Olivia's Birthday

The following paragraphs are the details behind her birth so if you would like to stop reading now is the time! I won't be too graphic but as a L&D nurse I have a hard time deciphering what is and is not acceptable information for the non-medical population. But I will do my best!



At my 38 week appt I was already dilated 3 cm and Dr. Thompson stripped my membranes (fancy word for a horrible way to stretch the amniotic sac away from the uterus, which usually causes contractions several hours later) and he said he would be surprised if I went another week. He scheduled me to be induced the next week just in case. I remember being so incredibly shocked that I was already 3 cm. Up until that point I had only had one bad night of contractions but they only lasted about 2 hours and went away. And I always contracted here and there, but nothing to progress as far that I figured. I went home that day convinced I would go into labor later that night. But nooooo... Olivia waited until induction day! It was the longest week of my life. I had always enjoyed the pregnancy and had limited complaints up until that week. Once the doctor gave me the light at the end of the tunnel due date, I wanted her out!



We got to the hospital on the 16th at 6am to get registered and admitted. Joe had prepared a funny song that we both thought was a great song to rush to the hospital to and surprised me with playing it before we pulled out of the driveway. We recorded a little message to Olivia letting her know what we were thinking as we drove away from our house for the last time as nonparents.

What a surreal thing to drive up to the hospital as a patient and not an employee arriving for work! The whole day was surreal actually. To be on the other end of things was so weird. Anyway, I had asked my co-worker, Denise to be our nurse that day and she came in an hour early for her shift to meet us and get us settled in our room. Nightshift was still there at 6am and they had decorated our room with glove balloons, baby drawings and ultrasound belt streamers. Very creative of them and was a fun way to start our day!





Dr. Thompson came a little after 7am and I had apparently progressed to 4cm on my own over the course of the longest week of my life:) so he went ahead and broke my water. That was very painful, not gonna lie and be tough about that one! That made me grip the bedrails for sure. Denise started the pitocin (an IV med to start contractions) and she started my fluid bolus for my epidural. I think I felt about 2 mild contractions before I got my epidural. Dr. Zawmon was on for anesthesia that day. I couldn't believe how painless getting the epidural was. Some women scream and freak out and now I just think they are being drama queens. I couldn't even tell that he was doing anything and then boom.. I was numb!



Our families arrived around 9am and since only 3 people are allowed in the room at one time, they just switched in and out visiting with us. We listened to our baby mix, read magazines, watched Top Gun and just hung out and waited. Dr. Thompson checked me every 3 hours. I wish I could remember times of things but I just can't, everything is a blur now. I think it was around 2:30 that I started feeling a good amount of pain on my right side. The epidural really only took to the left side once I started progressing in labor quickly. I couldn't lift my left leg a centimeter off the bed but I could move my right side completely normally. I think I just laid on my right side hoping the epidural meds would run to the right side, gripped the bedrails and just focused on breathing through each one. I remember getting really really hot and needing cold washcloths on my face and neck. I know I told my Mom that things better be moving because there was no way I could continue in the pain I was in for several more hours. At 4:30pm, I was fully dilated and Dr. Thompson said I could push. I had a mirror to help me see where to push and we could see her head almost right away... all that dark brown hair was motivation! I was so worried that I wouldn't push correctly and even though they said I was doing it right, I don't think I ever fully believed them! I still think I could have pushed harder than I did. I would push and then just close my eyes and breath slowly until the next one came. Thankfully the pain on my right side went away when I pushed. Looking back, I felt like I was in this little bubble. I was so focused on what I was doing and nothing was going to distract me. There were a lot of people in the room but the only voices I heard were Joe and Dr. Thompson. Anything Joe said to me made me start crying so by the end I think I just cried her out. And apparently I pushed really well because she was born only 25 mins later!



I remember feeling a lot of pain towards the end and actually thinking to myself "holy crap! this is going to hurt like HELL" and having a small internal freak out. But there wasn't much I could do at that point! And then the next thing I remember is looking down and seeing her head out and Steph says I screamed bloody murder as her shoulders came out. And then I saw her face and it was absolutely the most beautiful face I have ever seen. I was in love before I even saw the rest of her! They put her on my chest and Joe told me that she was a she! He cut her cord and I don't think I remember hearing her cry. I just was so mesmerized by her face.



The first time I held her, I tried to lift my arms to take her from Joe and I couldn't lift my arms more than a few inches up in the air... I was so exhausted. I don't know if I have ever been that fatigued, even in my volleyball days. We got transferred to our new room at 7pm and then spent the next two nights there and went home at noon on Friday. We pulled away from the hospital exit and before we got to the exit gate, the car stalled and shut down! We had to stop to get more oil for the truck.. talk about bad timing.

We have been home with her now for 6 weeks and in some ways it feels like just yesterday we brought her home, but the the time in the hospital feels like months ago. At the pediatricians visit this week she is an ounce shy of 11lbs! She is in the 90th percentile for weight and 95% percentile for length. Basically she is really big and really long, but nicely proportionate! She is starting to show her personality just a little bit. She has given a few real smiles but is more interested in ceiling fans than our faces or our jokes. We are only starting to learn how to be parents but so far things are going well. If anything, Joe and I have never been more of a team in 8 years of marriage. She has forced us to communicate and help one another in ways we never have had to before. Not only do you become selfless for your baby but also for your spouse!

If you want the honest answer to what it's like to have a baby... we will happily answer truthfully. Yes, there are really hard times when you are in utter despair about what is wrong with your baby and why can't you figure out how to fix it for her. But the majority of the time is amazing. I spend hours just staring at her and looking at her from every angle to see if I can see bits of me and Joe in her. Every week bring new challenges but when I look at where we are now to where we were 5 weeks ago.. I can't believe how much better we and she are doing.

Olivia Lake, I am so happy you are the baby that we got! You are so loved and we can't wait to get to know you more as you grow!