37 Weeks/Mothers Day Weekend = A's Birth Story

Sorry for the delay Y'all..been a crazy week and a half..today is honestly the first day my DH is back at work since A's Birth! The boys are making my day..lets say exciting and exploring the house..one bin empty at a time and sometimes the moments of calm/quiet are few and far between.

On the 7th of May...the day before Mothers Day...My pregnancy was marked at 37 weeks...well my sweet A decided to make it into the world..whether anyone was ready or not. The betting pool had just past my husbands picks and it had moved onto our good old neighbor from Peterborough.

The Wednesday before I had been switched care to Maskens the specialist and had seen the diabetic clinic..and it had been decided that I was close enough to not be put on insulin for the long lasting fasting.

 The Morning of May 7..we ventured out to Walmart..get some groceries and of course we were so busy we needed to get mothers day presents for the Grandma and YAYA and the kids for myself. I had felt alot of pressure that day but nothing new to what I had been feeling on and off all week with random braxton hicks contractions and my plug leaking. We had made it back and were getting the kids lunch...I remember signing all the cards..writing in one for my mom and felt liquid running down my leg around 11:30...I thought nothing of it other than going to change the pad i was continuously changing throughout the week already. Shortly after I started to get back pain as well with the pressure and starting of contractions. On  Sunday my mom and I were planning a brunch at her place..so I called once I thought today was the day and said not to rush but I would start heading over soon.

We put the kids to bed and made sure I had my things together in my bag and  bf pillow. My dad would be looking after the children. If it was going to be anything like O's labor...it was faster than the rest. We left our house in Brighton around 2pm to leave to go to Peterborough for delivery. Calling the hospital on the way giving them the heads up that we were on our way and were coming from an hour and a bit away. The ride there was not too stressful...breathing through the contractions and slowly they were getting closer and closer and more intense. We got into the hospital around 3:30ish and went straight up to labor and delivery. I was checked out and admitted in about 20 minutes..considering while I was swaying back and forth through all of it..my water broke on the bed as she was checking me out. When they checked me at this point I was already 4-5cm dilated.

After we got into the room we were told it would be a bit of a wait considering there was a back up in lots of woman having delays in labor and needing assistance. The doctor following us was on call and in surgery with the anesthesiologist and were not sure when they would be back around. Breathing through all the pain is always the fun part right. They hooked me up to all the monitors to see when I was in active labor..monitoring my blood pressure..baby's heart rate and my contractions.  Contractions continued to increase and come closer ending and starting together. Some how I managed to breathe through most of them..I am not sure if it is just a case of it being the 4th time around or my state of mind. This baby was coming ready or not. She was totally ready.

After being monitored for a while I was considered in active labor around 5/5:30pm. My friend Bree came in the room with my this time along side my momma and DH. She has had two boys of her own but has not been there to witness a birth before. This was a first for her. The nurse went through the long list of questions they have each time. I had a IV put in..it took two different nurses to do this. I had blood taken..from my arm for the lab and my sugars checked. I had not much in my system from being sick in the morning and finding random things to eat when we realized that today was the day we would be having A. I had grabbed random things to eat so I had something in my system. First the one nurse tried to put the IV in the back of my arm....then after that did not work another nurse put it in my hand/wrist. We did not have my strep results back and the pediatrician they had on call wanted my on the antibiotic just to be sure that I would not pass on anything at birth if it was positive.

Between 5:30 -6pm the anesthesiologist came in to walk me through the procedure and give me the epidural. My Momma and Bree had to leave. I am not sure why..less witnesses who knows..haha. Doug had to hold on to me as they elevated the bed as high as it could go. Arching your back while you are having contractions jump on top of each other...not knowing where they will end and begin again. I was having them so bad at this point I started to feel nauseous and gag. It took all I could to stay perfectly still while they inserted and froze my back. After that was done the ladies were allowed back in the room and they had me lay on my side. The IV in my hand and contractions made me feel extremely freezing. They kept putting warmed blankets on top of me since I was shivering and chattering. I looked like I had a blanket fort set up. Each time they checked me they had to remove them off and put them back on. I had to lie on my sides for a bit to help the process. I was allowed to have a Popsicle to help my sugar levels..since I was being monitored and had not eaten much. I was in low of 4. Eating something freezing while you are chattering and shivering is hysterical. I remember telling my nurse that I did not believe the epidural was fully working and Doug laughed due to he told me my demeanor had completely changed so it had to be. You do not tell a woman in pain that her drug is not working when she still feels unwanted pain.

