The Labor

Warning! This is way too long and detailed because I typed it for my journal and scrapbook and didn't want to redo a shorter version for here.

Our due date was June 30th, 2011 and we had scheduled that day to be induced. Then Drake's grandpa, Wilbert Rogers Atwood, passed away and the funeral was held on her due date. Because of that the hospital let us schedule for the next day, Friday July 1st, even though it had been booked. After the funeral we had an appointment at the Dr's office to do a Foley catheter which would help start the process before for induction. I had been having contractions the last few weeks but wasn't progressing. With the catheter in place Drake and I went home to spend our last night as a family of two. If the procedure works the tube is supposed to fall out, and if it doesn't they instructed Drake how to get it out in the morning. I hadn't slept more than a few hours a night all week and that night was no different. I moved from the couch back to our bed at 3:30 AM and was finally able to fall asleep only to be woken up at 4:30 by a big POP! I was out of it and woke Drake saying my water broke or something was happening. He handed me a tissue while he went to get a towel, which made me laugh. Once I was up and fully awake I realized the tube had popped. It was supposed to fall out, or stay in, they never mentioned a pop. Once that happened the pains/contractions it had caused all evening stopped and I was thinking that it didn't work. I got up and started walking around and even did laps in the basement, but no contractions. I finally fell back asleep and woke up at 8:30 a little panicked. We were scheduled for 11:00 and I was supposed to call at 10:00 to make sure they had a room. That only gave me an hour and a half before hearing the news. I started getting ready and packing while Drake went to the gym. When I called they said they were slammed and pushed us back to 2:00 and asked me to call back at 1:00. I called the Dr to tell them about the POP and they said that wasn't normal and to come in. I was trying to prepare myself for them to tell me it didn't work, but was surprised with good news when Dr. Meredith said I was at a 5! It worked! He told me to go walk and be active. When we called the hospital at 1:00, they were pretty discouraging, saying to call back at 3 but that they might not get me in until the next day. When I called back they said they'd call and let me know within an hr. They called me around 4:00 and said to come in at 5:00 to get started!

Oh my belly!!!! I look like I'm hiding a basketball!

Of coarse we pulled into the hospital a little late, because I'm always late. They took us right into a room and we started to get settled. Drake set up the video camera in the back on the room so we could catch some of the special moments. Dr. Meredith came in to break my water around 5:30. Drake went to turn the camera on and both Dr. M and I were a little surprised by that. When he checked me I was at a 5 to 6, and then he broke my water. Once all the monitors were hooked up on me they said I was already having regular contractions on my own. They kept asking what my pain level was, but compared to the night before and the week of contractions it was mild. The nurses switched shifts at 6:00 and Jeannie was now assigned to us. She turned out to be amazing! Because my contractions were going on their own they didn't start me on Pitocin. They kept asking if I'd like to epidural yet, but I thought I could hold out a while. At 8:00PM Jeannie said I was still a 5 to 6 and my contractions were spacing out so she started me on Pitocin at a 1. At 9:00 I was at a 6 so she turned it up to a 2. The contractions started getting really intense, especially when I stood for the restroom so I asked for an Epidural. I figured we were in for a long night. The Anesthesiologist was amazingly nice and informative. You have to hold perfectly still and the contractions were so painful making that difficult. The numbing shot was the worst part. Drake was so sweet and held my hand through it all. They started me on an oxygen mask and said my contractions were very strong but thankfully I wasn't noticing now. Our little one's heart rate had started dropping during contractions so they kept me on oxygen and turned up the IV. Close to 10:00 PM I was still at a 6, 90% effaced, and a -2 station. I was getting nervous that things weren't progressing and her heart rate wasn't looking good. At midnight they said I was almost a 7 and turned the Pit up to 3. Her heart rate just kept getting worse and I could tell they were nervous about it. It started dropping first during contractions but then sometimes in between which isn't good. At 1:00 AM they stopped the Pit because she wasn't handling it. At 1:20 I was still a 6 and the contractions were going good by themselves. You could see on the nurses face that her heart rate was really starting to worry them and they said Dr. M had been calling to check on us all night. Jeannie said she felt something soft that might be a second bag of water, but later we found out it was her poor swollen hear. They came and put in a catheter around this time. The oxygen was drying me out so bad. Drake kept giving me ice chips because that's all I could have. He was so comforting all night, and our room was calm and peaceful despite the stress of what was going on. The nurses kept trying to get me to sleep but I couldn't stop watching her heart rate on the screen. At 2:00 AM Dr Meredith walked into the room and I knew things were getting serious. He talked to me about the heart rate and how it was ok for a little while, but couldn't go on like that for too long. He checked me at still a 6 but said her head was much lower. He said we were going to try an amnio catheter which goes in the uterus and pumps fluid in for the baby. That, along with blasting the IV, the oxygen mask and starting to turn me from side to side were supposed to help the baby. They also started an internal monitor to see the contractions more accurate. We talked about giving these things a try but keeping an open mind for other options and I knew he meant a C section. When he left the room we all were thinking that was the route we were headed. I told them I was ok with whatever they needed to do for her. The heart rate would go from 160 to below 90 but seemed a little better when I was on my left side. At 3:40 we found out it was all helping, and I was surprisingly at an 8 to 9! Finally past a 6. At 4:30 I started throwing up, and they said I was a 9 1/2. At 5:10 AM Jeannie said I was fully dilated and we could let me rest because I was so tired or we could try some pushing. I didn't have to think about it and told her I'd like to start pushing. I'd push during contractions and because her heart rate still was dropping so bad Jeannie would have me rest every few to let her recover. At 6:00 AM the nurses changed shifts and we were sad to see Jeannie go, she was so great. We were lucky again though and Jill stepped right in. After a while she said we should rest a few minutes in between pushing, to give the heart rate time to recover. She left the room and after a while Drake and I were wondering if she forgot about us. Now looking back we know things must have been more serious than they wanted to let on. Once she was back things stated moving along better and Dr Meredith came in to check on us. He started walking out of the room but then things started moving along much better and Jill would say "Oh good one." He calmly went to work setting up the room and changing the bed and all of the sudden it was game time. I had pushed for two hours and the end didn't seem close and then all of the sudden it was here. The cord has been wrapped around her neck and thats why everything was happening. I started feeling a lot of pain and told Dr M it was really hurting, thinking the epidural would work better, and he said "I bet... can you imagine?" With that response I realized I need to just suck it up and push harder to end this. After a few more she was here at 7:14 AM! They put here on my stomach and I was too shocked to know what to do. Our baby was here and safe. They took her to check and clean her up and Dr M told Drake it would be a good time to start taking pictures. He started snapping pictures and they said she was 7lbs 7ozs and 19 inches long. They brought her back to me, put her on my chest and she stopped crying. That was the best moment of my life to hold my beautiful daughter. Those next few minutes are sacred memories to me and a time I wont forget. I love my little family and feel so blessed.

Grandma & pa Siddoway - Uncle Brock - Grandma & pa Atwood