We are so happy to have Alexandria Bryce here with us! We have been waiting for her for sometime and are so very blessed to have her as a daughter and little sister to Kyrsten.
I'm not a great writer but I hope you all enjoy Alexandria's birth story.
Most of you know that just before she was born I was put on a modified bed rest due to high blood pressure and vision issues. So I was ready to have her here ASAP!
This pregnancy was not as fun as it was with Kyrsten. Having a toddler and bit more of a stressful job than when I was pregnant with Kyrsten, I was exhausted and never had a chance to relax. So the weeks before Alexandria got here it was nice to have the down time. But for someone like me that likes to keep busy I was going crazy! But I guess it was the Lord's way of telling me to chill out.
I had been having Braxton Hicks for a couple of weeks before I actually went into labor. There were a couple of nights that I had full on contractions and thought that this was it but I would fall asleep and wake up the next morning a little bit disappointed that I had not really gone into labor.
Tuesday night January 29th, 2013 (of course I couldn't wait until morning so that we all could have a good night's sleep) I started getting strong contractions and had a very upset tummy around 9:45pm. Kyrsten and Mike were asleep and my mom was in the guest room awake and on the computer. I decided not to alarm anyone and to just time things by myself for a couple of hours. While doing that I finished packing, etc to get ready for the hospital. Around 11:15pm I woke Mike up and told him that this could be it!
I couldn't believe it! I was going to be a mother of two very soon and it freaked me out in a scary way and excited me in a "wow I am a mommy again" way (that little three year inside of me was screaming with excitement)! It's hard to explain the emotions you feel.... But - Holy cow I have to deliver a baby, AGAIN!
I called the hospital just, in case to let them know that my contractions were five minutes apart and lasting about 60 seconds. The Doctor informed me to come in right away since we lived in Lake Stevens and the hospital was in Edmonds about 20-30 minutes out.
Well we had to drop Kyrsten off at her great Grandma Yvonne's house so that Aunt Kathy could take care of her until Grandma Patty and Papa Dan could take over.
So with that stop we didn't check into the hospital until until 1:16am! Thank goodness I didn't progress that fast! Otherwise I could have just had the baby at grandma's house.
Once I was up in the room the nurse on staff that night Catie informed us that the birthing center was full that night with about 13 women (and no I am not sure if it was a full moon)! Once I got settled the nurse check my cervix and I had only dilated to 3cm! I thought "this happened with Kyrsten, no way! I should be farther along!" Catie suggested that I walk for an hour to see if I moved further along and if I didn't the doc suggested that they send me home with a morphine shot in the hip to take away the pain and labor at home. Well I didn't like that at all! "We live in Lake Stevens and I am doing this thing all natural, no drugs. So I will not be going anywhere and I will progress." Catie said she would talk to the Doctor to see what they could do. She was fabulous and so understanding!!
Well I walked around for an hour and came back to the room and had only dilated to 3.75cm not much but Catie transferred us to another room anyway.
At first they were going to take us to the room that I had delivered my first baby in back in 2009. When Catie told me of that room my heart sank and I just couldn't do it so they moved me to the room we first started out in when I was in labor with Kyrsten. I felt much better about that room, I guess we were meant to have her there.
Catie was so amazing! She was so accommodating and sweet! Since she knew that I wanted to try this birth without drugs she wanted to give me choices to get through labor.
Quite honestly I didn't know what I wanted to do! With Kyrsten my hope was to do it natural but it just didn't happen so this time around I was at a loss.
Catie asked if I wanted to try a warm bath with jets since my water had not broke yet. At first I was hesitant since I had heard that it could slow down labor but, after a few contractions more it sure sounded fabulous so that was what I ended up laboring in for three hours total. IT WAS FABULOUS! I don't know if I could have gotten through the labor without it. I loved being able to have the jets on my back! Thank you Catie for the suggestion!
The tub wasn't big enough for Mike to be with me so him and my mom hung out in the room while I sat is the tub laboring and breathing and praying. Every once in a while I would get company, hence the pictures...
Every hour Catie got me out of the tub to see how far I had dilated and each hour I progressed a 1/2cm or 1cm! Yay!!
Around 7am in the morning when the shift change happened for the nurses I was dilated to 7cm. I was sad to see Catie go but Amy was my new nurse and she was also amazing! She had just returned back to work after her 5 month maternity leave and I was her second birth since returning. It was really comforting to also know that she had just gone through a natural birth so she knew exactly what I was going through. She was also a great coach for me as well. She was a huge help!