When they checked me at 6:30pm I was pretty much fully dilated. The nurse was going to put my catheter in but the head was right there in the way. She told me she would have to wait until after the baby was born to put it in. At 7pm I got a new nurse due to change of shift. Around 7:20 she told me that Maskens was out of surgery and at the desk and she would like me to do a practice push. Now if Y'all have been following my blog...I do not do practice pushes and had informed the previous nurse before switching shifts that the head is always right there when I do. Considering the head was in the way of doing the catheter..we did the practice push and she brought in the doctor..to bring A into the world.
At 7:34 I started to push...the head was right there..I had to stop pushing due to the cord being around the neck...as I stopped the baby was pushing her own way out..launched her feet against my rib cage. The doctor asked if I had stopped...I replied I did that is her pushing her own way out. After he had the cord around the babies shoulders, he asked me to push again...and A came into the world. At 7:37pm we had our youngest family edition. Ava Quinn. The pediatrician came in right away with members of the niccu as well as nurses. Since she came out so fast her breathing was raspy and we did not know my strep results. They also had to check her sugars since I was gestational . They rushed her off after I held her for a very small amount of time. Doug left to walk her down to the niccu. We did not even know her weight or any details of her at this time. The pediatrician had told us before they left that he wanted to put her on the IV in the niccu. Little did we know that would mean one of the longest stays we have had at PRHC. 

When we delivered it was fast..a faster birth than we have had yet..for time..intensity..contractions and pushing. At 37 weeks exactly..one day sooner than the time frame that O came into the world. The pediatrician told us before she left..in his 5 minute judgement call...that she is considered late pre-term...a term we have never heard before..even having O early. Which means she is bigger but due to gestational....if you can even call 7lbs 3 oz big....that things are still developing as if they may be 35weeks. He wanted her on the IV to flush out the sugars..regulate her and just in case they needed to run antibiotics through her if the strep cultures come back positive. Most of the time if you have the antibiotics in your system at birth you are fine..I had it with E and that's all they normally do. Every Pediatrician has there own way of doing things...this one was over cautious and did not want us to go home.

When Doug went into the niccu they hooked up the IV, checked her out. She was placed in the incubator or warm box..whatever term you would like to use. It was at 31.9C and her IV was at 60 and then jumped to 90 per hr. The cultures were taken from her Sat night but the computer does not put them into the system until Sunday and it takes 48hr-72hr to get them back...with growing cultures. A was 7lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long. Full head of hair and was ready to come out. I went to visit later on before everyone left..but could not feel my upper legs or butt due to the epidural so had to go on this neat thing you ride on to go see my new sweet girl. My hands were still shaking and I felt nauseous so we did not stay too long. I had to spend the night in labor and delivery since the next part after you get moved to was completely full. Ironic how the first time I request a private room all are full.

In the morning A was brought in from the Niccu to feed since I still had a catheter, Iv and could not fully feel everything. Plus the nurse I had did not want me getting up by myself..in case I fell. I can honestly say that she is the first...besides still being a bit disorganized that I had latch besides K. She does pretty good at breastfeeding besides me backing up with her being anywhere from 3-5hr in between feeds and fights my right side more than my left...#biggerboobproblems. Doug and the kids came up that morning to meet their new sister..capes,hats and button pushing fingers unite. It was great to see them and their faces lit up with so much love...besides K he was confused haha. Holly also came in to see her that day. It was nice to have visits on mothers day.

Later that day I was moved into the other section with a 2nd time mom thank goodness. It was nice to room with someone who knew what they were doing...last time it was a nightmare. Its hard hearing another baby crying when yours is stuck in niccu and you can not do much other than try and feed while they are on IV. I was told in niccu that day he jumped it to 90 per hr and he was weighing pee diapers etc. Her sugars were good...but still no culture results. Monday the pediatrician told me he was keeping her longer...which is hard...the kids were so sad and it was hard being away.

I was discharged Monday and moved into Parent care. No food but a free place to stay right beside the Niccu since my baby was in there and I am her food source. My brother came up to meet his newest niece and visit for awhile. I had a nice visit from our old neighbors in Peterborough that night. I was giving her pumped, breast fed, formula..anything I could to get her out sooner. She passed all of her jaundice tests, hearing tests. I had to fight the doctor on getting her tongue checked out for tongue tie. He is a avid breast feeder pusher and against clipping tongue ties. O was okay after formula and sugar water..since A was on IV she had to go back down after being jumped up and dropped in temp slowly before getting into just a crib.

The nurses are all amazing in the niccu...answered any questions. tried to convince the pediatrician that the baby was doing great. He was set on getting the blood results back..even though we found out my strep was not positive. I was told on Tuesday that if we fed really well and proved to the pediatrician that we could get her feeds consistent enough to stabilize weight or get it up...he wanted to see if I could handle it...It was like he thought A was our first kid...not the 4th. Holly came to see me and keep me company on Tuesday....jail broke me to get some dinner. I also had my DH up daily to see how we were doing....I believe he was getting a little run down between us not being home and having all 3 by himself.

Happily on Weds we were given the okay to go home as long as we made an appointment with our doctor for Friday and told her if she can not handle it that she could refer us back to him. We dropped off Pierre's winnings, drove back to Brighton and we picked up E from school to show her teachers E's little sister.  When we left the hospital A was 6lb 8oz only a 4% drop..not too bad. By Friday at our almost 1 week appointment she was already back up to 6lb 15oz....so almost 7. Our family doctor was very happy to meet her and said she looked perfect. We are not on a super schedule but managing..now if the two boys would drop the aggression..Lots of change in a small amount of time..and jealousy.

We go back this Friday to have her 2 week check up. Our hearts are so full of love..honestly she is a really good baby. Early days..but we are definitely in for a great Adventure.