told me that I either needed to hold my breath to have enough force to push you out or we would need to start pitocin to get some more contractions to help me push.  The next contraction came, I held my breath and pushed way past 10 on the pain scale and your head came out!  The hardest part was over and we were almost there! He had me reach down for you and slowly push some more to get you out!



They helped me get you to my tummy and I took a minute to get over the pain before pulling you up to cuddle.  Ahhh... you were here, delivery was over and we could just snuggle, enjoy you and figure out what we were going to name you!
After they got you cleaned up you latched right on and went for it no problem - you have been a champion eater!
All the after birth stuff went well, I didn't tear at all and with in a few minutes I was feeling so much better!

I guessed you would weigh 5lbs 14 oz and the nurse guessed you would weigh 6lb 2oz - she was right on.  You looked to be about the same size as your sister was, and you were.  I wonder if they had weighed you right away before feeding and all the tags (the Hugs anklet is quite large) if you would have been 6 even like Autumn?

Rachel holding you before heading back to school

We had narrowed your name down to Abby Leia, Abby Grace or Kate Leilani.  We both thought it was really fun that Autumn told us that you were a girl named Abby long before we found out you were indeed a girl and in the end Leia won because it is Hawaiian and the meaning is Child of Heaven.  Sorry if you get Princess Leia jokes your whole life - we think it is perfect and beautiful!!
About an 45 minutes after you were born they checked you, weighed you and put you under the warmer and got me to the bathroom to clean up so I could come join the fun at the warmer.


You were just so beautiful!  Right after I was up and going Autumn arrived to meet you for the first time.  She was so excited to see you - I can't remember what all she said, but it was cute and we have it on video!

Then Nana, Grandma and Papa Jerry came in to meet you too!  A bit later after they checked your vitals again Nana gave you a bath while Autumn helped.
 

We dressed you in a cute sleeper and cuddled you the rest of the afternoon!




Later that night all the family that was in town came to our room and we sang you happy birthday and enjoyed cupcakes for you!  It was such a wonderful day! Abby Leia we love you with our whole hearts and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives loving you!

Daddy Praying over you.

Weight: 6 lbs 2 oz (after tags and feeding)
Length: 19"
Head Circumference 13 inches
Chest 12 1/2 inches
Apgar 1 min - 8, 5 min - 9
Temp 37 degrees
Pulse 140

You found your hands less than 2 hours after being born

Dr. Quintana gave your first check up - he was so kind and funny