Did you miss me?
WHAT? You did not even know I was gone!?
WHAT? I have been slacking for SO LONG that you forgot I even existed... well... sorry.
So I am back (for now)...
I have had a few people wondering WHAT THE HECK was going on with my whole "BIRTH STORY" because if you follow me on Face Book; you would be wondering the same... so here goes... be prepared this will be LONG!!! AND it will also be truthful, so reader beware... WARNING ADULT CONTENT! LOL!
So... Thursday March 7th 2013 at 1:40 pm my water broke. YES I remember the date and time because I was getting my son into the car to go and get Hailey from school. I opened the front car door and put in my purse and coupons (I was planning on going grocery shopping at Win Co and Costco, and OBVIOUSLY that never happened)... So I open the car door for Landon to get in and I feel IT... I feel the sensation like "Oh Crap... Did I just pee...?" (back me up mommas that have been pregnant) I thought for a split second that I just needed to hit up the potty; but as I buckled my son up, and ran back into the house to go "potty" I knew that it was not just me not doing enough kegeles... my water had in fact broke.
SO, I grab a towel for my seat and head to school to get sweet Hailey. On my way I called my husband to let him know WHAT JUST HAPPENED. I think he thought I was kidding, because he asked me if I was... "YES, I find joy in calling my husband at work telling him my water broke over a month before the baby is due!" ha ha! So he calls our "babysitters for when the baby comes" to see if they are available to help. Mommy Kresta and Daddy James were the GO TO couple that Hailey and Landon agreed could watch them when Mommy goes to the hospital. Kresta was home so I ended up swinging by her house to pick her up and go home to pack the kids up to take back to her house...
So we get home and we are packing up the kids. I am calm, I am just thinking... the kids are watching; let's not be too crazy about anything. Contractions had not started hurting yet so I was able to keep it together. Kresta told me she could pack them up if I wanted to sit down... it was sweet of her, but I was better off doing something then sitting there doing nothing. I explained to Hailey and Landon what was going on and that I would see them soon and come home with the baby to snuggle and love!!
Matt calls our parents to let them know what is going on... I call my mom and she prepares to come down to be with the kids the next day. Matt takes the kids back over with Kresta to her house and I stay home to pack my bag. I have NEVER had my bag packed in time... (maybe I need to think about that in the future...) Matt returns and makes a comment about how calm I am being. I tell him I think the reason I am being so calm is that I am worried because this is TOO soon for my water to break!
SO we get packed up, and we head to the hospital. I tell him to make a DETOUR to Subway because I am worried they won't let me eat when I get there. Then we do another detour to the gas station because the gas light came on... back on track we make it to the hospital entrance. My hospital has Valet parking on weekdays between the hours of like 7am-4pm. We decide we might as well take advantage of it; we got there around 3 p.m. Matt pulls up to the front and I am finishing my Subway Sandwich... just enjoying what I thought would be my last meal as a mother of two. I noticed there are quite a few people waiting at the Valet area, Matt opens my door after getting everything else out, and helps me out of the car. Apparently being in a sitting position for more that 5 minutes was not a good idea... being in that position that long did something because the second I stand up... GUUUUSSSSSSHHHHHH, YUP... there goes the rest of my water, all down my leg... and on the ground... I had just changed into some nice PJ bottoms at home!! So there are two nice black ladies sitting in front of me as I get out; as the gush happens I look straight at them and we all smile and begin to laugh... I say "I guess that is what I get for stopping to get Subway!" Matt grabs my towel and I wrap it around myself and start walking for the front desk. Luckily for me I look pregnant so these ladies were not hurting my feelings at all; we all knew exactly what happened and it was a good laugh release!! So these ladies start yelling at Matt "Hurry up daddy, momma is going to have a baby!" and I am just laughing and leaking all the way to the hospital doors. AND of course I had not registered at the hospital yet... SO luckily they let Matt stay and do that as they wheel me to the Labor and Delivery Triage Area.
I am admitted because OBVIOUSLY my water broke, and we are just waiting to see what is going to happen in the triage area. They check me and I am 1.5 cm (which is NOTHING) and the baby is head down ready to come, but not low at all. After about an hour they take me to my own private Labor & Delivery Room where Matt and I just chill until we get to see the first Dr. on call. They ask us if we want to order dinner and of course I tell them I would. I am a little worried that they are so quick to let me eat, but food sounds SO good to me, I just could not resist. And can I just say that the Hospital food was AMAZING!!
SO we both order our dinner and enjoy it. We also start playing with the TV in the room. (They have movies on Demand, a few cable channels and Internet access... I really do love the hospital I was at!) Later on that night the Dr. on call comes in and we talk about our situation. She let's me know what babies born this early will be fine, but will need help in the NICU. She said she really wanted me to rest and relax because they wanted the baby to get to at least 35 weeks. (that would be Sunday; day 4 at the hospital) I was shocked thinking like most people that I needed to get the baby out within 24 hours because my water broke. When I had Hailey; my water broke at 37.5 weeks and they told me the baby would be born within 24 hours; so I thought it would be the same story here... I guess not.
