The Rest of the Story

Okay, this is really long, and as a warning, is mostly for me, so that I have some record of the events surrounding my baby girl's birth. I figured if I put it here, I will remember where it is, and I will be able to find it. So, here it goes.

Three weeks ago today, February 1st, I was feeling really cruddy. I was getting progressively more itchy, crazy couldn't stop scratching my legs itchy, and having major gallbladder pain. By the time Target Man got home, I was feeling so itchy that I was starting to really stress about whether the baby was okay. At about 8:30, I finally decided I would feel better if I at least called my doctor and went to the hospital. So, we headed out and got there about 9. Being able to hear her heartbeat strong and steady was really reassuring. They took blood for labs, even though the test that really matters for ICP, bile acids, takes at least 3 days to get back. My regular liver function tests were still within normal and since the baby was tracing well (even with the regular contractions I was having), they decided to send me home. We got home around midnight (thank you to Emily who stayed with the boys) and at some point I was able to sleep.

Monday, was beautiful. Target Man was having a "Team Building" day for work-snow tubing and dinner-so he didn't leave home until about 1. We were able to play outside in the sunshine and take this "beautiful" 37 week pregnant picture of me.





Tuesday, Target Man's normal day off, we woke up to about 5 inches of snow. So, we bundled up the boys, and took them out to play. I started feeling really dizzy, so ended up just sitting down with Target Baby who wasn't really enjoying the snow anyway. Later, I went to my doctor's appointment and NST. In the waiting room, I started feeling so lightheaded, I almost called out to the receptionist people, but then the nurse came. I felt so off, icky, gross, etc. Turns out that my blood pressure was really high (for me), somewhere between 130-140 over 80, when its normally 110/60. The baby's heart rate sounded great, but it wasn't as variable as it normally was. Usually, with the NST, she had done everything she was supposed to in the first 5 minutes of being hooked up, even though we had to stay hooked up for 20 min regardless. This time they watched her for about 45 min. My doctor was in and out, and finally said, we should go ahead and schedule an induction for the following week, the 11th. Then they found my bile acid test results from Sunday and since they had gone up, he said he would feel more comfortable if we went in the next day, the 4th. So, we got everything set up, the nurse made sure I was okay to drive myself home, since I was still really dizzy and flushed, and I started making phone calls.

Target Man thought it was great timing, since he hadn't really worked that week and was ready for more "vacation". His parent's, in North Carolina, hopped in their RV and came up to watch the boys. My mom, dad, and cousin (who is staying with them for a couple months) drove the 2 1/2 hours down, so mom could be with us at the hospital. We cleaned the house as best we could, and actually packed a suitcase for the hospital. We ended up going grocery shopping too, cause I had already made my list and organized my coupons for the week.

Wednesday morning, we left for the hospital and got all signed in and set up by 8:30. The following is the rest of the day, broken down by my sister from the reports were were giving her:

