Tuesday August 30th at 10:20am I showed up for my routine, weekly doctors appointment. I had really been hoping that I would go into labor sometime between Aug 27th and Aug 31st so I had been walking, eating spicy food, walking, eating pineapple, walking, squats, oh and did I mention walking to get baby girl to some out. But so far there was no luck, and I was just beginning to face the realization that she was quite content in there and was planning on staying for a while.
We had been doing weekly ultrasounds to monitor marginally low amniotic fluid level. 2 weeks prior Dr. Taylor told me to bring my bags because if my fluid levels dropped below 5 then she would need to induce. So far they had been 8, and then 7.75 so holding pretty steady, so why was I to think this week would be any different?
I dropped the girls off at MDO and head to meet Chase at the doctor, although I tried to talk him out of coming. He "didn't have to miss anymore work" and "It was just going to be a routine appointment." Or so I thought. Good thing he insisted, and "Wouldn't miss it!"
First things, first they did my ultrasound. We watched closely as she took the measurements and the numbers popped up in the bottom corner of the screen. From the last few weeks I had learned just enough to be dangerous. She would take 4 measurements in the 4 corners and then we would have an answer in the form of a number that pops up in the bottom left corner of the screen.
First measurement: 1.1
Moved to another area, but no measurement taken
Moved to another area: .08
My thoughts: "Wonder if they add these numbers together?" or "Do they average them?" "I really wish I knew what I was looking at"
Moved to another area, no measurement taken.
Ultrasound Tech, "Well Mrs. Peeler, Looks like y'all are having a baby today. Your fluid level is 2."
YES!!! Chase and I immediately high-five! Sweet Sylvia will have an August Birthday just like we wanted! Then a moment of panic.
WOAH Wait a second...
IS TWO BAD?!?! IS SHE IN DISTRESS? IS OUR BABY OK?????
We were assured that she was in no distress, she looked great, and the fluid level was probably not quite THAT low, but she couldn't get 2 of the 4 corners measured because there wasn't enough empty space, and her bladder was full so when she emptied it there would be more fluid. Probably not enough to increase the level to 5, but we were reassured she was fine.
My fluid level had been on a very slow decrease, so I was not expecting them to drop so drastically. The last 2 weeks I brought my hospital bags with me to the appointment because Dr. Taylor said IF they drop she would induce, but so far my fluid level had just been creeping down. So, I intentionally did not bring our bags this time... whoops! My bad...
Dr. Taylor told us she was on call that night starting at 5pm, but we could very well have a baby before then. Nope- that's not going to work for me. I had a plan. Chase and I could go eat lunch, head home to get our bags then head to the hospital around 4, that way she could be the one to deliver. She immediately shot that idea down. As much as she wanted to be the one to deliver, we had to go to the hospital now.
So off we went to the hospital, making plans- who's brining our bags (that are half un-packed), who's picking up Mary Claire and Margaret from MDO, who is going to watch them, who is coming to the hospital and when... so on.
And what better day to be induced then the day you unintentionally match wearing corny shirts. Headed to the hospital to have a baby... but first let me take a selfie.
Side note: last Tummy Tuesday Picture taken the night before I was induced.
We get to the hospital around lunch time and it took FOREVER to check in... seriously there was an hour of questioning from the billing department and multiple nurses before I even got my IV fluids started. I didn't mind because the longer it took the more likely Dr. Taylor would get to deliver. I told the nurse our situation and she agreed to start the pitocin very low and ever so slowly increase it to hopefully buy us time, but she couldn't guarantee how my body would respond.
They did my exam and I was still at 3cm and 50%. Then I was hooked up to all kinds of monitors, and they saw I was already having consistent contractions although they hadn't even started the induction yet. So, Sylvia may have been coming soon anyway.
Got the pitocin started on a SLOW drip and turned on the TV. SCORE! HGTV was showing a Fixer Upper marathon, and since I was the one in labor I got to choose what we watched. Sorry Chase...
The pitocin made my contractions very regular, coming about every 2 min, but not very strong- meaning they weren't very productive. Fine with me... I had over 4 hours to kill before Dr. Taylor was on call. The doctor who was on call now would be in at some point to break my water, but until then we just got to hang out.
So we sat... and sat.... and sat..... forever we sat watching Fixer Upper. I was in no pain, but getting very hungry. The nurses would come in every so often to check my pain level, increase my dosage, or do another exam. Every time I was still holding steady. Just hanging out. Being board is not something I am used to...
Around 4:50 Dr. Crenshaw (the on-call doctor) finally made an appearance. First an exam. Over 4 hours on piton and I had only progressed to 4cm and still 50% effaced. I was kinda worried I might be in labor forever. I know I said to go slow, but that was a little too slow. He broke my water and headed out.
