The Waiting Game...

Get ready for a long post (and maybe some TMI moments), it was a long day...

9 months is long enough to wait, 40 weeks of imagining what this little one would look like, what kind of personality she would have.  Then she decided to make us wait 11 more days.  Those days seemed like torture, pure torture!  Due to insurance reasons it was cheaper for us to have this sweet baby girl out in California so I went to live with my parents in July so that I would be able to afford the many appointments that they schedule for you at the end of pregnancy to make sure that everything is going well with the baby.  Our sweet baby girl was due to arrive August 21st, so Joseph flew out on the 17th.  By the next weekend we still had no signs of a baby wanting to join us, so on the 25th I got on my swim suit and played for half of the high school water polo alumni game, sure people thought I was crazy for jumping in the pool 4 days overdue, but I was blessed with being able to be active the entire pregnancy and I play goalie, people don’t really come near you in the position!  Joseph had to leave the 26th, school and work don’t wait for a baby to arrive.  Needless to say, I was a wreck.  What if she decided to come while he was gone?  What if he didn’t make it in time?

At my 41 week appointment the OBGYN told me that I could choose what day I wanted to be induced, since it still didn’t look like she’d be making her way out, so I chose Friday.  That way Joseph could get there in time and it was labor day weekend so he didn’t have school or work on Monday, so he had more time to spend with us.  Friday comes and I call an hour before my scheduled induction at 2 pm.  Thanks to so many babies that were actually coming on their own they told me not to come in until 6.  I was totally freaking out because I just wanted to get in and get going!

We finally made our way to the hospital got checked in and got assigned a room.  Pretty soon we’re meeting the nurses, doctors, and midwife.  As luck would have it Julie King was the midwife on call that night and I’m sure glad it was her! (She’s in my parents Stake and her daughter was a year behind me in high school)  It was nice to see a familiar face and feel comfortable with everything that was going on.  Our nurse, Jo, was so sweet!  She was always making sure we were comfortable and made it a much better experience than I’ve had with nurses before.

So at 8 Friday night they put the strip of induction medicine in and got things going, labor started and contractions got worse and worse.  Let’s just say I didn’t sleep that night.  Joseph slept on the floor, for the couple of broken up hours that he slept, and my parents slept on the couch (not the biggest couch either mind you).  Even with hard contractions/labor going pretty much all night at 8 the next morning I had only progressed to a 3, so to try to get me more progressed Julie broke my water.  Things slowly and steadily progressed and got harder and harder to bear.

  I kept going and threw up a few times, talk about a fun experience!  With my mom/Hannah rubbing my head, my dad holding my hand, and Joseph pushing on my knees (totally helps, who knew?) I was able to handle a good amount of the pain.  Finally a little after 2 that afternoon I decided that it wasn’t progressing fast enough, and desperately needed some rest (sleep deprived for sure).  So 18 hours after being induced I got an epidural and pitocin.

  Things progressed a lot faster after that and I finally started pushing around 7.  Hannah had a great view while I was pushing, and helped keep me distracted, how can you not be distracted when your sister’s watching and wincing and squirming and excited all at the same time.  Joseph and my mom were holding my legs up, because I definitely couldn’t!  And my dad was sitting on the couch trying to distract himself but getting a pretty good ab work out from holding his breath and contracting his abs every time I pushed.  He was just trying to help! :)  Finally Dad had enough and asked if he could come hold my back, and I’m sure glad he did (if you’re going to be pushing a baby out make sure someone’s holding your back up, it’s much easier to push that way).  Finally at 7:50 pm, ten minutes shy of 24 hours after being induced, our sweet little Jane came out and finally graced us with her presence!

  Thanks to my midwife Julie I didn’t tear at all outside and only had one small stitch inside!

A lot of people discount my labor because when Jane came out she was 6 pounds 8 ounces and 18.5 inches long with a 12.2 inch head.  But I’m proud to say that I was able to deliver this sweet, perfect baby.

After she arrived Joseph cut the umbilical cord.  And Jane just stuck her tongue out at us, she didn’t cry, which made the nurses nervous.  They put her on my chest, and no joke, she picked her head up to look at me.  But they quickly took her to the other side of the room to check her oxygen levels and make sure she was okay, she was already pink and everything they just wanted her to cry (but the stubborn little girl wouldn’t no matter how much they tried slapping her feet and doing whatever they could to get her to).

Gram and Grandpa came in the room as soon as they could.  As soon as they walked in I said, “Happy birthday grandpa, I hope you enjoy your present!” Definitely a unique birthday present to have your first great grand baby born on your 71st birthday!

Other than the fact that they kept bringing me food I couldn’t eat, and the nurses trying to keep us after both the pediatrician and midwife told us we were good to go it was a good stay in the hospital, and definitely and experience that wont be forgotten.

And yes, one day in the semi-near future (not before 2014) I will do this again. :)