Through this whole pregnancy I was worn out. I didn't feel horrible. I participated in our Stakes Trek. Did the whole 25.6 miles, we went on vacations and kept up with regular life. I just felt "done" from the beginning. I also felt very uneasy and knew the only way to calm me was to have her in my arms. But she had other plans...
Bode was induced and both Laine and Piper came in the 38 week. I had really thought that Finley would follow in the same pattern as her sisters. But 38 weeks passed, then 39 and then 40 weeks passed. No baby. I really did not want to be induced but every night I went to bed and then woke up pregnant it was like some cruel pregnant joke. My body just would not kick into labor. For about 2 weeks I had contractions every night for at least 2 hours. Not bad one but time-able ones. Once I would get up and move around they would go away. I was frustrated. So at my 40 week appointment I asked to be induced. The one thing I said I didn't want but I just couldn't handle it anymore.
So the office called me Monday night and told me that there would be a bed available on Wednesday. So I was able to firm up plans for where the kids needed to be, clean up the house and relax. The hospital called at 3:30 am on Wednesday morning. So we dropped Bode and Laine off at my friends house so she could get them off to school and we took Piper to Lee's house.
We got to the hospital at 4:30 and check into labor and delivery. I had talked with my doctor and she knew I wanted the least invasive induction possible. No pitocin. So I started with a pill that would help ripen the cervix and hopefully get things moving. I ended up taking a full dose of that which lasted about 4 hours. I brought on contractions but 2 hours into each dose they would weaken up. I was barely progressing at all.
So the next step was to have a gel inserted to do the same job but just closer to the action. I had to lay down for an hour. After that I got to be taken off all the wires and move around. The gel or the combination of the gel and pill did the trick. Soon I was having contractions every 8 min then 6 and 5 min. They were in my back then would wrap around to the front. Mostly I walked around my room and used the birthing ball to get through them. Jeremiah also put pressure on my back which felt really good. This was around 3:30-4:00
All during this I had a crappy nurse. She was more interested in what we were watching on tv then how I was doing. I also was having a hard time keeping the monitor on Finley. She was moving all over the place so they would loose the heart beat all the time. My nurse was really quite unaware of the fact that I was in full on labor and didn't care that during the contractions I wanted to be left alone. Seemed like she would always come in and try to adjust my band during contractions. And she was so not gentle about it. She finally told me I had to sit down. I told her no and that I just could not sit down during contractions. That made the 100 times worse! Luckily for me it was a shift change and I really lucked out with a fantastic nurse!
Once crappy nurse left and the new nurse came in, she took one look at me and asked me where my pain level was. For me, I don't make noise or moan during contractions. I just breath through them and tears just pour down my face. Can't control those at all. So I told her I was in a great deal of pain and was wanting an epidural. Stupid other nurse didn't even recognize that I was in labor... once again, won't say it enough, I am so happy I got a good nurse! I had always intended to labor as long as I could before I got the epidural and I was at that point by then. So the shift change was at 7. My new nurse came in by 7:15 and she got the epidural for me by 8:00 I was dilated to about a 7 by then. She also never left my room and helped me through that time. They broke my water at some point. Can't remember when but when they did it was like a flood. SO much water! Like my doctor and nurse couldn't believe how much fluid there was. That was one of the reasons that I wasn't progressing. She had so much fluid in there she couldn't engage, She was just having fun floating around.
The epidural always makes me nervous but this one ended up being the best one I've had. The other ones I had did the job and I didn't feel a thing. But really with all those I didn't feel a thing and was told to push. This one I couldn't feel anything but I still had all the pressure and could feel her moving through me and knew when contractions were coming, I liked that. After the epidural I thought I'd be able to rest but once they got me all settled and the heart monitor on her they noticed that right after contractions her heart would dip. During the day it had been steadily in the 130-140 range and after a contraction it would dip down to 90. After moving me to a different side, flushing a ton of fluid through my iv and eventually some oxygen in a mask she settled down. I was again grateful for my nurse who never left my room and was very reassuring through that. So rather than rest my eyes were glued to the little heart monitor.
Finally around 10;30 she checked to see what kind of progress I had made. She asked me to push just a little and right away laughed and said stop! She went and got the my doctor and they set up the room, One new thing that I experienced was shaking. It just couldn't stop. Jer was doing a good job of rubbing my arms and chest to ease that stress. It didn't even seem as though I pushed for very long. I remember looking at Jer as he was helping me through. It was a good encouraging look that he gave me. One more big long push and she was here. Dr Baldwin, our nurse Kristi and Jer commented as I was pushing that she had so much hair. I was like ok, sure she does. But when I finally looked down and they set her on me I was in shock! Lots of hair was right! A head full of the darkest thickest brown hair I have ever seen. She even had little dark eyebrows. They put her on me and she wasn't making noise. I felt a bit panky and I could tell Jer was feeling it too. It was only about 20 seconds but she let out a little wail. Coughed and gargled for a second and then just looked around.
I love that hospitals don't whisk the baby away anymore. I love the first moments of that sweet, slimy newborn on my chest. Such a strong bonding moment. I knew the second she was laid on my chest that little Finley Mae was here. Born December 3, 2014 at 10:55 pm. 8 pound 9 oz, 21 inches long. She was oh so hairy and covered in verenex. I was so relieved that she was here and I was no longer pregnant. Bitter sweet, my last baby.
After getting stitched up and cleaned up we went up to recovery. Jeremiah stayed with us. We all rested and got a tiny bit of sleep. He left in the morning to go take a nap, shower, and get the kids. My stay was a typical hospital stay. I got to soak up many hours with my sweet newborn. I love that time. Not anything to do but take care of the baby.
Jer and the kids came in the afternoon. They were all so excited to see her and me. They all got to hold her and I was really happy to see them. Felt good to be all together. We got discharged the next afternoon and were home by 2:00. We settled in my room. Piper was happy to have mom at home with the baby out as she put it. I loved Bode and Laine coming home after school. I heard them throw down school stuff and flat out run upstairs to my room to see us. No ones enthusiasm has died down yet, We love her to pieces. Everyone fights over who gets to hold her next and we still can't get over her beautiful hair.
