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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Mary Tyler's Birth Story

On Valentine's Night (Tuesday) I went to bed crying, telling Matt I know I have to wait for God's perfect timing to bring her into this world but I seriously thought my hips were going to break the next time I stood up, I couldn't sleep worth a flip, SURELY the doctor knew what she was talking about last week when she said "You can make your appt for next Wednesday but I dont think we'll be seeing you." It was Tuesday night, after all, and that Dr's appt was at 1:30 the next day. I was weepy and blue but I knew it couldn't be TOO far away.

Wednesday, on the drive to the doctor, I said "I will be just devastated if I'm not a '3' (cm) anymore. I'm so scared I've made 'reverse progress.' Matt said "There's no way. We're gonna have her soon!" So we waited and we saw Dr. Twedt (my doctor) and she checked me. She said "You're 5 cm. As soon as your contractions become regular like clockwork, go on to the hospital, there's no way they'll send you home at a 5 but you dont want to labor there forever if you're not progressing quickly." I said "Ok. Will you go ahead and strip my membranes?" She said "I just did!" Haha. I was like wow, I knew it was uncomfortable when she checked me that time but I had heard the membrane stripping hurt pretty bad. I felt proud of myself. So, Matt and I made our next appt and headed out with high hopes that she may arrive by the time the weekend got here. We went through the Wendy's drive thru and then headed on an errand to Costco. I needed to get some flowers for a few people that were being honored at the Cheerleading Banquet that night (I wasn't going to be able to go but Cathleen was picking the flowers up from me). Anyway, against Matt's wishes I wanted to go in and pick the flowers out myself. I was cramping and contracting a little but just attributed that to getting checked. It was a pretty quick trip and we got in the car to head back home. I had two or three really painful contractions in the car. I said "Ok, I know what they mean now when they say 'the real deal contractions will be different!'" By the time we got home around 3:00 they were coming every 4 and 1/2 minutes. Matt needed to tie up some loose ends at work and I wanted to finish packing the last minute things in the hospital bag. So as we both did that, I timed them and they stayed consistent. Finally around 5:00 we said "lets go!"

Getting to the hospital was not a breeze. If these next events happened to anyone else trying to get to the hospital to have a baby, I think it would have been a detrimental experience, but for some reason, it happening to Matt and I only seemed fitting and we couldn't help but laugh....

So first of all mom and I were running around the house like crazy people trying to get the dogs set up for being alone for a night (my brother and janey ended up coming to house/dog sit) while Matt took a quick shower. He got ready then he and my mom were loading up the car with things and I came in to get one more blanket then we'd be on the way... the car was already started... and Annie darted out when I opened the screen door. Are YOU KIDDING ME?! She takes FOREVER to catch bc she is so fast and she was literally half way down the street before Matt even understood what I was telling him... "SHE GOT OUT!!! SHE'S DOWN THERE!" So, my freshly showered and clean husband took off in a full sprint down the street trying to get her. I was standing at the end of the driveway having a full blown contraction, squatting down, and yelling "COME ON MY SHE!!!!" at the same time (when I could breathe anyway). Mom was running around going "TREAT!! TREAT!!!" Next thing I know Annie is running towards me with Matt sprinting as fast as I've ever seen him run behind her, he chased her and trapped her and we finally got her in the fence in the backyard. PHEW!!!! Now we are on our way to the hospital and my poor, just showered husband, is now furiously gasping for air telling me he's out of shape and can't breathe and is sweating profusely. Then he tells me he thinks he pooped his pants while running. "HAHA.... WHAT?!?! Baby!!!!!" We get about a mile away from the house and he is in obvious discomfort, as am I, having contractions but they were still just about 4 min apart so I wasn't panicking. I said "Why dont you stop up here at Zaxby's and go check?" Next thing I know, we are whipping into the parking lot at Zaxby's. As he is running in there, I am in the passenger seat deciding whether to crack up laughing or cry. I ended up cracking up laughing and shaking my head thinking "This would only happen to us." He comes back to the car and says "I didn't sh**, it's just sweat!" HAHAHA. Ohhh goodness. So we're back in route... its 5:15 and traffic is WORSE THAN EVER!!!!! Matt already has road rage so he is driving like a bat out of hell (a total change from his typical grandpa driving) and asking me if he can put on his emergency flashers. "Baby, it's ok. I'm fine. She's not coming out. Take a deep breath, we'll get there." We spent the next 15 minutes or so talking about whether or not this was really it. After being to triage 6 times now and never coming back home with a baby, I was in denial. Matt was beaming ear to ear saying she's comin!! she's comin tonight!! and I'm like no way am I letting myself get one BIT excited til they check me and say I'm being admitted and not going home without a baby. I was in a pretty foul mood because I was so nervous we were about to get sent home again.

