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| 40 weeks with Ava! |
While I would normally do the post for y'all w/the fun details of what is going on during week 40, this last week of my pregnancy was a little different from the rest. It started out pretty slow, on Saturday 5/4. We ran some last minute errands, picked up a few more things at Target, and had mexican for lunch - not too spicy! Then Sunday 5/5. I was so worn out! I couldn't help but feel like today may be the day that Ava would arrive. But oh, how I did not want her to have a birthday on cinco de mayo! Nooooo.... y'all know how I feel about it already. So we skipped church, and had a visit with one of my cousins that was passing through town. We had planned to go to lunch, and I was going to skip that, but pushed anyway. We all (husb, cousin, bro, friend, mom & grandma) had a nice lunch visit, joked about how we thought Ava would show up that night based on how weird I was feeling, and then Don & I went back home to finish up decorating for Ava. We only had a couple of little things that I wanted done, so we did that and rested. All that was left to do was to wait. I just had a feeling... Around 7pm, that feeling seemed to become more realistic. I started having contractions. I didn't know what to expect, obviously, but it was a new feeling for me during this entire pregnancy. It was a weird cramping, and I knew something was off. So I decided I should start timing them, just to be sure. A few texts (ok, a ton of them) to two of my girlfriends and I then realized that this was the real thing. So I did what any pregnant girl would do - I made sure my hair was perfectly coiffed and that my nails were polished to my liking. ;) You think I'm kidding? No, I am not. I may as well be ready, right? Ha!
I called the dr's office about 8, and told them what was going on. I was told to wait until the contractions had been more regular/consistent, and lasted for 2-3 hrs (5 min apart, 1 min long), and to take a hot shower to relax. Did all that. Don started timing the contractions for me, while a very concerned Coco looked on. I couldn't find comfort for very long. After 2 hours (or more), around 11pm, Don said he couldn't watch me do this anymore, and that we needed to go in. I called the dr again, let them know and they told me to come on in! (note: my water had not broken at this point.) We called my mom and told her to make her way over to the house to stay w/Coco until it was "time" to deliver. As we made our way to the hospital (a short 8min away, thanks to my husband's quick & safe driving), my contractions were getting stronger. We got in to the ER, and were admitted, and then I was wheeled up to triage. Before leaving the check in, I noticed the time on the form, 11:58 pm, 5/5. Sweet, no cinco de mayo baby. phew!
Upon going to triage, where they examine you to see if it's the real deal, I had dilated up to 4cm (being still 3cm on Thursday at my last appt), and it was legit & I was taken to my room, where I had the best nurse ever. She helped me thru my contractions, helped me relax & walked me down the football field length of the maternity ward. Oh, I remembered it was Nurse's Day, so I made sure to tell all the nurses, "Happy Nurses Day!" as I was wheeled past their station. Ya, gotta keep it light up in here!
