Ella's Birth Story
At about 9:00am on December 7th, I had a doctor's appointment. I was 40 weeks and 1 day and they gave me an internal exam, and the doctor swept my membranes. I began having little cramps but I thought it was probably just a normal reaction to the exam, and thought nothing of it. Dalton and I went to my MIL's and I continued to have cramps but I never thought I was in labor.
Throughout the day I continously had little pains, but nothing too bad, and at about 6pm I went to the bathroom and I was bleeding. I panicked(never realizing or even considering that it was bloody show) and called my mother but couldn't get up with her, so we called my MIL & a nurse, both of whom said it was normal. I still didn't think I was in labor, and Dalton and I decided to go to Wal-Mart and do some Christmas ornament shopping.
While in Wal-Mart I began having "strong"(or what I, being a newbie and the birthing business thought was strong) contractions but I figured it would pass. I had to stop and hold on to Dalton every few steps because my stomache would just cramp up. I wasn't feeling good at all but I was a little hungry.
We left Wal-Mart and we went to Sonic. I had been hungry, but my stomache was cramping and I just didn't feel good, so I didn't eat much. I called my Mom and we went to her house. At that time it was about 10pm, maybe 11. While at her house, I began contracting regularly. My Mom informed me that she thought I was in labor and that Dalton and I should try walking. So, we walked a little but I really didn't feel like it so we came back inside. Mom told me that I should take a shower because it might be the last chance I had to until after I'd given birth, so I went and showered and got dressed. I began contracting even stronger after the shower, and at about 1am we decided to head to the hospital.
When we got into Triage, they checked me and said I was 3, almost 4 cm dialted and that they wanted me to walk around the hospital for an hour or two. Dalton and I walked and walked, and the contractions got so strong..they were hard to talk through, and impossible to walk through. The next time they checked me(and hour and a half later) I was 5cm dialated, so they checked me into a room and put my IV in. They asked did I want to go ahead and get the IV hooked up or just leave the bag off so I could walk around, and I told them I was done with walking. Big mistake-- Looking back now I wish I would have told them to leave it off because lying on your back laboring for so long is horrible when you cannot move at all.
My labor was going smoothly, save for the massive amount of people bothering me, when the nurse came in and told me my daughter's heart was not doing so well, and that if something didn't change soon they would be performing a C-section. They put an internal fetal monitor in, and made me switch from side to side constantly trying to get Ella's heartrate up. But, I was contracting so strongly and had been in labor for a while and Ella's heart just wasn't doing so well. Aside from that, they told me she was just too big to be delivered vaginally.
One doctor kept coming in and saying, "Okay, we're gonna call it. We're gonna do a C-section." and then another doctor(the one that would deliver my baby) would come in and say "NO! Let's keep trying". Finally, I got to 10cm and I was ready to push.
A nurse came in and instructed my husband to hold one leg while she held the other and told me to push. While I was pushing she was also telling me to get ready because birthing this baby would take forever and I was in for a long night. Needless to say, that's not something you tell a birthing mother. Those were not encouraging words. I soon became nauseous and I was shaking all over, and I vomited twice. I recongnize that as transision now, but then I just thought I was dying(lol). Ella's heart was still not doing so well, so I was put on oxygen while I pushed.
Then, thankfully, the doctor that had been pushing for a vaginal delivery came in. And he was wonderful. He was so enthusiastic, and he was like "We can do this! Let's have a baby!" and his enthusiasm and positivity made me feel so much better. I began to push with a whole new purpose. Soon, they told me they could see Ella's head and they brought a mirror so I could see, too. I reached down and touched her hair and then gave a big, big push. The doctor said, "Whoa!! Another push like that and we're gonna have a baby! DON'T PUSH! We have to get ready!" So, they set up their stations and got their scrubs on and he told me to push. I gave a big, strong push and I felt my little girl come into the world. I looked as he handed her to the nurse, all covered in blood and gushy stuff, and then I heard the tiniest cry. She sounded like a little kitten, and they cleaned her while I was being stitched up and cleaned. I had torn twice and being stitched was uncomfortable but I just wanted to get my hands on my little bundle of joy.
My husband was taking pictures of her, and then the nurses handed her to him. He brought our daughter to me and laid her in my arms and we stared at eachother. She had big blue eyes, and she was sticking her tongue out over and over again. She looked like a little lizard and I kisses her cheeks and snuggled her. It was a wonderful day.
Ella Nicole was born on December 8, 2006 at 7:31pm. Her birth was beautiful, and though I wish it had been more comfortable for me(not made to lie on my back, less medical) it was wonderful because my little princess was finally born.