Audrey Beth

Audrey Beth
May 14th, 2012, 7:05 pm
8 lb. 12 oz., 20 1/2 in.

Isn't she just beautiful? There are no words to describe the depth of my love for this little girl.

Audrey's birth story...

My due date of May 7th came and went. I didn't necessarily expect to deliver before my due date, but I will admit that every day afterward felt like an eternity. I had done some serious nesting in the weeks prior, had childcare for every possible scenario lined up, and had not made any extra commitments for the week after my due date, so all that was left to do was wait.

My doctor and I had decided that we would give this baby an extra week to come on his/her own before we would induce. If it weren't for the fact that I had had three very large babies (and consequently, very difficult recoveries), we would have taken even more time, but given my history, I was very much on board with my doctor's recommendation of induction at 41 weeks. However, I really didn't expect or want it to come to that.

My mom and Steve's mom arrived on Saturday, the 12th, but still no baby. On Mother's Day, the 13th, I had yet another (at least the third) episode of steady and increasingly uncomfortable contractions that led me to believe I was in labor. I really thought that was it, and that I would avoid induction by just hours. But no, after a couple of hours the contractions dwindled, and Steve and I headed to the hospital at 6am the following morning. I was disappointed it had come to an induction, but also very anxious to meet our baby!

I'll say here that this birth surprised me in several ways. First, I really thought that, given I was at 41 weeks with my fourth child (as opposed to my first), it wouldn't take much for my body to kick into labor. Wrong! I was started on the lowest level of pitocin (at "2) around 7am. I expected this level - or maybe just a level or two higher - to do the trick, but it didn't do a ton. I was having contractions, just not as intense as they needed to be. So, every half hour or so, they increased the pitocin - and I ended up having to go to the MAXIMUM ("20") level they use. I was at that level by 4:45 or so, and stayed at that level until my dr. checked me (again) at 5:45.

So it was a long day, but I had Steve and my friend (and doula) Julie to help distract me. I rotated mainly between standing/rocking, the exercise ball, and the rocking chair, and I didn't really start getting uncomfortable until 2:00 or 3:00. Even then, the contractions were manageable.

Going into the hospital that morning, I was hoping to be able to make it through without an epidural. (I've had epidurals with all three of the others, though with Evan, I didn't get it until I was already nearly fully dilated, so I knew I could do it). However, once I realized how high the pitocin was, I decided to go ahead with the epidural. I knew from past experience that once the doctor broke my water, my pain level would skyrocket, and since pitocin increases the pain/intensity of contractions (and I was on the maximum level, which I've never experienced before), I knew it would be wise to go ahead with it. My only regret now is that I didn't insist on getting it BEFORE she broke my water!

At 5:45, my doctor checked me and I was at 5cm, and baby was FINALLY low enough that she felt comfortable breaking my water. Here's where everything went kind of crazy. After she broke my water, I went immediately from 5cm to 7cm. And as expected, my pain went from about a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 to about a 20. It was instantaneous and awful. But I think Steve and Julie would confirm that I handled it well. I just kept breathing and focusing on the fact that every contraction was bringing my baby down. But wow, it was hard. Meanwhile, the nurses were prepping me for the epidural and the anesthesiologist came in and gave me the run-down on risks, etc.....it was an exruciating 45 minutes before the epidural was done. From about 6:30-6:45, the epidural starting kicking in, and when my doctor checked me at 6:50, I was fully dilated! She told me the baby was right there and it was time to start pushing. And here was another surprise....with the first three babies, I never pushed for less than and hour and a half. Even with Jayna and Evan, it took way more pushing than it does for most people. This time - just 15 minutes! Even through the epidural, I could feel a ton of pressure and where the baby was, and I was just shocked that the baby was moving down so quickly! Everyone in the room was so encouraging, and at 7:05, I gave one final push, and out came....a GIRL!! I can't describe my joy in that moment of meeting her, just as with meeting each of our other kids. They laid her on my stomach right away, and I just cried and couldn't take my eyes off her. I was vaguely aware of things going on around me, but all I could do was take her in and hold on tight. I wish I could live those first minutes over again.

The final (and very welcome) surprise was that my tearing had been minimal...much less than with my other kids. My recovery with my other kids was really, really hard, so I had been anxious about how it would be this time around. I was so thankful when my dr. told me I only needed a few stitches. This may have been due to the fact that Audrey was "only" 8lb. 12 oz. - our smallest baby.

Overall, I am so happy with how the birth went. Steve was an amazing support, Julie was fabulous as always, I loved my doctor (that day and throughout my whole care), and the nurses were great, too. I am thankful for each of them.

I know it is partly post-partum hormones, but just looking at this girl makes me cry. I am just so thankful for four healthy babies, four beautiful births. God has been so good to us. I will admit that I am having a very hard time with the fact that this is our last....but more on that later.

Audrey, you will read this one day. Know this: you are loved. From the very moment you came into this world, your daddy and I loved you deeply and intensely. It is my joy and honor to be your mother, and I will always, always be here for you.