Baby #5

Lindsey Grace

 

2/17/14

8lbs 14oz

20 inches long

40+4 weeks

 

 

 

Our Valentine's Day baby decided to show up three days later...lol. I was not mentally prepared to go over my due date. Last time, I was pregnant with Leilani she came three days before my due date. I figured that this baby would come a couple days early or right on my due date. The baby had other plans. She was taking her sweet time coming into the world. I really don't recommend having a February baby. The last couple of weeks the weather was horrible (snow and ice storms) plus everyone was sick except for me. I'm not going to lie...the last couple of weeks was really hard. The stress and worry. I should of stressed less but it's hard to do.

 

On Monday, I woke up and somehow felt like the baby was going to come sometime during the day. The Cox guys were coming over to set up our internet. So, it was a good excuse for Leroy to work from home while we waited for the Cox guys to come to the house to install the internet. I really didn't feel comfortable with Leroy being away. He works all the way in Rogers. Leilani's birth was super fast (1 hr 20minutes). So, we just told my folks that he was staying home because he wanted to be here for the Cox's guys but that really wasn't the full truth. I felt something with up and I was right.

 

After lunch, I started to have some really mild contractions but nothing too crazy. They started to come more consistently and regular. I was just playing it cool. I wasn't sure if it was the real thing or not.

 

I was sitting outside watching the kids play outside with my swollen feet and hands. Sitting there miserable and wondering to myself if this baby will ever come. When a friend of mine from church dropped by the house to drop off a huge Route 44 Oreo shake. It really made my day...lol. It was really thoughtful of her.

 

The contractions kept on coming. It wasn't too much longer when the Cox's guy showed up to install the internet. My dad kept telling the guys how I was overdue. It really wasn't helping.

 

Anyways, after they left. We all sat down to eat dinner. I really started to think to myself that this baby might be coming. The contractions were coming closer together plus getting more painful.

 

I finally decided to pull Leroy aside and told him that I thought we should head to the hospital.

 

The drive down to the hospital was uneventful, I was really worried that they would send me back home but they didn't. The nurse checked me and said that I was at a 5/6 cm. She said that they would keep me because my cervix was very stretchy plus I was already overdue.

 

Now, my L&D nurse really didn't like me. I decided this is baby number 5 and I'm calling all of the shots. I pretty much told her "no" to everything she wanted to do. She wanted me to have an iv, she wanted me to lay down in the bed, and etc... She tried her scared tactics but it didn't. I wanted to have a completely natural birth. I wasn't trying to be difficult but we weren't the best match.

 

My nurse told me that my doctor wasn't available. I would have to go with the on-call doctor. I really wasn't happy about it. I made it very clear to her that I wasn't happy about it all. Well, an hour later. She came back into my room and told that after reviewing my file. She found a note in my file stating that if I went into labor that my doctor would come in and deliver my baby. I couldn't be more happy. I wasn't stuck with the on call doctor.

 

The nurse finally was able to locate their birthing ball. They also decided to hook me up to wireless monitoring system. The nurses didn't even know how to use it. I'm assuming a majority of laboring moms get epidurals. I was really throwing my nurses for a loop. They had to bring out a cheat sheet because they didn't know how to put it on my tummy. Once, they had it hooked up. I was free to do what ever I wanted. I spent the majority of the time bouncing on the birthing ball.

 

This is the crazy part. I felt really no hard labor or pain at all. Another doctor came in to break my water. When, the other doctor came in. She commented about how calm and relaxed that I was while in labor. She couldn't believe it. Even the nurses were like is this normal. They couldn't believe it. The doctor checked me and I found out that I was already at 8cm. She went to break my water and nothing came out. She was confused. I either had a high leak or the water was up behind the baby. She told my nurse to call my doctor and to hurry up because this baby would be coming very soon.

 

I was back bouncing on my birthing ball, it was only a few minutes later and my doctor was in suite. It was almost time to start pushing. It was happening really fast. The contractions were coming even closer together but I was holding up just fine. I was really focusing on relaxing myself body and not fighting the contractions. It was really empowering.

 

Once again, the nurse wanted to move me over to the bed. I told her that I would move to the bed when it was time for me to start pushing. So, she went out of the room and told the doctor that I was waiting for him before I started to push. He came in and I got on the bed to start pushing.

 

This was the hard part. It turns out that I wasn't completed effaced. I couldn't get the hang of pushing. It was so hard. Something wasn't right. I will spear you some of the details here but the doctor checked me and I still had a part of my cervix. I was pushing against it. Hello, no wonder I wasn't making any progress. The doctor just gave me this look and said he was sorry. I think they were rushing me to push and I wasn't quite ready. The doctor did his thing and I was ready to start pushing again.

 

The pushing continued forever. I even yelled out at one point that "I can't do this". Well, at this point, I figured this baby most be big. Last time, I delivered a baby. The baby came right out with just a few pushes. I think at this point, the doctor realized that this baby must be big because he told me that if the baby weighed over 9 pounds. He said that dinner would be on him. The doctor decided that the position that I was pushing in which was sitting up was all wrong. He had him lay down on my back and push that way. Hello, it worked. I finally started to push her down. It wasn't so much painful but a ton of pressure. They had me wait for each contraction to build up and then I started to push. I almost had her head out but I had to take a break. So, I went at it again and push will all of my strength. She came right out. Now, remember when the doctor broke my water and nothing came out. Well, after I push out the baby. My water came flying out. The doctor literally jumped up and out of the way. Leroy said my water when spraying right out, all over the place. Even got some on his legs...lol. So, the water was up behind the baby.

 

The baby started to almost instantly cried. They placed her right on me. She was so beautiful and she reminded me a lot of her big sister Leah. They weighed her and she came in at 8lbs and 14oz. She was a big baby but not big enough to win the bet...lol. I'm glad that I didn't realize she would be such a big baby or I might of freaked out. She's not my biggest baby. My oldest daughter weighed in at 9lbs and 4oz.

 

So, the time we made it to the hospital and delivered the baby it was less than four hours. It wasn't my easiest delivery. Leilani's birth was super fast and prefect. Lindsey's birth was really easy expect for the pushing part but I feel like it was the nurses fault. They had me pushing too early and in the wrong position but overall I couldn't be happier.

 

It's a little bit sad, to think that this will be our last baby. I'm done. The doctor was joking afterwards that we need to try for baby number 6, to try to even up the numbers but I'm done. I think five kids is a good number to stop at.

 

The kids are already in love with their new sibling. They literally fight over who gets to hold her first. She completes our family. I feel extremely blessed to have her in our family. Leilani and Lindsey will be the best of friends and sisters.