Can you believe that our baby girl is here!?
Weight: 6 lbs 3 oz
Height: 20 inches
She was 2 1/2 weeks early. We're still not to our official due date yet! So crazy! She came only 2 days after my 37 week pregnancy log post. We were
The story:
I was scheduled for my weekly doctor appointment the morning of the 28th. We were excited to go and she how far I had progressed from the week before. I had been doing a lot of walking and exercising and was hoping it was all doing something. I hadn't been feeling any contractions, braxton hicks or anything like that... just felt normal.
I picked up Dane from his office and we went to our appointment as usual. Dr. Winward said that I had progressed from 50% effaced to 80% and was at 1+ cm dilated. She measured my belly and it has always measured a little bit on the small side. She wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok with baby.
We had an ultrasound the week before to check on baby and her amniotic fluid level was at 8 amniotic fluid units... haha (I don't know how they are measured). Doc said that 8 is on the low side, but nothing to worry about yet. Well, our ultrasound this time showed that the amniotic fluid was barely at 5. Dr. Winward said that the placenta was pretty much done working for me and not replenishing fluid so she said it was time to meet our baby!! Whaaaat!
I said, "So I'll get induced sometime this week?"
She looked at poor, naive me and said "Oh honey! We're going to induce you today!"
She left to go call L&D and let them know I was coming. Dane and I stayed in the exam room and were in complete SHOCK! We did not expect to meet our baby so soon! It wasn't even September yet!
They told us L&D would call us in a couple of hours to let us know when to show up. I took Dane back to work so he could wrap up some stuff there and I went home and started frantically packing our bags. If I didn't have a list printed out of what to pack I wouldn't have been able to pack anything... I was a mess! So, 45 minutes after I get home I get a call from L&D and they tell me to be there within an hour. Things were going too fast! We were freaking out. But, we made it.
It was 10:45am when I got all changed into my hospital gown and got my IV in my hand. They started me on pitocin to get my contractions started. I was so nervous to feel a contraction. I was worried it was going to hurt super bad. The first hour or two wasn't bad at all. I could handle it and still talk and smile. My dad came to give me a blessing with Dane and my mom came and visited and hung out with us for a while. We watched a movie and chatted.
By 3ish that afternoon I decided I had had enough and wanted to get my epidural. The contractions still weren't too bad but I didn't want to wait around for them to get bad before I asked for it. And I didn't want to feel them check my progress down there again because that was SUPER painful. I hated that. Anyways... tmi. The nurse and anesthesiologist were great and made me feel really good about my decision. They were so helpful and fun. I was grateful I had such amazing people around.
The epidural was freaking HEAVEN!!!!!! I felt nothing. NOTHING. I was so happy haha!
They checked me every couple of hours and I was progressing about 1-2 cm each hour. At 8:10pm they checked me and I was fully dilated and ready to go! It was pretty surprising since I hadn't felt any contractions or pressure. But I was pumped! Dane and I were so excited that it was finally time! Dane had a smile on the whole time. It was pretty cute seeing him so excited. The nurse had me practice pushing once or twice and told me to STOP! Baby was coming too fast! So they hurried and called Dr. Winward. She got there at 8:30. Four pushes and 8 minutes later Jennika was here!
All Dane and I could say was that she was so beautiful and so perfect. We were instantly in love. Dane got to cut the cord and be with her while she got cleaned up. He brought her over to me and we cuddled her and loved on her for a while before we let family come in and see her. It was the best, most wonderful feeling in the whole world holding her and feeling like a family. There is no feeling I can compare it to, just complete peace and happiness.
We are so grateful that everything went so smoothly with my labor and delivery and that Jennika was born without any complications. We feel so blessed.
She is now two weeks old today and it has been so amazing having her in our home. We are more tired than ever! But there is also more love in our home than ever before.
so sweet! what a shock to have her early, but glad she is healthy!
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