And woah..... with-in minutes of my water breaking the pain kicked in. I was ready for my epidural, but apparently I had to get a whole bag of fluids before they would give it to me. Open that line nurse, I'm hurting....
I waited for what seemed like an eternity for that bag of fluid to empty and for the anesthesiologist to get to my room. In reality it was only 30 minutes or so, but since I was having contractions very 2 minutes each one stronger than the last. It seemed to take FOREVER!
Finally got the epidural around 5:45 but he said it was going to take 20 minutes to feel the full effect. What? I have had this done 2 times before and I could have sworn it took effect almost immediately?!?! But, he was right. Each contraction got less painful but they never got back to where I was comfortable. I could feel every.single.contraction. especially in my lower back. We had reached the 30 minute mark and I still was uncomfortable, plus I could pick up my legs. So we buzzed the nurse and the anesthesiologist came back in to evaluate. He told me they used a newer kind of medication, and that I would be able to feel my legs so that was normal. Plus, the kind of pain I was having (mainly in my lower back) was very hard to regulate. He gave me the button and told me if it didn't start getting better to push it for a second dose, but it would take another 20 minutes to see the full effect of that second dose. I didn't want the second dose. I didn't want my legs to be dead. I wanted to feel something so I could be an active participant during labor. The nurse checked me again. But this time I could hardly feel it. The medicine must be working... Still 4cm and 50% effaced. What?!?! I just knew I would be more than that. It was now around 6:15 and I was very uncomfortable.
The pain was getting worse and worse and worse with each contraction, and it was getting close to 7pm - shift change so all the nurses were busy. I was trying to be tough... People can do this unmedicated, surely I can do it slightly medicated. I would rather be in pain than be completely numb from the belly button down. I can do this... I can do this... I will not be in labor forever.... I can do this. But as tears rolled down my face Chase handed me the button and said, "If you won't push it than I will." So, I pushed the button for a second dose.
The night nurse came in shortly after that to check on me, and asked me how I was feeling. Sobbing at this point, all I can get out is "I'm hurting." Chase explains to her that I was still a lot of pain so I pushed the button for a second dose from my epidural but it's been about 15 minutes with little to no relief. Our sweet, little nurse Shelby said "You either have progressed rapidly, or your body does not respond well to the epidural. Let me check you can see."
With a big smile across her face she proudly said "It's because you are ready to have a baby! I'll call Dr. Taylor." I'm not sure if the second dose just happened to kick in as she said those words, or if it was all a mind game but INSTANTLY I found relief. It still hurt, but it was bearable. I could do this after-all.
So in comes all kinds of people bringing carts and packages, turning on lights, laying things out, turning machines on, etc... it was go time! Around 7:35 in walks Dr. Taylor. I don't think I have ever been so happy to see her in my life. She told she had been stalking my progression (apparently she can log in and see what's going on from home) and was surprised to see me go from 4cm to complete in less than an hour. We joke for a minute that I rescued her from bedtime duty at her house, and she left 2 screaming kids for her husband to put to bed.
Everybody got in position... Let's do this!
PUSH!
Dr. Taylor: "Woah! she's got dark hair. Where did she get dark hair?" and then she cut another joke about being covered in goo and Sylvia would come out nice and moisturized, and we all start laughing.
Nurse: "Hang on, hang on... You are going to laugh this baby out"
Dr. Taylor: "Well, if anyone would laugh a baby out- it's this lady"
PUSH!!!!
Dr. Taylor: "Ok, stop. I've got it from here... one shoulder, second shoulder, and..... here is your sweet baby girl! (laying her on my chest) Congratulations!"
And she really does have dark hair!
So after a mere 24 hours after delivery we were discharged and heded home. We were so excited to start this new adventure (and so sick of the hospital) we left at 10pm at night.
And when you are the 3rd child you go home in the cover of darkness wearing a hospital issued shirt.
Dr. Taylor told us she was on call that night starting at 5pm, but we could very well have a baby before then. Nope- that's not going to work for me. I had a plan. Chase and I could go eat lunch, head home to get our bags then head to the hospital around 4, that way she could be the one to deliver. She immediately shot that idea down. As much as she wanted to be the one to deliver, we had to go to the hospital now.
So off we went to the hospital, making plans- who's brining our bags (that are half un-packed), who's picking up Mary Claire and Margaret from MDO, who is going to watch them, who is coming to the hospital and when... so on.
And what better day to be induced then the day you unintentionally match wearing corny shirts. Headed to the hospital to have a baby... but first let me take a selfie.
Side note: last Tummy Tuesday Picture taken the night before I was induced.
We get to the hospital around lunch time and it took FOREVER to check in... seriously there was an hour of questioning from the billing department and multiple nurses before I even got my IV fluids started. I didn't mind because the longer it took the more likely Dr. Taylor would get to deliver. I told the nurse our situation and she agreed to start the pitocin very low and ever so slowly increase it to hopefully buy us time, but she couldn't guarantee how my body would respond.