Because I was not considered "full term" (37 weeks = Full Term) they did not want the baby to come. As long as I rest and relax, and drink fluids to keep my amniotic sac replenishing the baby would and could be in there for MONTHS! I had NO idea about this! I was also told that 50% of women who's water breaks go into labor within 24 hours; the remaining 75% would go into labor within 72 hours, and almost all women have the baby within a week of water breaking. I am not going to lie, I started stressing out!! It became a "wait and see what happens game". My bishop was on splits with the missionaries and he came to visit Matt and I at the hospital. He and Matt gave me a blessing and it really helped me calm my fears. I slept OK the first night, I was kinda in shock wondering what my fate was going to be. I was just trying to figure everything out and see how long I would be there.
The next day I was moved into a new room; I like to call this room "the dungeon". They have been doing construction on this hospital expanding it for a while now. My first room was next to triage on the 1st floor. It was the updated part to the hospital and had a nice window view of scaffolding I was moved to Labor and Delivery on the 2nd floor, and this room did not have a window. Well it HAD a window, but it was completely covered so I never knew what time of day it was! I was in that room TOO long!! It was however in this room that I was given showering privileges! Once you are 35 weeks you are allowed to shower on your own. Before that, a nurse has to shower you down, so I was thankful that I got to do things on my own! I had lots of visitors come and see me in that room and I had fun nurses come and take good care of me too! It was also in this room that my first IV started leaking... I was on antibiotics from day one just in case the baby or I got an infection, so I needed the IV's to work. I hated the IV's it was such a hassle to shower, or go to the bathroom with it... ugh! Anyways, it was like 4 am when it started leaking and there were not many nurses on call. My nurse wanted to get someone else that was good at putting IV's in to help fix our little problem... after this nurse stabbed me twice and I started bawling they decided they better get the on call anesthesiologist to do the IV. He used a butterfly needle and got it in on the first try. I had been so strong in front of Matt and the nurses up to this point... I just lost it with the stabbing IV needles. (that is the WORST part for me; I HATE IV's)
Anyways... after a few days they moved me into a room on the same floor with a window view because I think my nurse knew I was ready to really loose it. Every time a baby is born they have a lullaby play in the hallway, and I could hear that lullaby in my room. I started crying because one day I heard it 7 times in just a few hours and I was convinced I would be in that room pregnant for the rest of my life!!
So the room with the window view was WONDERFUL! I did not realize how depressed I was beginning to get because of my crappy surroundings! Having the window gave me the ability to know what time of day it was. I remember enjoying my lunch and looking out the window and seeing the mountains in the distance wishing I could be outside... yeah; did I mention that I was not allowed to leave my room... it was bad. So I had more visitors come. I was lucky that friends came to see me and lift my spirits! I would sit and talk with them for hours and not even realize it! They also brought me treats that really helped too!! My mom was able to come and visit when I was in that room and I had my "Ahhahhh Moment". This is when I realized I could be in this hospital for another possible 2 weeks on bed rest. They told me everyday that the longer she was inside me, the stronger and better chance she had at not needing NICU assistance at birth. I would pray every night and ask for her to come when she was ready. I got the calming feeling that she would come when she was ready and she would be fine. I was getting frustrated because people were making comments about how I should have been induced from the first day. It sure sounded nice for me to not have to be in the hospital for what seamed like forever; but I would tell myself that I was willing to do whatever it took for a healthy happy baby! I hit my week mark in this room. Everyday I would wake up; eat my breakfast; have the High Risk Dr. come in and check how I was doing, take a LONG shower and CRY away! I really started to miss my kids at about the 3rd day. (it was flu season so they were not allowed to come where I was) I hit my point of just being frustrated that things were not happening for me. I remember Wednesday night I was beginning to have some regular contractions, and I got a little excited about possibly having the baby within the "week prediction". When the nurse checked me and I was still at 1.5 cm I just cried and knew I was there for the long haul. It was in this room that my IV slid out of my vein and started leaking the antibiotics right under my skin... yep... I had HULK hands... it hurt SO bad... I really started hating IV's at this point!! So YET again I got another IV poke. If you count the pokes just from IV's that would be #5...AHHHHHHHH!!!
So on my week anniversary they moved me upstairs to the 5th floor in the postpartum area. (They moved me and 2 other girls that were in similar situations as me. Only these girls water broke at 32 weeks, which put them on real legit bed rest.) They moved us because they were running out of L&D rooms having three "PROM Patients" (Premature Rupture of Membranes) This part of the hospital was very nice like the 1st floor area. New and nice... the only problem was that now every once and a while I would hear an actual baby cry... that really sucked!! So I chilled in that room for a few more days... more friends came to visit and bring me treats; my neighbor even stopped by with some magazines and a good chat!! On my week stay they wanted to run blood work to check for possibly signs of infection... yep another poke... no big deal right! AHHHHHH!!! Then on Friday I got a male nurse who I LOVED and he removed my IV because I did not need the antibiotics anymore. He said I would be more comfortable without it; and I agreed with him! I did not hesitate to allow him to take it out! He did let me know that when I went into labor they would need to re-insert an IV. I was fine with that because I was convinced I would be there for a while longer... HOWEVER It was that night that it all started...
