Miss B: The Arrival

I am the type of pregnant person that everyone loves to hate. While some women are nauseous for months, headache laden, heartburn galore, swollen, large weight gainers, tired but sleepless, and uncomfortable, I have close to none of these symptoms. Because I have been so fortunate, I absolutely LOVE being pregnant. (Insert reader eye-roll :)

37 weeks preggo

Without a doubt, the hardest part about being pregnant with Bryn was the anticipation of labor. When I was 37 weeks pregnant (and already on maternity leave from my Nanny job) I packed my hospital bag, spent a day making freezer meals and cleaned our apartment from top to bottom. And then I waited...And waited...And waited. My due date came and went without any action. My phone began blowing up with texts and calls wondering if baby had arrived. I was frustrated BEYOND ANNOYED!

Tuesday November 2, 2010. I was three days past my due date when I went in for my final doctor's appointment. My doctor checked me and gave me the same news I had heard at every appointment the past month. 1cm dilated. 50-80% effacement. She did an unannounced sweep of my membranes  and I screamed in pain. Im sure I had a look of horror on my face when I asked her what the heck she was doing. (And to be honest, I googled it as soon as we got into the car) After deciding to schedule an induction for the following Monday I left the appointment feeling utterly defeated. I wanted so badly to go into labor on my own. Since I was feeling so down in the dumps, Tommy suggested that we go to breakfast and spend some time walking around the mall. Food?? Shopping?? I was in!!

Within half an hour I was sitting at my favorite breakfast place with a delicious short stack in front of me. All of a sudden I noticed that I was starting to feel "different." I couldn't really explain how I was feeling but there was a great amount of pressure in my lower abdomen. I briefly mentioned it to Tommy but didn't think much of it. When we began walking the mall I felt the pressure building and my waddle slowing down. I had to stop every few minutes to take a break. And then it finally occurred to me...I was having contractions..I WAS IN EARLY LABOR!!

Now, I wish I could tell you from that point everything went fast and smoothly, but that wasn't the case. I ended up laboring at home for most of the day. Around 7:00 that evening my contractions were finally coming around 5 minutes apart. I spoke to the doctor on call and he told me to go ahead and come to the hospital. We arrived a little before 8pm. I was checked and given the disappointing news that even after laboring all day I was still at a 1. The doctor went ahead and admitted me partly because I was overdue and I think it partly because he felt bad for me.

The next few hours were spent walking the halls, eating ice chips and monitoring the baby. My contractions were still coming about 5 minutes apart and I was having excruciating back pain. Around midnight the doctor came in to check my progress. He reported that I still hadn't made any changes and I was starting to realize that I had one stubborn little girl on my hands. (Have you met my daughter?!?!!?) It was decided to go ahead and place my epidural and start pitocin to get things moving and so I could get some rest.


I attempted to doze on and off over the next few hours without much luck. My in-laws arrived, my parents arrived, and I was still feeling back labor on my left side where the epidural didn't take. Around 4am I woke up to my nurse wanting to check me, yet again. This time I had finally made progress!!! I was at a 4!! About an hour or so later my water broke, and in the next few hours I progressed rather quickly. By 9:30am I was a full 10cm and ready to start pushing. I was exhausted from over 24 hours of rough sleep and labor but I was more determined than ever to finally meet my sweet girl.

I pushed, and I pushed, and I pooped, and I pushed some more...for an hour and 50 minutes to be exact. Finally at 11:40am, after not missing a single contraction, Bryn came into the world covering herself, Dr. Klus and I in what (the doctor) said was the most meconium she had ever seen. (Meconium is the baby's first poop by the way..) Bryn was laid on my belly and with tears in my eyes I kissed her bloody, poop covered head and told her how beautiful she was. Tommy cut the cord and we were told that (despite having a slight fever) she was a healthy 7 pounds 4 ounces and 20 inches long.

Bryn Michelle Jeffers

 

The love that I felt for Bryn in the first instant that I met her was absolutely indescribable. Tommy and I were in absolute awe that we had created this tiny, beautiful little person. I began nursing right away, and from that point on I knew my life would never be the same.

One Day Old

Our little family

Miss B's story continues...