Well Target Widow went into the hospital today to have her baby
#3. The docs say it is a girl but I am still saying it is a boy so we
will see. I am calling her every few hours to keep up to date and
see what is going on and the verdict is pretty much nothing. By the
way, Target Widow is planning on having this one OLE NATURAL!!!
8:45AM the Pitosin is started
1:15 PM the docs broke her water and said that there wasn't very much
water. She is still talking to me on the phone very calmly so it can not
be too intense. My job is to keep everyone posted on the baby delivery.
1:43 PM They just upped the Pitosin to 16. Mom is teasing Target Widow by eating one of her favorite cookies, EL Fudge, right in front of her very gluttonously.
3:15 PM the Pitosin as now going in at 20 units per hour???? I am not
quite sure but she is at 20. Mom says she still looks way to happy to be
having a baby and she is still smiling way too much. Target Man just snored through 2 whole Home Improvement episodes. Mom and Target Man took a cafeteria break.
4:13 PM She is now dilated to a 6 and her face is a little less happy. (They say that is a good thing)
4:24 PM the nurse now has the baby tray all sitting out and ready. There is a little baby blanket all waiting and ready for her to pop the baby out
already. Target Man is eating stinky peanuts. Target Widow is a little pale but still way too happy.
4:34 PM Target Widow stood up to go potty and all the fluid that
had not come out earlier just came out as she stood up to use the
bathroom. So now she knows what it would feel like to have her
water break for real.
5:26 PM Nothing is happening but Target Man has almost eaten
all of the sunchips.
5:43 PM Still at 6 stretchy, -2, 80% effaced need more water to come
out so the baby will drop more. Pit has been upped to 22!!! The
doctor wants her to have it by 8 so he can go to bed and the nurse says
she has to have it by 11 because that is when she goes home. Direct Target Widow Quote: GET IT OUT! Dad is going home, he gave up.
6:41 PM Dilated to 7.5. She is at -1. Is in a lot of pain and asked for an
epidural. During three or four of the contractions Target Widow said, "This has got to stop!" They gave her Staydol for the pain.
6:48 PM Too late for the epidural... we are going all natural!
6:54 PM I am on speakerphone unpronounced to Target Widow and I
hear lots of screaming
6:56 PM Break in contraction... Target Widow Asks "Is it out yet!?" "Is it out yet!!!
6:57 PM Baby is not out yet... Target Widow screams some more... Mom
tells her she is doing a good job!
6:59 PM Nurse and then Doctor announce "It is a girl"... and it is out! Target Man cut the cord!
7:00 PM Target Widow says, "It's 7 o'clock!" and mom says she is
crying!



7:25PM Baby has a name. She is 6lbs and 11ounces and 20 inches long
making her Target Widow's longest baby!



8:15 Target Baby and Target Boy visit their new sister for the first time. Target Boy didn't like the hospital. He started crying and saying that he just wants mom to come home now. He didn't like mom being in the bed and he didn't like the IV. Target Baby wanted to know how the bed worked, what was under the bed, what was in every drawer. Target Widow showed Target Baby the baby's feet and he said Tickle Tickle. Target Boy tried to sing a song to the baby, but she kept crying and he was done.


9:24 I am on the phone and I hear the baby crying in the background.
9:26 Baby Girl is in the warming tray preparing to take her first
bath. Target Man is really tired. So is Grandmommy but Target Widow won't let her go home.
9:32 Target Widow has her first shower as a mother of three!
9:34 Baby's doctor is here for a visit. Baby Girl is fine. She is a strong, healthy happy baby with no issues whatsoever. She was asleep for most of the appointment.
11:00ish Grandmommy finally gets to go home.



Wednesday from the time they started pitosin, till about 6:30 was really boring. I was having contractions, but they didn't start bothering me until probably about 5:30. I just didn't really want to talk through them anymore. But at 6:30, I decided I was done with the pain. I was shaking and it was bad. I asked for the epidural and then waiting for the anesthesiologist, kept telling myself I was really stupid for ever wanting to do this without drugs. By 6:59, Baby Girl was born. I still thought I was stupid for subjecting myself to that kind of pain on purpose, but was really proud of myself for doing it, especially with that much pitosin. I felt so much more in control. I was laying on my side, and the nurse wanted me to scoot up so they could drop the table down, and she made the mistake of phrasing it as a question. I said, "NO". They also didn't tell me when to push, there was no counting, I was completely in control. Pushing, thankfully, has always been short for me (12 minutes being the longest), but this was the fastest and I think being in control of the process made it worth not getting the epidural.

I am so thankful she is here and healthy. She is of course beautiful, but even better than that, she is calm. After Target Baby, Target Man and I really needed a healthy calm infant. I think having her here and only dealing with spit up/mild reflux, has made me appreciate how strong Target Man and I are. Target Baby's beginning (and middle) was not easy. I am so thankful, that at the nearly three week mark, she is peaceful and easy. We just pray that it stays this way, and for her sake, and ours, that she doesn't have to deal with the issues Target Baby did.