Posted in Family

I was a little disappointed that it was starting early because my doctor was on call on the 14^th and we’d worked it so I’d come in early that morning and she’d strip my membranes and do whatever it took to get Kayleigh out by dinner that day. 

I was really excited at the thought of Dr. Adriano delivering Kayleigh.  She is by far the best doctor I’ve ever had.  I actually met her in Guam.  She was referred to Kevin and I by his command doctor when we were thinking about doing a fertility work ups in our 6 year quest to get pregnant.  Kevin’s command doctor had to pull quite a few strings to get us in with her but it was worth it.  She’s just one of those doctor’s who make you feel like you’re they’re only patient.  Plus she’s a Christian.  Always a nice bonus.

It was a nice surprise to run into her when I was at the hospital getting lab work done.  And while it was no easier to get an appointment with her here, I did what I had to and she oversaw my entire pregnancy.

However, as much as I liked Dr. Adriano, I was not holding that baby in.  =o)  The contractions were becoming more uncomfortable and closer together and I was having a lot of bloody show. 

I knew that today was going to be the day when Mackenzie’s chatter started getting on my nerves, so I called my friend Teresa (1) to come and get her and then my “coach” Teresa (2) to come get me.  I quickly dashed off an email to my husband, Kevin, to let him know that I was going to the hospital.  And then I did a lot of praying that he would get it ASAP and start calling.  (Thankfully you are allowed cell phones.)

Thankfully he did get the email and called a lot, skipping on sleep to keep checking in on me.  He was asleep when I delievered (I told him it would be a while and to get some sleep) but he called again about an hour after she was born.

We left for the hospital when the contractions were about 7 minutes apart and about 45-60 seconds long.  A tad early but the hospital isn’t that close by and it’s a drive that ALWAYS has a lot of traffic thanks to a drawbridge and a tunnel that are almost always backed up.  I did not want to wait too long and have a baby in the car or something. Plus I was already 3 cm as of last Friday so I figured I’d be good to be admitted.

We got there and had to wait to be seen. (Of course)  So I paged Dr. Adriano to let her know that I was here today (the clinic I went to was right down the hall from labor and delivery).  She said she was almost done with her clinic stint and would drop in to check on me.  So I sat in misery and waited.  (I’m terribly wimpy, I’ll admit that up front. LOL)

Finally I got called in the back and they hooked me up to the monitor.  Naturally that’s when the contractions started becoming more irregular.  Grrr… They said I was 3-4 cm dialated now but didn’t want admit me until I’d made more progress.  So Dr. Watson, foolish girl, said the words guaranteed to make me hold a grudge against her for a long time.  “You can go home and come back when they’re more regular.”  She must of seen the death stare I gave her and then added “or you could walk around for a couple hours and come back for a recheck.”  (I know, I know, she was only doing her job.  But I didn’t really care because, like I said, I’m wimpy.)

I opted to walk.  Cept I couldn’t go more then 5-6 steps with out a huge amount of pressure, like something was going to fall out.  If Dr. Adriano had been there she’d have stripped my membranes and admitted me already. 

So we wandered around for a couple of hours.  Well mostly I sat.  When it was time for the recheck, we went back up and I was praying so hard that there was some progress.  The nurse checked me and I was 5 cm and my bag of waters was bulging.  (Must have been what felt like was going to fall out.) Praise God!

Dr. Watson came back in and said that they were going to admit me. (I’m almost positive I rolled my eyes at her, seriously I can hold a grudge in these cases.  Had a similar incident the first time I went in with Kenzie.  Then a nurse told me “come back when you’re having ‘real’ contractions.”  7 years later and I still don’t like her.)

And then Dr. Adriano came in (hooray) and told Watson that she was going to deliver this baby and “thank you very much.”  Ha!!!!!!  Vindicated…

Dr. Adriano checked me and said she was going to break my bag of water but that she’d have them give me my epidural first. 

It’s here that I should learn to give myself more credit because I always end up having to wait FOREVER for the epidural. I probably could go natural if I were mentally prepped for it.

With Mackenzie’s birth I didn’t get it until I was 6 cm because I was dehydrated and had to have 2 bags of fluid first.  (Dehydration resulted from the sleeping pills the aforementioned hated nurse sent me home with.  They made me vomit all night.)

This time  the hold up was a shift change.  It didn’t really surprise me that I had to wait, that’s my kind of luck.  I was 7 cm when I got it this time.  Let me tell you those contractions hurt.  I suffered in silence just like I did with Kenzie.  A fact which my friend, Teresa 2, couldn’t believe it.  She said she bellowed and wailed and made all kinds of noise.  I do not make a single peep when I have a contraction.  Too busy praying or maybe it’s just shock/terror. LOL   

Teresa found it so unbelievable she actually asked my doctor if that was normal.  She said normal but not very common. 

I finally got my beloved epidural and had a good hour of blessed relief.  Then Dr. Adriano checked me again and the epi had caused my contractions to slow a bit.  So she prescribed…pitocin.  A miracle drug she called it.  This is the one area where we disagree.  I call it satan’s drug.  =o)

Within 5 minutes of them administering that devil juice I was no longer pain free.  I couldn’t feel the contraction but I felt this horrendous pressure in my “nether regions.”   Wow did that hurt.  I wanted to push already.  It seemed like a waste of a perfectly good epidural. LOL  It did get the job done though.

(Effects of the devil juice)

Finally Dr. Adriano said I was fully dialated and the baby was +whatever and I could push.  I still can’t decide whether I was happy about that declaration or terrified.  I always doubt whether I’ll actually be able to push the baby out, with me being wimpy and all.  Especially since I was feeling a lot more then I did with Mackenzie.  (Honestly, I barely felt anything when I pushed her out.  Just some pressure but not terrible like this.  I didn’t feel the burning as she crowned or anything. )

She and the nurse went to break down the bed and ran into some trouble.  Something about new beds, hard to break down, blah, blah, blah.  The nurse said everyone was having trouble with them.  So Dr. Adriano calmly said that they’d not worry about breaking the bed down and that they’d just deliver right on the bed.

So they got what they needed done and I got to start pushing.  Everything went well and I managed to bring Kayleigh into the world after only 20 minutes of pushing.  I was amazed because I could feel everything.  I’m surprised that I didn’t cry or yell cuz it hurt. LOL   But I stuck to my quiet plan. I think I’m generally too terrified to yell. =o)

Kayleigh Elisabeth arrived into the world at 7pm on the evening of February 11, 2008.  She was 8 pounds and 20” long and just as beautiful as can be. All her parts were there, her skin was pink, healthy lungs, lots of hair.  She looks just like her big sister did. She nurses like a champ.

Daddy called about an hour after she was born and was happy to learn that his second daughter had arrived.  That was definitely the most difficult part of the labor/birth.  You could just hear how sad he was that he wasn’t there.  He got to “talk to her” over the phone and she stopped crying when she heard his voice.  That made him feel good.  She still does that when he calls or we watch our daddy video.

(Talking to Daddy)

Big sister is thrilled by Kayleigh, most of the time.  Mackenzie enjoys holding her and picking out her clothes. LOL

We’re hanging in there, God has placed a lot of wonderful people in our lives who have been a great help to us.  In the meantime, we just take it one day at a time as we wait for Daddy to come home and meet his newest princess.

(Coach Teresa, who shares a birthday with Kayleigh)

Teresa who took great care of Mackenzie)

(Dr. Adriano, the best doctor ever)

(Nurse Mary)

Pretty Baby