Monday, December 26, 2011

Annabel's Arrival

I went to work on Thursday, December 22nd with some contractions that were feeling pretty bad. Since I was sent home about 2 weeks earlier from the hospital I wanted to be 100% sure that if I went there the doctor wouldn't send me home.

The doctor told me that I needed to have 6 contractions an hour and needed to be dilating for him to do the c-section.

Around 9am at work I realized that I probably should write down the times for my contractions because it seemed like I was having a lot.

Between 9am-10am I had 12. Then between 10am-11am I had another 12.

I called my doctor at noon, they told me to go to the L&D for monitoring and my co-worker/friend drove me to the hospital in my car. I told her to just drop me off because I didn't want her missing work, plus we were getting out of work at 2pm so I asked to her swing by then to see if I was going home or staying.

I was hooked up to the monitors and the nurse checked me. I was still 1 centimeter dilated! I told her when she called the doctor to remind him I never dilated past like a 1 1/2 last time.

Then the nurse realized I was having contractions every 2 minutes.

After an hour she checked me, still 1 centimeter. I again told her to remind the doctor that my cervix hates me.

I waited....and waited....and then it was 2pm and my friend came to sit with me. The doctor said he wanted to wrap things up at his office quickly and then he'd be there to see me. So I started to get excited, but not too excited, because I still was thinking he might send me home.

So I called Josh and he called his work to let them know he may either be late or not in at all.

Finally at 4pm my doctor comes, checks me and gives me my two options.

#1: Have the c-section now. He warns me that according to his calculations I'm only 36 weeks and 4 days so Annabel will be considered premature. He tells me that the NICU nurses will be there in the operating room in case she has breathing issues and that there's a possibility we wouldn't be realised from the hospital for like 4 or 5 days.

#2: I can go home, continue to contract and come into the office next week when I'm considered term to see what we want to do. BUT this option he tells me I have a risk of uterine rupture since I had a c-section last time.

Ummm..was option #2 even a real option with the whole "uterine rupture" risk????

So I picked option #1! Then he tells me he's doing it in an hour!! In rush hour traffic we live and hour away. Josh called my aunt and she was out running errands and wouldn't be at our house for almost an hour! So I sent my friend to my house to watch Annika so Josh could come and then my aunt would take over once she was ready.

Then I had to stall everything. I answered questions slowly. I asked to pee. I was a brat during my IV. Then I started reminding everyone that my husband was racing to get her in rush hour traffic!! Please tell the doctor we have to wait for him.

Luckily there was so much information they needed from me to enter in the system that it took a while. Josh ran in just as they were having me walk into the OR!

I had a spinal again which wasn't bad at all. When they laid me back though I felt like not only my lower body was going numb but that my brain was too! So I semi-freaked out and the anesthesiologist told me it was normal and then started talking to me about Annika to take my mind off of everything.

Then the doctor came in and was telling me how he was going to cut my old scar completely out since it didn't heal well last time. So I yelled over the curtain "please no staples this time!!" Thank goodness he agreed and I have the glue closing my incision this time, I really hated the staples.

Josh came in then and took my picture. It was the first time we had even seen each other since the previous afternoon when I picked up Annika from his work.



Everything happened so quickly and I heard them say it was a beautiful baby girl and that she had RED HAIR!!



Josh ran over to see her and quickly came back to tell me that she looked like a miniature twin of Annika!



Then we heard her weight and for someone who was only supposed to be 36 weeks and 4 days she was pretty healthy:



Annabel Alicia arrived at 6:03pm weighing in at 7 pounds 3 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long!

I got to finally meet her:



Daddy got to give her kisses:



Annabel posed just like her sister, I have to find the picture of Annika because they look so much alike:



Friday morning Josh brought in Annika to meet her sister. At first she wanted to just see me and didn't even realize there was a baby in the room. Then she pointed out the "baby" and we told her it was her sister and then she sat on my bed with me and ate half my lunch totally ignoring Annabel.

But she did give her a kiss:



Saturday morning on Christmas Eve Josh's original plan was to come in the late afternoon since they said they might allow us to go home around 6pm. I got really upset over breastfeeding (again, it's just not for me so we're doing formula again) and that I was spending Christmas Eve alone in the hospital without any family. I could hear visitors for other rooms coming and going all morning. So Josh woke up early and came with Annika.

My doctor came in and agreed to discharge me since I was doing so well. Then Annabel's doctor came in while Josh and Annika were there and said she could go home too!

So by noon on Saturday we were all home together for Christmas Eve.

6 comments:

  1. Oh my, they do look so much alike how cute!! Congratulations again, she is so sweet.

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  2. Wow, imagine if you had gone full term! She would have been 10 pounds! She looks beautiful and healthy, and I'm so glad everything worked out. What a beautiful little girl.

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  3. Wow! She was ready to meet you guys! I can't believe how much she looks like Annika! So cute!!! :)

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  4. Aww, congratulations again!! What a beautiful family!! Connor was born at 36w 4d and weighed 7lb 4oz. I guess we just grow big babies!

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  5. Super congrats!! I hate when doctors use scare tactics with patients. The chances of uterine rupture after having a C-Section with a low transverse incision (which is what you probably had) is the same is if you haven't had a C-Section at all. The only way you have an increased risk is if you have a classical (aka vertical) incision. I do agree with having a C-Section if you're contracting away with no change in cervix and a history of significant failure to progress, but there was no reason to scare you into it, really. Doctors can be such bullies. *sigh* Anyways, the point is she's here and she's healthy and that's what matters. :-)

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  6. I am so excited I found your new blog! I have been wondering about you and weather you had her yet! Congratulations she is adorable!!!! Now I'm off to read the rest of your updates :)

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