Elizabeth's birth story

6 weeks later and I've already started to forget some details I'm sure. I wanted desperately to capture every moment by writing in a journal; but I forgot to get a journal and it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway considering it all went so extraordinarily fast.

I went on May 11 to see Sameerah my mid-wife for a end of the pregnancy ultrasound and NST. I was 39 weeks and 1 day at that point. I wasn't too worried about the ultrasound because I have had a couple of big kids and they have done ultrasounds with both of them as well. My normal sitter had just had her second baby a week before and another friend had her baby that Monday so I was out of options to have someone watch the boys for me...so along they went for the ride, armed with their leapsters and promises to be very, very good for mommy and they would get to see their baby sister on the t.v. screen.

So, the ultrasound went okay. The boys behaved well, I got to see the little thing on the screen. Luke had to go to the bathroom so he went in and Zachary went in as well to help keep an eye on Luke. Zachary about 2 minutes later stepped out with a sterile cup that Luke had peed in. Guess he'd visited the midwife with mommy a few too many times! LOL.

On to the NST where they boys weren't behaving so well, and as always they had a hard time finding the baby's heartbeat with that monitor. And try to keep it there? Forget it. But they didn't have to for long. Sameerah came in and asked how I felt about an induction. I told her I didn't want one....I did that before and had a bad time of it. She went on to explain that what they were measuring during the ultrasound was amniotic fluid levels and normal is about an 8. They start to get worried at a 6. Mine were a 4. She wanted that baby out that night. I, of course, agreed. I didn't want an induction but for a medical reason I wouldn't refuse either. She assured me she doesn't like to use pitocin and that would be an absolute last resort. I was to meet her at the hospital at 6 pm that evening. This is about 1:5o pm. Cool...Chuck could get home, Mom and Dad would have time to drive to the house to get the boys....no problems. But then it started getting a little hairy. Baby Elizabeth wasn't being reactive. They wanted her heartbeat to spike and it wasn't...they had it, and it was staying steady but that wasn't what they wanted to see. So they let me use the phone call my mom and dad to get them on their way and made me promise I'd get to the hospital ASAP. I called Chuck at work and he was getting out in 5 minutes anyway...but just to prepare him. I hightailed it home...my heart pounding that something was wrong...it was all moving too fast....what if she wasn't okay?....and on and on and on. At least the boys fell asleep so they didn't see me crying on the way home. I didn't want them to be worrying too.

I got home and Chuck carried the boys in and got my bag to the car. About 5 minutes later my little brother Dan showed up to watch the boys until Mom and Dad got there. He was close by when Mom called him and he said they were too far away and he'd go to our house so we could get to the hospital.

We got to the hospital about 3:45. They hooked me up to the monitors, etc. and got the baby's heartbeat right away. About 4:15 Sameerah arrived and checked my dilation. I was already at 3 cm dilated. Hooray! At 4:30 they inserted the prostaglandin suppository and then I had to stay hooked up to the monitors for like another 1 1/2 hours. Laying in bed with the contractions was the worst!!! As soon as I could I got out of bed and walked for 1/2 hour and then decided I really wanted to try the jacuzzi tub. I hadn't had a chance with the other two...so in I went. It was awesome! I was so relaxed. I, of course, still felt the contractions but it was so much easier to deal with. At some point, about 7:45 or so, my mom and dad showed up to say hi. Mom thought it was pretty cool, laboring in the tub. I got out and they checked me at about 8:45 and I was at 7 cm dilated. I decided not to have the epidural at that point. I figure that if I came to a 7 without one I could deal with the rest, but I did have a shot of pain meds just to take the edge off. Mom and Dad left about 9:00 because the pains were getting pretty bad and I was concentrating a lot on that and having a hard time talking. Plus, they wanted to go home and put the boys into bed. During that time, I was having an incredible urge to push. Chuck started yelling at me to breath through the contractions because I started holding my breath. After that contraction was over, I told him and the nurse I was trying so hard not to push. She checked me and said it was almost time. She left the room to go pee and the next contraction sent me onto my side SCREAMING. (This by far was my loudest birth!) I started pushing...I couldn't help it...Chuck was talking to me...no one else was in the room...but they came in after hearing me screaming that's for sure!!! I remember hearing Sameerah ask where the medical student was...she needed to get in there NOW if she wanted to see the birth! Then Sameerah asked me if I wanted to deliver on my side or back...I told her I didn't care. She suggested I get on my back and Chuck and the nurse got my legs up for me. By that time Elizabeth was crowning. I pushed twice and then fell backwards onto the bed as the rest of the birth happened on it's own. At 9:26 pm Elizabeth was born. I cried, Chuck cried. It was awesome. They laid her on my bare chest and I had tears streaming down my cheeks. She was beautiful.

They took her after a while to the warmer and Chuck went over there with her for weighing, etc and I remembered to make sure they checked that she was a girl! LOL I laid there and looked at them, quiet, slightly crying and the nurse asked me if I was okay. I explained I'm just an emotional person and that it all happened so fast I felt sad. So happy to see my baby girl, but wow. It was fast. She had pinprick bruising on her face and a bloodshot eye because of it too.

She was born May 11, 2007, 9:26 pm. 8 lbs. 7 1/4 oz and 21 inches long. She had a ton of hair and it was dark with blonde highlights in it. She looked like she'd already been to her first beauty appt!

We called my mom and dad and they were shocked that I had her already. They came back up, with my SIL Kelly in tow too. The next morning the boys came up and ooh'd and aah'd over their sister as well. They doted on her so much!

Oh yea, and don't forget about daddy! He was one proud pappa...and still is!

Our family is complete.