Around 2 or 4am (I don't remember!), I was down for that epidural. Piece of cake, thankfully. I was not going to be a hero and fight thru these contractions any more. Also, by that time, I was dilated at 6cm - yay! Moving along. When the Dr came in at 7:30, he ordered the pitocin, and broke my water. He told me we would have this baby by lunchtime. Nice! I can deal with this. Around 8, I was up to 8cm dilated, 100% effaced, and during another exam from my new nurse - also the best ever - dilated right up to 9cm. I was moving & shaking! But then the fun part came. Baby Ava was not ready at lunchtime, even though I was 10cm dilated. The pushing had to begin. And omg the pushing. It was fine while I was able to keep pushing that button on my epidural drip, but after an hour of pushing, I had to stop getting extra drugs. They wanted me to feel her I guess. Sheesh - that was the most painful thing I've had to deal with thus far. Long story short, I pushed for 3+ solid hours, no joke. Miss Ava was not coming down as she should have, nor was she facing the correct way. So in between the pushing, losing blood & being examined, she had to be manually turned - mostly by my dr. It was just past the 2hr pushing mark, when he said I could push the epidural button again, thank the Lord. Back to one minute being normal, telling jokes, then the next asking for it to be over, can we stop now?? ("I'm sorry honey, that's not how it works," said my nurse.) Wow that hurt. Even though I was numb, I felt tremendous pressure & pain w/each contraction, as baby was trying to get below where she needed to be. Another hour of hard pushing, cracking some jokes in between the contractions (coming at 1min apart pretty much the whole time), and having some close moments with my husband, and the dr was ready to get baby out. Unfortunately, b/c she was turned the wrong way, and wasn't dead center w/her exit, after he had her moved into position, he got out the vacuum! My baby was going to be vacuumed out of me! Oh gosh! He so calmly told the nurse to turn it on, and when he tried as I pushed, it didn't take. Sounded like the cork coming off a champagne bottle, no joke. He calmly & quietly told me that he had the c-section team waiting, just in case, and as soon as I heard this, I was more determined than ever to get baby out! I said, "I don't want a c-section - here's another contraction, let's go!" Ya, I did. I think it surprised him that I was ready again, and told me to give a "super human push" to which I did. That vacuum worked this time! I was in tears b/c I knew it would, then I heard my husband say, "oh! there's her head!" as he cried. Let the floodgates open, the tears began! (and are now as I write this!) Dr had to cut the cord, b/c it was wrapped around her neck & did so w/out skipping a beat! He was so fluid in his delivery, it really helped us stay calm. Finally the moment we had been waiting for! Baby Ava was born at 3:24pm, weighing in at a whopping 6lbs 10.5oz (ya, I totally was expecting a bigger baby!), 19in long. So she teetered at being on time for happy hour, not lunch. She was born on her due date (well, one that I was given; they had her listed at 5/4, but based on her conception, 5/6 was it). What a sweet moment! Insert joke here - I exclaimed while the 4 baby nurses were looking at her, my nurse was helping me and the Dr & 2 assistants were sewing me up, "she's white!" They all just kinda stopped & looked at Don like "oh what?" and he just laughed. It was funny! After Ava was checked out, cleaned off, and brought to me, I was told that she had to be taken to the NICU for a few hours b/c of fluid in her lungs, and how I missed her! They needed to have her cry, cough, and get that fluid out. She came back 3hrs later (after I asked twice!) w/a clean bill of health, could suck/swallow/breathe normally (which is good for the nursing part), and no more fluid. Don't let me fool you, I was hollering during these hours of pushing, I was that girl moaning & doing some cussing (don't worry, mom was there, it was only s-h-*-t she said! lol). I had an episiotomy, I had a level 4 tear - there is no level 5, and it took the Dr an hour to sew. I went thru 20hrs of labor & 3.5hrs of pushing. I have a donut to sit on, ice packs to wear, meds to use. I may have to remind Ava of this at least once in her lifetime, but I am reminded daily, hourly, by the minute even that it was all so worth it. I now know what the feeling is that mothers feel with their babies. That overwhelming feeling of love, responsibility, selflessness. Going from being selfish to selfless was instant. Don't get me wrong, I will miss the selfish days, but that's natural, right? So are the baby blues. But as I stare at my precious baby girl while she nurses, look at her little hands (that are mine!), I am amazed by the miracle of birth. God is so good, and to know that we women are made to birth babies - what our bodies can go through for another life is fascinating.
Throughout the entire labor & delivery, I have to tell you, my husband was beyond amazing. He was calm (on the outside at least), supportive, loving and there. He let me squeeze his hand as hard as I could, and he watched me go through this pain with eyes that showed his love & concern. My mom told me later that she cried when she saw us just looking into each others' eyes, as if speaking w/out words to each other. I have a new love for him as well, in his support and care for me. I watch him hold our baby, smiling at her, laughing, being so proud, walking past her saying how beautiful she is, and am totally in love. Never would I ask for anything more - I have no need for anything else. He has been my arms & legs while I recover, and does so without hesitation. I have one very special husband. I have one very special baby. I have one special life, and I thank God for letting me have it.