WE FINALLY MAKE IT TO THE HOSPITAL at 5:45! Go up to triage to check in and Matt starts filling out the info sheet with all of HIS information. Poor Daddy was so flustered. It'd been a crazy afternoon :) We got to a room and they checked me... "You're about 6-7 cm. We'll call it 6. Let's get you admitted and have this baby!" The nurse walked out to get my wheelchair and Matt stepped out of the room to call his mom, and I lost it. Cried and cried, tears of pure JOY, I'm finally REALLY and TRULY about to meet my baby girl. We got to the labor and delivery room around 7 pm, they checked me and I was 7cm and waiting on my epidural. All every nurse kept telling me is "Girl!! I cannot believe you are 7 cm and just breezing through these contractions?! You are awesome!" I felt proud. I'm like, I mean, it hurts when I have one, and I have to concentrate on breathing through it, but I wasnt even close to wanting to scream or cry or make loud groaning noises like you see on tv. The anesthesiologist got there around 7:30 and I got my epidural. I was SO NERVOUS about it, but it was seriously a breeze. An uncomfortable pinch and burn when they gave me the numbing shot, but lasted about 4 seconds and not nearly as bad as getting my IV placed. The epidural started to work and it was such a weird feeling. I kept telling everyone my legs felt like plastic mannequin legs. Around 9:45 Dr. Dubose came in to check me and break my water. I was almost a 9 and she predicted baby to be born around 11:30. Now the friends and family were trickling in and we talked/tried to watch tv/relax/etc. We are so thankful for our friends and family and Mary Tyler is certainly blessed to have every single one of them in her life... the delivery room was full of people who love us :) So full in fact, that it was starting to get a little hectic. Right when I was about to say "ok time for us to get a little bit of calm before the storm" the nurse came in to check me and said I was complete and it was time to start pushing. What??? The time is finally here?? It was about 11:30, just as Dr. Dubose predicted.

Everyone cleared out except for my mom and matt, and the whirlwind that still hasnt ended, began. Within minutes the nurse was saying "Ok, we aren't going to push for long, her head is starting to crown and I see hair!" She scurried over to the phone and called Dr. Dubose and started setting up all kinds of things on the babys side of the room. I started pushing at 11:45. Matt was refusing to "look" for the longest time and after just a couple of pushes mom was almost in tears exclaiming "look at her hair!!!!" Matt and I had been speculating for weeks on whether or not she'd be bald, I said "just look" and he did, and he started bawling. I couldn't see anything but they let me feel and to feel the top of her head and that was amazing. It made me more motivated to get her on out. The pushing hurt then. She was a little bit stuck and at one point around 11:57 the doctor said "ok this next contraction/push determines her birthday, if you get her out on this one she'll be Feb 15th!" I didn't care one bit about the birthday but I really wanted her OUT! It was painful with half of her head just chillin right there. I knew once her head came out, it'd all be over. Matt and my mom seemed to be pushing harder than I was! Haha. With each of them holding a foot and a leg, with every "10 count" they were both holding their breath, too! That was the only comic relief I had. She didn't come with that next contraction (in which I pushed three times) and I was mad. Mad bc it HURT!!!! Matt said he's never seen me so determined. The Doctor was like "ok britt, come on. this next one you can do it. i know you can. your baby girl is gonna be born on this next push if you give me all you got!" I've never worked so hard in my life. Instead of my normal 3 pushes per contraction, I gave it one more shot, on the 4th push I heard the doctor say "ok!! good good!! her head is out! Now just one more little push and let me get this shoulder." After that is a blur....

