Lila's Birth Story

Lila's birth story begins the day before she was born.  Thursday, the 27th, was a busy, hectic day. Tyson and Preston went to school.  Cheryl took Nolan for a couple hours while I went to my 38 week doctor's appointment. This was a very entertaining appointment.  My doctor was on call at the hospital that day.  He kept running back and forth from the office to the hospital. The nurses kept saying it was "the day that should not be named."  In addition, the thermostat in the office was broken and the temperature in the exam rooms was around 90 degrees.  They were doing their best to get women in and out as quickly as possible.  

As I sat waiting on the exam table I could hear my doctor's robust voice in the exam room next door.  And then I heard him say to the nurses in the hall, "I need to run over to the hospital to deliver a baby. I'll be right back.  Open all the doors so people don't pass out."  And he was gone.  

A nurse came in, explained the situation, offered me a bottle of water and left my door open. And there I sat sweating for about 20 minutes.  When the doctor came back he was his usually jolly self.  He joked that with this kind of heat they should be offering pedicures and charging extra for the spa experience.  

He had only been in the room long enough to squirt gel on my belly when his cell phone rang.  As he answered I said, "It's my baby.  She wants to come out now."  

He tried to keep a straight face as he spoke to a nurse at the hospital.  "Alright, I'll be right there to break her water."  

"Lucky girl," I muttered under my breath but still loud enough for him to hear.

After he listened to baby's heartbeat he offered checked me.  I told him that if he said I was still 2cm (which I had been for several weeks) I would hit him.  

He laughed.  "What do you want me to tell you?  I'll tell you anything you want.  It may not be accurate though." 

 "Five! I want to be a five."  He laughed again.  "Well, you aren't 2cm.  Definately 3cm.  And 100% effaced."  

Good enough for me.

Next I explained my concerns with the doctor that this baby was posterior.  I was nervous since in the last few days I'd been feeling most of my contractions in my back, which was totally new to me.  I explained my fear of having a posterior baby.  Preston was posterior.  It was believed that this is what caused all his problems after birth which resulted in him being sent to Primary Children's for a week.  I told him I did not want to repeat that experience.  My doctor assured me that she felt like she was in a good position and if we get to delivery and she is posterior, he will simply turn her.  I was satisfied with that answer.  

I left his office as he was on his way back over to the hospital to break someone's water and deliver yet another baby that day.  I was a little disappointed that the cervical check hadn't put me into labor, and was reeling at the thought of being 100% effaced.  

Dan was home for the remainder of the evening. After dinner he was kind enough to take all three boys to the park during Tyson's soccer practice.  I enjoyed a quiet hour at home.  It was during this quiet hour that I noticed my contractions were starting to come regularly.  I started timing them.  They were about 10 minutes apart.  Still not really painful, just mildly uncomfortable.  

But our busy day wasn't over yet.  We still had to get through Pack Meeting.  So immediately following soccer practice we went to the church.  I had a killer contraction right as we were walking in the door.  Several people looked at me and commented, "Any day now, huh?"  All I could say was, "It feels like any minute!"  

The contractions continued through Pack Meeting. By the end of the hour they started getting a little closer together.  I told Dan it was time to go home and get the kids to bed so I could focus a little better.  As we were loading the kids into the car I joked about walking home to really get things going.  

Tyson freaked out, "No mom!  If the baby comes too early it will be bad!"  

I assured him that it wasn't "too early" any more and she could come anytime.  He looked shocked yet elated.  And he threw his arms out blocking my path, "Mom, you are not allowed to get in this car!  You have to walk home!"  I laughed and then shoved him aside.  I really wasn't going to walk home. 

Dan put the kids to bed and I started bouncing on my yoga ball.  It didn't seem to be doing any good.  For a while I thought the contractions were slowing down so I decided to climb into bed and watch a little TV.  Dan joined me a while later and promptly fell asleep.  Around midnight I noticed that the contractions were still coming regularly.  Sleep didn't seem to be an option so I decided to walk around the house and bounce on my ball a little more.  An hour later the contraction were 5-7 minutes apart.  But I was getting really tired, it was 1 am after all.  So I tried to go to sleep.  If this was real labor they would keep coming regardless, but if it wasn't the real deal I would  be able to get a little sleep.  After laying down for another hour, not getting any sleep, the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart.  At 2 am I decided to wake Dan up.  I told him it might be time to go to the hospital soon.  In his hazy, sleepy state he asked me how far apart my contractions were.  When I said, 3-5 minutes he jumped out of bed and started getting dressed.  He grabbed my hospital bag and his cell phone.  He tried calling his brother who was supposed to come over if we needed to go to the hospital.  Even though we had warned them just a few hours earlier to be on-call, they were not answering their phone.  Dan continued gathering things up while he repeatedly called their cell phones and home phone.  Still no answer.  We decided to drive over to their house and knock on their door, which they still didn't answer.  Dan, in desperation, decided to bang on their bedroom wall.  That woke them up and freaked them out!   

