She’s here – Miss Anna made her appearance on Monday.
Monday started out with an OB visit, as they had been for weeks. I’d been feeling pretty miserable, but prayed on the way there that I just wouldn’t be disappointed with whatever I found out. When they checked me last week, I left the office really disappointed because I was only dilated 1 cm. I was hoping for better news this week.
The midwife measured me and made a face. Little Miss was measuring large enough that I could tell she was concerned. Then she did an internal check, and the first thing she asked me was if I’d been having contractions.
She told me I was dilated 4 cm, and left the room to talk to one of the doctors in the practice. It turns out that things were so favorable for a quick delivery that she was concerned that I wouldn’t make it back to the hospital in time if I waited to go into labor. She allowed me to go home and gather my things but told me pretty much to go straight to the hospital.
I really wasn’t thrilled at the thought of an induction, but given the circumstances (especially the distance we live from the hospital), I trusted her judgment.
I called Stephen and told him, “We’re having this baby today. I’m bringing the van home and we’re supposed to head right back to the hospital!” By the time I got home, one of the ladies from church was there and we were able to leave.
We arrived at the hospital and checked in. I kept telling Stephen how weird it was checking in without being in labor. They hooked me up to the monitors, and while we waited for the midwife to arrive, I kept wondering if the contractions I’d been having were even registering.
The midwife arrived soon after that and broke my water. It was interesting to listen to the details as she told the nurse what to chart after my exam. It turns out that I had already been in labor (not what I expected to hear!) – was dilated almost 6 cm, 80% effaced, and had been having contractions every 3 to 4 minutes. What a shock.
The contractions intensified almost immediately, but still were bearable. They felt just like the ones I’d been having for weeks, so it wasn’t hard to endure them.
Two hours later, they started me on Pitocin. I’d been hoping for a drug-free birth, but figured I’d just wait and see how things went with it. The nurse told me I’d feel the difference in contractions in about an hour, but they got stronger and closer a lot faster than that.
Finally, the pain got to the point where I asked for some meds. I didn’t want an epidural so they gave me Nubain instead. Two or three contractions later, I felt like I needed to push, so they brought the midwife back to check me.
I had just told the nurse earlier how I thought it would be hilarious if the first time they checked me I was ready to push. Imagine my surprise when that’s exactly what happened!
Things went so quickly from there – it seemed like only 2 or 3 contractions later they were moving things around, repositioning the bed, and telling me to push. 4 pushes later, and Miss Anna was here.
Wouldn’t you know it, the pain medicine kicked in right after the midwife finished all the after birth stuff. LOL! I told Stephen if I would have known I was that close I never would’ve bothered with the drugs. Oh well.
After a 29-hour labor with Caleb, it was a real shock to only knowingly be in labor this time for 4 hours.
Anna was 8 lb 5 oz, and 20 inches long. That’s so close in size to Caleb when he was born, but she seems so much smaller.
We are totally in love. She’s just so precious! She is a champion nurser (another thing I prayed about a lot!), and is pretty content for the most part. I’m still in awe that God sent us a little girl!
Meeting “Baby Sissy” for the first time
Blowing kisses at Sissy
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