So it is Friday. Day 8 at the hospital. I have been sitting in a chair or in a bed for 8 days! I promise you it was no vacation. My back hurt; my butt hurt; and I was just DONE being pregnant and having to get out of bed! I learned how to move around the tummy monitors for the baby's heartbeat, and for my contractions. I was a PRO! I could find the baby faster than most of the nurses! By this time I had these cool massage boots on my feet helping circulate blood so I did not get any clots... It was a HUGE ordeal to get up and do anything!! ANYWAYS...
That night I just started to feel sick. My stomach felt like it was going to throw up and I was worried that I may have eaten something that made me feel bad. The hospital food was great, so I was trying to figure out what it could have been. First, I tried going to the bathroom and when that did not help I got into bed and tried to lay as flat as possible. My tummy ache did not go away; but contractions sure started coming more regularly... around 10 p.m. the nurse came in to adjust the monitors on my tummy because she noticed how regular these contractions were getting. I started feeling them real good around 11. The time is all a blur to me, but I remember vividly what was happening...
The nurse came in and checked me. She did not tell me where I was at; she just told me that we were going to head down to Labor & Delivery. HOWEVER, I needed and IV and to get onto a different bed before we could go there. I remember the nurse putting the breathing mask on my face. She told me I needed to take deep breaths and calm down. I know I was not screaming or anything, but I did notice with the contractions I was tensing up and grabbing the handles of the bed. I knew this meant business because this is what I did with Landon near the end... we got the IV in, and I was on the new bed headed down... the nurses usually would take you to the second floor and then over to the triage area and down another elevator. Apparently we were in a rush because they took me to the first floor and ran me through the lobby area. I remember the nurse saying they would get in trouble for doing it, but Matt and I said we would not tell anyone! So I make it back to my original room!! Every little bump on the floor brought another tear to my eye... I was convinced I was like a 7 because I was in PAIN!! With every contraction I would push my leg against the bed rubbing it up and down to help fight the pain I was in... it helped a little bit... I had no pain medication at this time. I also remember when I was upstairs telling the nurse as she put in the new IV that I felt like this was going to happen fast, and I did not want to miss my window for getting my epidural I also remember hearing Matt talking on the phone and telling him to "SHUT UP"... I tend to tell him this when I get real uncomfortable. Apparently something about his voice when I am in labor REALLY sets me off!
So we get into the room, I have to move onto the other bed, and I am just about dead. They check me and the new nurse (Sarah was her name) tells me I am a 9. I begin to cry! I wanted to die! They ask me if I think I still need the epidural and tears running down my face I tell them I NEED it; but I don't think I used very nice words when I said it... Matt was in the room while they did it, I don't remember it hurting I just remember tears running down my face as I tried to stay still... I laid down and could feel a little relief. The anesthesiologist let me know I would not get full relief, and this scared me a little bit. They checked me again and I was a 10. I felt the need to push and they said I could push; but the Dr. was 10 minutes away. So I decided that the epidural was taking over, and I wanted that to happen. So I resisted pushing to get the pain factor under control. Dr. Brown arrived and put on the gear needed; and told me to push when I was ready. I remember telling him I was so happy he was there. I had another contraction and I pushed 5-6 times and little Kylie was HERE!! I told myself right before I began to push that the harder I pushed the quicker this would all be over... and it worked for me!!
She was placed on me and I just remember thinking "This is all so fast, I am not ready for number three yet!" Then looking into her eyes and just knew that she was meant to be here! They needed to check her so I only held her for a short time. They were working on her and Matt was with her; I just laid there hoping she would be fine and not need to go to the NICU. And Guess What!? Miracles do happen! She was born at 35.6 days and was fine! She was 5 lb. 8 oz. 18 inches long as was born at 1:46 a.m. She was able to go to postpartum with us that early morning and stayed with us the whole time! Today she is two weeks old!~
She was able to breastfeed, passed all her newborn tests, and we were released to go home Sunday around 5 p.m.
She was lucky because she was able to meet ALL her grandparents on her birthday! My dad and brother had planned on coming to visit for the weekend before we even knew she would come! I talked with my dad for a good while on Friday about everything going on; and I get the feeling Kylie wanted to make sure she was able to meet everyone that weekend! Matt's Parents also decided to come and visit that day. It was very special for this little girl to be surrounded by her family on her special day!
I am thankful to have a healthy little girl! I would never wish this kind of delivery on anyone, but I would do it again for anyone of my kids! All my birth experiences have been bad; lets face it: giving birth is never easy. But the next time I hear someone try to tell me they had the worst birth story ever I plan on laughing and walking away! Unless you were on bed rest for 8 over days with constant contractions, leaking amniotic fluid, and then not getting any pain medication until you hit 9 cm... I don't want to hear it!
My 10 day stay at the Hospital was NO Vacation... but it was worth it!!
Kylie Bird
ONE DAY OLD ~ Hospital Pictures
Just Born...
Snuggle time with Mommy!
Gotta Snuggle with Daddy too!
See how small I am... in regular size car seat...
Daddy with his THREE kids!!
