Once we got checked in, we were shown to our room and I was instructed to put the hospital gown on. We filled out some papers, and my IV was started. Because I was a carrier of Group B Strep, my antibiotic regimen began, along with pitocin to get my contractions started. I was dilated to a one upon my arrival to the hospital, and had been for the past three weeks.
It was probably around 10 am when I elected to go ahead and get the epidural because the contractions I could feel were about two minutes apart and starting to get uncomfortable. It was a strange sensation receiving the epidural and apparently made me more nervous than I was even aware until I was told we might be too close to a blood vessel and might have to redo the whole thing and I started shaking all over. Leave it to me to have an anxiety attack during an epidural. I started crying, which embarrassed me. I remember Leslie gave me a reassuring thumbs up and reminded me I was ok and doing good. Thankfully, we didn't have to redo the epidural and once the effects started taking place, getting checked (and stretched) became much more tolerable.
My doctor came in around 11 am to break my water and check me.
Some troubles I had was that I was dilating slowly and my contractions kept amping up then falling off the map. They weren't staying consistent, so at one point, the nurse turned off my pitocin and restarted it about 30 minutes later in an attempt to help, but unfortunately my contractions never did stay consistent.
The nurses and my doctor noticed I was swelling in my lower region, and that concerned them. They also observed that Audrey's little head was starting to swell due to dropping lower than my pelvis had widened enough for. (My doctor and I both knew going into this that I had a narrow pelvis and might have trouble getting wide enough for Audrey to be able to easily pass through.)
By the time the evening came, I was growing weaker and anxious about not having the strength to deliver a baby (having not eaten since 4:15 that morning). Around 9 pm, the power in the hospital went out, including the a/c, and the fire alarms were going off. Nurses told us there were fire trucks all around the hospital but no one knew why. Cue more anxiety from me, terrified there was a fire somewhere in the hospital.
Around 10:15 pm, I threw up.
My doctor eventually came in and told us that she was fighting to keep us at the hospital but she was being ordered to transport us to a different area hospital.
We finally received word that a transformer had blown on the first floor of the hospital, causing a lot of smoke, which brought in the firefighters.
My doctor eventually let us know that we were getting to stay put at the hospital, and that by that point (around 11 pm) I had dilated to a seven but the rate of progression was so slow, and due to the culmination of aforementioned issues, she thought a c-section would be in our best interest. I was relieved to hear this as my body was already depleted from the day, and I was just ready for Audrey to be born.
Because the a/c had been out, we had to wait for the operating room to cool down again before my doctor could perform any c-sections.
I was given Benadryl through my IV to help with my swelling issues, and that Benadryl knocked me out. I fought to keep my eyes open when I was finally brought in for my c-section a little after midnight on Thursday, June 21st.
Audrey was born at 12:24 am and was just as alert, healthy and HUNGRY as could be! She came out trying to eat her little hands. They laid her face next to mine, and I swear her eyes looked right into mine. I was still fighting to keep my eyes open (and failing miserably at this point), and I slept all through the hour or so I was in recovery.
As we were wheeled back to our room, the nurses asked me if I wanted to have skin to skin time with Audrey, and I said yes. As soon as she was laid on me, she frantically tried to nurse and as soon as she found the right spot, she latched on and I remember feeling shock and awe that I was actually kinda sorta breastfeeding my daughter!
We practiced a little bit longer in our room, and I was given some graham crackers to eat. Then around 3 or 3:30 am, our amazing nurse offered to hang out with Audrey at the nurses' desk so that Leslie and I could get a little sleep. She kept Audrey for about 3 hours while we slept.
We got to go home after about 38 hours. I had amazing nurses who were so helpful and kind, and of course my doctor is and was amazing as well. But it was so nice to get to go home where no one was knocking and coming in our room every hour or so.
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As I type this, Audrey is 17 days old, and we are all doing great. I feel about 97% healed from my c-section, have been cleared to drive (even though I haven't yet), and Audrey is nursing beautifully.
Leslie still has about two weeks left of paternity leave, and I'm so thankful. This time we've gotten to spend together at home getting to know our daughter and unplugged from our jobs has been heaven.
Audrey is a good sleeper at night. She typically sleeps for 4-5 hours before needing to be fed, then falls back asleep for another 2-3 hours before we get started on our day. If we don't have anything going on, we sometimes lay back down for another 2-3 hours.
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Sometimes I just stare at Audrey - her hair and perfect little tiny face - and can't believe she's the one God gave us. She seems too good to be true. To think that she's the one embryo that survived from our IVF cycle...she's the one and only perfect one that God had in mind for us.
I can't wait to keep spending my days with her, playing with her, taking her places, teaching her about Jesus and loving others.
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I've learned that it's so important to me as a mom to surround Audrey with peace and gentle love. I want our home to be a sweet sanctuary that she always feels safe in. I want her relationship with her daddy and me to be comprised of honest but loving conversations, always with a respectful tone. I take my role as her mommy very seriously and can't wait to teach her things and pour into her little life.
I call her "Mama's Little Joy," and joy is a word I pray will be all around her always. May she exude it, give it away, and feel it in our home. May joy be a constant, no matter our circumstances.
Thank you, God, for Audrey.