All of the sudden two HUGE eyes were blinking at me from the warm, squishy blob laying on my chest. I thought I'd be bawling but I was just in pure shock and amazement. She was absolutely perfect. Right when the thought "why isn't she crying?" came into my head the doctor said "It's ok she isn't crying yet, she's perfect. Just rub her!" So I laid there holding my big eyed, blinking, baby in amazement and tried to rub her real hard. She had so much vernix (white, waxy substance that keeps her from wrinkling up in amniotic fluid) that she felt just like biscuit dough. So sticky!! I couldn't rub her good because she was so sticky. Matt was crying and so was Mom, and I have never been filled with so much joy at one time. It felt like my heart would explode.

The doctor cut the cord as Matt and I watched (per Matt's request, he didn't want to do it, haha) then they whisked her away to get all her vitals and Matt and Mom went over and filmed. Mom was facetimeing with the people in the waiting room! (Technology is awesome) They all got to see her from the time she was on my chest, to getting her footprints done, checking for six toes (which she did NOT have), and getting weighed! I had a small, 2nd degree tear and the doctor worked on me to get that sewed up. It wasn't that bad. I was just sad bc I was laying there getting worked on while everyone else was watching my new baby's first minutes of life. But with patience comes joy, and about 10 minutes later I had a warm, wrapped up bundle of love in my arms. Mom left and Matt and I spent about 40 minutes alone with our baby girl. I really don't even remember how that time was spent, except for smiling and crying and staring at her, studying her, seeing what she looked like. So much love!

Everyone else came back, and passed her around, and cried. There was so much love in the room. Around 1:45 everyone went home and we were moved to the mom/baby floor. The nurses over there were great!!!! Although we were exhausted (and still are) those first few nights with her, and with Matt, are unforgettable. I hope I always remember that feeling of falling in love with my husband all over again as I watched him with his daughter for the first time. From the first time he held her, to the first time he changed her diaper, the first time he gave her a paci, the first time he rocked her to sleep, etc etc... I've always known I have a great husband, but watching him with her solidified that. He has been more amazing than I could have ever imagined these past 12 days, taking care of both her and me. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else with anyone else in my life right now. I am blessed beyond words. Thank you, Matt. I love you so much.

...next post to come will be about our first week at home with our precious angel!

... any suggestions for a new blog name?? :)



7 comments:

  1. I have tears rolling down my face.. Britt, that is the sweetest thing. Funny moments, but y'all certainly handled it like pros! She is so precious!! So happy for y'all!!
    -Breen

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  2. What a sweet story! So happy for y'all. Hope you are doing well!

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  3. Dying laughing about y'all trying to make it to the hospital! So glad you had such an easy birth and weren't in too much pain! I can relate about feeling like your heart is going to explode. That's literally exactly how it feels when your baby is born! Hope y'all are doing well and getting some sleep!

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  4. Such an incredible story! So happy for your new little family!

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  5. Oh my goodness! This is so sweet!! So happy for you and your sweet family!

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  6. Oh gosh...I just laughed and cried and everything in between!! I have never been so proud of you as I was that day...and throughout the whole pregnancy. You are such an amazing mom already, and Mary Tyler is perfection dropped straight from Heaven! I love you and your little family so much!!!

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  7. Oh man... I am sitting in my office justa a crying about the paragraph to matt. So sweet.

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