Finally, with someone to sleep at our house, we were on our way to the hospital.  It was about 3 am and my contractions were again 5-7 minutes apart but they were starting to hurt more.  

When we got to Labor and Delivery we were set up in a room for monitoring.  They checked me. I was 3.5cm.  I told them I was GBS+ and came with enough time to get my four hours of antibiotics since my labors tend to go quickly. That was when I learned that they changed the GBS policy. You really only 'need' 15 minutes for the antibiotic.  Four hours is best, but 15 minutes was enough.  If I had known that I would have stayed home longer!

 They wanted to make sure I was progressing before admitting me.   I labored for an hour praying I could stay.  My pain was still at a totally manageable level and I really didn't feel like I needed the epidural yet. That hour passed and at 4 am the nurse checked me again.  Still 3.5 cm.  I had two choices.  I could stay and be monitored for a second hour or I could go home with pain meds.  I was so exhausted I couldn't think straight and couldn't decide.  All I knew was that I wanted to sleep. Right about then my contractions kicked up to the next level.  They became much more intense.  And that made me decide to stay for one more hour. (Actually, I think Dan and the nurse decided for me because I was really not thinking straight.)  That hour was killer.  Not only was I exhausted but I was having crazy-painful back labor.  I wanted my epidural, and I wanted it NOW!  But they still made me wait for the remainder of the hour.  At 5 am the nurse checked me again.  4 cm!!  It was enough for them to check with my doctor.  When I found out he had decided to admit me and get me the drugs I was elated! 

 The nurse slowly got my IV in, started fluids, and my antibiotic.  She said they couldn't give me my epidural until I had enough fluids in me.  So I still had to wait.  At this point the contractions were the most painful I'd ever felt and I was desperately gripping Dan's hand and trying not to curse, reminding myself to keep breathing instead.  Did I mention how much I hate back labor?  By 5:30 the anesthesiologist walked in.  I was so happy to see him, but he really didn't work fast enough for me.  He asked me to sit Indian style on the edge of the bed.  What?!  How the heck was I supposed to do that?  After a lot of effort I was finally able to get into position. Clutching a pillow, burying my head in Dan's chest I did my best to hold still during horrendous contractions that made me want to scream and writhe in pain.  Eventually it was in, and I was able to lay down again.  Fifteen minutes later life was good again.  

The nursing staff switched shifts, and a nurse I loved walked in.  She checked my chart, checked my epidural, and got ready to put in my catheter.  She decided to check me as well.  I was 7cm and my water was about to break any second.  Love those epidurals!  They help me dilate so much faster!  At this point it was about 6:30 am. She said my doctor was just about to go home after his 24 hour on-call shift from Hades.  She let me rest for about 30 minutes, and when she came back in I was 8-9cm.  

The new doc on call could deliver me, but she decided to call my doctor and check with him first.  And because he is such a great doctor who loves his patients he decided to come back in just to deliver my baby.  Love him!  We waited for him to come back.   

When he walked in the room I said, "I told you my baby wanted to come out!"  He laughed.  They got the room set up and I got ready to push.  

(During this time our boys were waking up at home and Dan was trying to make childcare arrangements for the day. I had to yell at him to put his phone down and hold my leg.)

After a few pushes our baby was born at 7:44am.  The doctor, was shocked when she came out face up.  "She's posterior!" he said. "I've never seen a posterior baby come out that easily!"

"I told you so!"  I said.  

They immediately put her on my chest and while they rubbed her clean she looked up at me and stuck her tongue out.  Fiesty already!  After a few minutes they took her to weigh her.  

5 lbs 15.7 ounces 

I knew she was going to be small! 

 They put her back on my chest and she stayed there for a long time.  I didn't let her go until Room Service delivered my French Toast.  

I let Dan hold her while I ate.  

The nursing staff left us alone for a long time.  Just me, Dan and our new baby.  

It was so peaceful.