They did my exam and I was still at 3cm and 50%. Then I was hooked up to all kinds of monitors, and they saw I was already having consistent contractions although they hadn't even started the induction yet. So, Sylvia may have been coming soon anyway.
Got the pitocin started on a SLOW drip and turned on the TV. SCORE! HGTV was showing a Fixer Upper marathon, and since I was the one in labor I got to choose what we watched. Sorry Chase...
The pitocin made my contractions very regular, coming about every 2 min, but not very strong- meaning they weren't very productive. Fine with me... I had over 4 hours to kill before Dr. Taylor was on call. The doctor who was on call now would be in at some point to break my water, but until then we just got to hang out.
So we sat... and sat.... and sat..... forever we sat watching Fixer Upper. I was in no pain, but getting very hungry. The nurses would come in every so often to check my pain level, increase my dosage, or do another exam. Every time I was still holding steady. Just hanging out. Being board is not something I am used to...
And woah..... with-in minutes of my water breaking the pain kicked in. I was ready for my epidural, but apparently I had to get a whole bag of fluids before they would give it to me. Open that line nurse, I'm hurting....
I waited for what seemed like an eternity for that bag of fluid to empty and for the anesthesiologist to get to my room. In reality it was only 30 minutes or so, but since I was having contractions very 2 minutes each one stronger than the last. It seemed to take FOREVER!
Finally got the epidural around 5:45 but he said it was going to take 20 minutes to feel the full effect. What? I have had this done 2 times before and I could have sworn it took effect almost immediately?!?! But, he was right. Each contraction got less painful but they never got back to where I was comfortable. I could feel every.single.contraction. especially in my lower back. We had reached the 30 minute mark and I still was uncomfortable, plus I could pick up my legs. So we buzzed the nurse and the anesthesiologist came back in to evaluate. He told me they used a newer kind of medication, and that I would be able to feel my legs so that was normal. Plus, the kind of pain I was having (mainly in my lower back) was very hard to regulate. He gave me the button and told me if it didn't start getting better to push it for a second dose, but it would take another 20 minutes to see the full effect of that second dose. I didn't want the second dose. I didn't want my legs to be dead. I wanted to feel something so I could be an active participant during labor. The nurse checked me again. But this time I could hardly feel it. The medicine must be working... Still 4cm and 50% effaced. What?!?! I just knew I would be more than that. It was now around 6:15 and I was very uncomfortable.
The pain was getting worse and worse and worse with each contraction, and it was getting close to 7pm - shift change so all the nurses were busy. I was trying to be tough... People can do this unmedicated, surely I can do it slightly medicated. I would rather be in pain than be completely numb from the belly button down. I can do this... I can do this... I will not be in labor forever.... I can do this. But as tears rolled down my face Chase handed me the button and said, "If you won't push it than I will." So, I pushed the button for a second dose.
With a big smile across her face she proudly said "It's because you are ready to have a baby! I'll call Dr. Taylor." I'm not sure if the second dose just happened to kick in as she said those words, or if it was all a mind game but INSTANTLY I found relief. It still hurt, but it was bearable. I could do this after-all.
So in comes all kinds of people bringing carts and packages, turning on lights, laying things out, turning machines on, etc... it was go time! Around 7:35 in walks Dr. Taylor. I don't think I have ever been so happy to see her in my life. She told she had been stalking my progression (apparently she can log in and see what's going on from home) and was surprised to see me go from 4cm to complete in less than an hour. We joke for a minute that I rescued her from bedtime duty at her house, and she left 2 screaming kids for her husband to put to bed.
Everybody got in position... Let's do this!
PUSH!
Dr. Taylor: "Woah! she's got dark hair. Where did she get dark hair?" and then she cut another joke about being covered in goo and Sylvia would come out nice and moisturized, and we all start laughing.
Nurse: "Hang on, hang on... You are going to laugh this baby out"
Dr. Taylor: "Well, if anyone would laugh a baby out- it's this lady"
PUSH!!!!
Dr. Taylor: "Ok, stop. I've got it from here... one shoulder, second shoulder, and..... here is your sweet baby girl! (laying her on my chest) Congratulations!"
Sylvia Anne Peeler
Born August 30, 2016 at 7:56pm
weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces & 21 inches long
And she really does have dark hair!
She is already loved and adored my so many!
Sylvia's Big Sisters got to come and meet her for the first time the next morning. It melted my heart to see both of them so excited to meet her. It was love at first sight. Mary Claire actually yelled, "SHE IS REAL" I guess she was thinking all this time we were just making it up?
So after a mere 24 hours after delivery we were discharged and heded home. We were so excited to start this new adventure (and so sick of the hospital) we left at 10pm at night.
And when you are the 3rd child you go home in the cover of darkness wearing a hospital issued shirt.
