I was honestly worried for so long that Lexie would come early. I tried really hard to drink as much water as possible, and stay off my feet. {You know, as if I truly had any control over the situation ;)} Having 3 other kids at home, we really couldn't manage a fast and furious delivery like the last two times while carting them around. Thankfully, God helped Lexie decide to stay inside until our scheduled induction.
As I mentioned before, my OB was going to be out of town. Funny enough, the other doctor I would have picked when my last OB left is the one who delivered me for Dr. S! HAHAHA Funny how that works out ;) I really wanted Dr. S to be there, but I knew I'd be in good hands. Phil and I talked about it several times before deciding. We just really wanted to be sure we didn't have a roadside birth with our other 3 in the van. I haven't been induced since Jillian almost 6 years ago, so I was a little nervous.
The night before you're induced, it's really hard to sleep. It's like trying to rest and relax the day before you know you'll break a bone or something completely life changing is going to happen. Even though Phil was up a little later than normal, he was in bed trying to sleep while I was moving all around. I was putting things away, and throwing away trash, and
My alarm went off at 4:15 am so I could do some last minute grooming. Well, I woke up really nervous and nauseated. I planned on straightening my hair. That didn't happen. I planned on eating a bowl of oatmeal. That didn't happen. I was going to shave my legs. That didn't happen. I pretty much just got dressed, and waited until it was time to go. I was ready to meet this baby, and get the labor part over with!
We checked in to the hospital leisurely, and got all set up. My body has a terrible time with IVs, so it took a couple of sticks to get one going. It's honestly one of the worst parts of labor and delivery to me. My nurse was great, and answered all my questions. They checked me at 1 cm, and got the Pitocin started at 6 am. I felt pretty good. I didn't really feel any contractions, so I just tried my best to rest.
Around 9 am, I met Dr. D. She was very nice, and checked me at 3 cm. She decided to just go ahead and break my water for me instead of doing a foley catheter. It was NOT comfortable. The one time my water was broken for me, I already had an epidural, so I didn't feel anything. Plus, apparently the bag of waters was being stubborn, so Dr. D had to work a little harder to break it. After she was done, I asked for the epidural.
Within in hour, I not only met the anesthesiologist, he actually got to give me the epidural! It was a little painful at one point, but he got me nice and numb. When he was finished, my nurse still had me at 3 cm. Once the epidural was fully kicked in, my right leg was completely numb. I mean, I couldn't wiggle my toes or anything. This meant Phil and my nurse had to lift and move that leg anytime it needed to move. It was really weird to have zero control over my right leg! Phil and I decided to try and rest as much as possible since things were going on the slow side. Phil did a crossword puzzle and read his book, and I got a pretty good nap in.
Around noon, I woke up to some pain in my left lower back. It was feeling similar to the back labor I felt with David. We called my nurse to let her know. She gave me a quick extra dose, then went ahead and checked me. I was at 9 cm! She said she would let the birth team know to be ready soon. It was much more laid back than my last two births. The staff was not slow by any means, but there was no running around or frantically signing papers like before. My nurse told me to let her know if anything changed or if I felt different at all.
At 12:30, I was feeling like I had the shakes. This really only happens to me when I'm 1) extremely chilled, or 2) about to push a baby out. It happened with all of my other 3 births, so I had a feeling that's what was happening. I didn't feel the need to push, but I felt a sensation that I mentioned to Phil. He told me we shouldn't mess around, and went ahead and called my nurse. When she checked me, she told me it was time! She called Dr. D to come down, and had me do a practice push. I only got to the count of 5 before she told me to stop. The next thing I knew, Dr. D was in the room and putting on her gloves. She told me to push once for her. I made it to 10 that time, and I heard her say "Good!" I was waiting for her to tell me to push again, when I felt Lexie on my chest! She was out and crying like crazy!
Whether it was to mark her territory, or to tell me she was not happy to be evicted, Lexie quickly peed all over me! HAHAHA She is my only baby to do that to me. {That also meant she didn't have another wet diaper until much later in the day} She had an APGAR score of 9 and 9, and had such a round head that the nurses said she looked like a C-section baby. Lexie was born at 12:50 pm, and was 7 lbs, 2 oz, and 19.25 inches long.
Later in the afternoon, she did have a little trouble staying warm and had to be under the warming lamp for awhile. However, she checked out just fine the rest of our stay. She passed her hearing screening, she was soiling diapers, and didn't lose too much birth weight.
My health has been good so far. I feel like my mood is doing well, and I've felt pretty decently. I have overdone it a few times physically since being home, but nothing that put me out of commission or anything. I have had worse cramping than I did with my other recoveries, but still manageable. I will say that I was nervous about getting an epidural because of how I felt after Jillian's birth. Thankfully, I have not felt anywhere near that tired/sore. It may have been more that it was my first birth than the epidural itself.
Nursing is going well, but I can definitely see why people give up. I'm really tired and sore. I got a little relief when I went to a lactation consultant appointment. They gave me a special ointment, and that helps. However, getting Lexie to latch and stay that way the whole feeding has been a challenge. Hopefully we'll continue to work at it, and figure it out.
So there you have it. The final birth story in the Coghill Chronicles :) Our 4th and final baby is here, healthy, and a perfect fit!
Now enjoy the pictures :)
{Last bump picture!}
{Here she is!}
{She was still covered in vernix, and was my cheesiest baby :)}
{All swaddled up and cuddling with daddy <3}
{Sleep deprived, but happy mama}
{Little Lexie Grace}
{Sweet dreams}
{Getting some daddy time in}
Great job mama! I am glad you had an easy delivery for the Final Fourth. Lexie is one lucky lady!
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