Friday, June 9 (6 days after due date)
In the morning I went in to get my membranes stripped, for like the 5th time, obviously without success each time, so I was feeling pretty skeptical of it working. I also scheduled an induction that was going to take place on Sunday night. The hospital said that they would call me sometime on Sunday to let me know when to come in. After leaving the hospital, Mike and I went to Scheels to walk around and hopefully put me into labor. Although, that hadn't really been working either- we had been walking two miles every night for the past two weeks. While we were there I felt like I was leaking, so we headed home. It was around maybe 3 when we got home. I figured that I would monitor it to see if something was really happening or not. We really did not want go to labor and delivery, just to be sent home. I worked from home for a while and started getting some light, irregular contractions in my back. I still felt like my water was leaking, but had not broken. After a few hours, we decided that we would eat dinner, I would shower, and then we would go to L&D, just to check. But we honestly were thinking we would probably get monitored and then sent home. While I showered, Mike went and picked up Village Baker. We ate, then I got ready and we packed the remaining items in our hospital bag. During this time, I was still having some contractions. Still irregular and still very mild.
We got to the hospital around 9, checked in, and they took us back to a delivery room. We were a little bit shocked because we thought that I would have to go to triage. We looked at the little delivery bassinet and got a little bit nervous- like this could actually be happening today! We still were a little bit skeptical that they would actually admit us. They checked my progress and I wad dilated to a 3 and almost 100% effaced- which was not new news. I had been dilated to a 3 for about a week. They checked the fluid to see if it was amniotic fluid that I thought I was leaking and the results came back negative. The contractions that I was having picked up a bit, but still were fairly mild. The nurse said that she was going to call my doctor to see if she wanted to send me home. We were completely expecting to pack up and head home for the night. The nurse came back and said my doctor wanted me to walk around for an hour to see if the contractions would pick up and my body would start dilating more. We didn't have anything to lose. So around 10, we started walking laps around the dark, empty hospital halls. My contractions started picking up and were getting pretty painful. (All still in my lower back.) Towards the end of the hour, I was having to stop walking during the contraction. We were excited and very optimistic that I was dilating more so we could get admitted. We went back to L&D and the nurse checked me for dilation- nothing. I was still a 3. I was super bummed, thinking they were going to send me home after all this. She said that she was going to call my doctor, who fortunately was the doctor on call that night. She came back and said that my doctor said that it was up to me- I could choose to stay and they would put me on pitocin or I could go home. Mike and I talked about it, and decided to stay. I would be back in a couple days anyway to be induced, so why not get it started a little bit early.
Around 11pm, I officially got admitted into labor and delivery. I called my mom to let her know that she needed to head home from St. George. Her and Allan had just driven down that afternoon, so it was a very quick trip for them. The nurse started me on IV fluids after FOUR failed attempts at getting the IV in- honestly that was probably the worst part. My contractions started picking up and were getting very painful- still all in my lower back.
Saturday, June 10
The nurse kept checking me for progress and I was progressing soooo slow. I couldn't believe it because the contractions were very painful. The nurse kept telling me that I could get the epidural whenever I wanted too, but I heard that getting the epidural can cause you to progress even slower, so I was hesitant to get it. Around 2-3am, I asked for the epidural, I was dilated to a 4. The anesthesiologist came in about 15 minutes after I requested the epidural. I was extremely nervous because I am terrified of needles, but everything went very smoothly. I never even saw a needle and honestly, I could hardly feel anything. Almost immediately I felt relief! It was incredible.
The nurse said she was going to call my doctor and let her know that I had received the epidural and she would probably come in and break my water. I called my mom, who had thankfully made it back from St. George about an hour ago and told her to head over to the hospital. Around 5am my doctor showed up and broke my water. There was meconium in the fluid so the doctor requested that the NICU be notified to come in for my delivery as a precaution. Apparently it is common for meconium to be present when a baby is this far over due. After my water was broken, I went from a 4-8 in dialation even before the doctor left the room. The doctor and nurse said that they would be back to check on me in one hour, but if I felt like I needed to push, call them immediately. About 20 minutes later I was feeling pressure in my pelis and called the nurse. I was dilated to a 9. Again she said they they were going to leave, but to call them again if I was feeling pressure like I needed to push. About 10 minutes later I gave them a call. She checked for progress and I was dilated to a 10! She said that she was going to call the doctor to come in.
I started pushing at 6:00am. At 6:24am, our baby girl made her debut! Mike cut the [very] short umbilical cord and they brought my little girl up to my chest. It was so unreal. And she had so much hair! I had requested to do skin-on-skin immediately after she was born and to have a "sacred hour." The sacred hour is when the nurses and doctors give you an hour with your brand new baby before taking her measurements and taking us up to a recovery room. Almost immediately after my little girl was put on my chest, she started rooting. The nurse asked if I wanted to feed her and I was so excited! She latched on with ease and started to nurse! It was so amazing! Since then, she has been great at nursing.
Mike and I loved that hour after Ellie was born. I felt so close to Mike, Ellie, and my Heavenly Father. It really was a sacred hour.
Elizabeth May Holman
June 10, 2017
6:24 am
7 pounds 14 ounces
21 inches