Since I was the only woman in the hospital that day that was having a natural birth they had asked me if it was ok for Amy to have a student tag along with her that day and I of course was ALL about it. Hey if I can help out and give people experience why not! So Ivy joined Amy and she was so so sweet and just had a great demeanor about her.
It's amazing the kind of relationship you can develop with your nurses while in labor and after labor! I am just thankful the Lord blessed me with those two! I just kept thanking God for such a great experience with great people surrounding me! (Funny enough I later found out that Amy was a Christian and we hit it off so well) I was so scared that I wasn't going to have a good experience this time around since I had such a fabulous time with Kyrsten's birth. I prayed everyday for great nurses and that I could get through the labor. I was scared but I could feel the Lord's presence in the room that day! It was so awesome!
Amy and Ivy offered me a a birthing ball to help get the baby down farther in the birth canal and BOY HOWDY did it work cause I was in pain!! Just before that I was standing and laboring with Mike while he rubbed my back. There were a few times I almost knocked him over during contraction cause I had to push against him so hard to get through it. At one point he asked "Are you going to be ok?" I was just in pain but thanks for being so understanding babe!
After about 20 minutes of laboring on the ball I remembered the doctor telling me that I could have a shot of fentanyl to take the edge off. At that point in my mind I was thinking that sounded fabulous so I asked the nurses about it. When I asked I was feeling guilty about it and that must have shown on my face cause Amy started saying "it's ok you are doing fabulous and don't feel bad about using something to help get you through the pain." That made me feel better and at that point I was ok with it.
When Amy came back into the room she said that I could only have half a dose and warned me that it wasn't going to take away the pain but only take the edge off and it would only last for half an hour. I was still ok with that but let me tell you I watched that clock like a hawk. It was my focal point while I laid in bed for the remainder of my labor. Even though she only gave me half a dose it was strong enough that I was able to close my eyes in between contractions. But let me tell you it did NOT take away the pain she was right when she said it took the edge off. Lol! I wanted to progress as fast as possible while I had the fentanyl but sadly I only progressed 1cm which put me at 9cm by the time the medication wore off.
At that point I really felt like I had to push. So they had the doctor check me and of course I was only at 9cm so no pushing for me unless I wanted to tear my cervix. Not even fifteen minutes later I told Amy again that I really needed to push so she checked me during a contraction and I was dilated at 10cm. Once she told me that I took that as my ok to start pushing and about six other nurses came into the room at the same time. But they all kept telling me to not push and to wait and just keep breathing through the contractions. According to Mike and my mom they were paging the doctor to get in the room.
I on the other hand didn't care I HAD to PUSH!! I pushed once and she crowned, again and her head came out, again and her shoulders came out (that's when the doctor came into the room), and then a fourth push and she was out!
Alexandria Bryce was born on Wednesday, January 30th, 2013 at 9:52am weighing 7lbs 7 oz and stretching to a whopping 19.5" long! (two ounces less than Kyrsten but same weight and length, crazy huh?)
My nurse Amy pretty much delivered Alexandria (Welcome back to work Amy!) and the doctor delivered the placenta. Thanks to everyone! I had a fabulous experience!
I had to do what I had to do. Let me tell you when you have the urge to push it's an overwhelming feeling that you just can't ignore.
Mike didn't want to cut the cord this time around so he asked if my mom wanted to and she did it! My mom was in the room when I had Kyrsten and again this time around. It was so nice to be able to have her there. Even though I just about broken her fingers and Mike's every time I went through a contraction. Thanks Mom for being there and enjoying this moment with Mike and I! I love you!
Once they put her on my chest I of course fell in LOVE instantly!! In my head I of course said "wow that was painful but this moment makes it all worth it. I could do it again." Lol!
There is no feeling like having a baby. It's one of the coolest things in the world!
I was one happy but very tired momma! (Hence the reason I have this picture in black and white.... Mike and my mom said that I was as white as a ghost and boy was I!)
Look at that happy daddy! So proud! I am a lucky woman to have such a great husband and a fabulous daddy to my girls!
Her feet were so long! It's crazy that those little things were kicking me constantly for months and so funny how you miss those things. I am so glad that I get to kiss on those cute little toes instead.
And look at that hair! Can you believe that I had a black haired baby after having a blonde? I love that I have two girls that are totally different. So much fun!
I Can't wait to see if she will have curly hair too. I kind of hope she gets the straight hair!
I can't wait to see how these two girls grow. It's been a joy watching Kyrsten and it's going to be even better watching the two of them together!
beautiful! birth stories have to be one of my favorite things in the whole world. that and babies of course!!!! congrats. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! Congratulations!
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