Gray's Birth Story (Not for the faint of heart)

My due date of April 21, 2010 came and went... And to avoid the comments of "You're still here?" and "When is that baby going to get here?" I chose April 20, 2010 as my last day of work. It seemed as though all I could do was wait, but I did try to keep myself busy by running errands - something I knew I would not be able to do for a while once the baby arrived. I felt good even in these last few days and took long walks each day in hopes of getting the baby to come out! It was so much fun to shock people when they asked when I was due by telling them "__ days ago!" But, all in all , I wanted my baby to be here to hold and see that he/she was okay and whether it was a he or a she.

At my 40 week appointment on April 22, I was 2-3cm and 80% effaced and Dr. Sebestyen estimated that the baby would be between 6.5 and 7 lbs. Although she was hopeful that I would go into labor on my own, we decided to be prepared and make a 41 week appointment just in case. And if I was still pregnant at 42 weeks, I would be induced. I did not want to be induced at all, so I continued the Evening Primrose Oil and Red Raspberry Leaf tea and went to see my acupuncturist on April 23 to help get labor going. I even made an acupuncture appointment for the afternoon of April 27... but it turned out that I was occupied!

On the morning of April 27, 2010, I was woken up by a contraction at 3:37am. After being 6 days overdue, I was waiting anxiously for labor to begin and hopeful for any sign that it was near. I laid in bed for an hour to see if the contractions would continue and when they seemed to be regular contractions, I let Kevin know that I believed I was in the early stages of labor. I then got up to eat something and drink some water to give me energy since I was not able to go back to sleep. Shortly after that, I decided to take a bath to relax and clean up since I anticipated it being a long day.

During this time, Kevin had to call and let my brother, Joel, know that he would not be coming in to work without alerting him to the fact that I was in labor. We did not want to get everyone excited in the case that it was false labor.

My contractions began to get stronger and closer together. At 10:00am, Kevin called my doctor's office to find out what to do next. So, I kissed the dogs goodbye as Kevin loaded up the car and we headed in for a labor check at 11:00am. Thankfully I did not have any contractions on the way to the doctor's oficce, which is about 5 minutes away. When we got there, Lisa said I was 4cm, 100% effaced and at a zero station. She wished us luck and sent us across the street to NAMC to be admitted into Labor and Delivery.

At this time, Kevin called my parents to see if they could meet us for lunch at NAMC, his subtle way of letting them know "IT'S TIME!" We got checked in around 12:00pm and they began monitoring me and started an IV of antibiotics because I was Group B Strep positive. I did my best to move around as much as possible, by walking, swaying and sitting on the birthing ball, toilet and in the bed. Whenever I got a contraction, Kevin would apply counter pressure to my lower back to help with the back labor I was experiencing, even getting in the bed with me at one point to reach my back. When a contraction would come, I moaned to cope with the pain - something I never thought I would do!

Just before 4:00pm, I told Kevin I didn't think I could do it, which made us both concerned that it might still be early on and I was having a diffcult time managing the pain. So Kevin asked that I be checked and I was 9cm dialated! They started another round of antibiotics at this time, but I was thrilled to know that our little one would be coming soon.

Shortly after, my parents brought dinner for Kevin to eat and because of my back labor and needing him to apply couter pressure to it, he had to eat between contractions. Plus, I did not want to smell it at all in fear of getting nauseous, so he had to eat it by the door, on the other side of the curtain. Poor guy, he was such a good sport and a wonderful labor coach throughout.

Dr. Sebestyen had me begin grunting/slightly pushing through contractions to try to get the last lip of my cervix out of the way. I then began to push on the squatting bar and my water broke, but there was still a little bit left that Dr. Sebestyen had to break. After trying the squatting bar for several hours, she determined that Gray was turned face up instead of face down like she was supposed to be, which explained the back labor and slow pushing progress. So, Dr. Sebestyen had me turn on to my side to push in hopes that Gray would turn, which she did.

I was beyond tired and began to feel as though I could not continue pushing for much longer. Dr. Sebestyen said they could do a vacuum assisted delivery and Kevin and I discussed this option, deciding to wait it out. Then, after Dr. Sebestyen checked me again to determine Gray's position, she said that she was close and I could do it, so she pulled the mirror over for motivation so that I could see Gray coming out. I could see more of her head/hair with each contraction, but between contractions she would go back in a little.

They began an IV of fluids at this time because I was dehydrated and put an oxygen mask on me because Gray's heart rate was dropping slightly during my contractions. Dr. Sebestyen gave me a shot of local anesthetic because she said she might have to do an episiotomy to get Gray out quickly. It turns out I did not need an episiotomy and didn't even tear, but finally after over 4 hours of pushing, Gray was born at 8:45pm on April 27, 2010.

Dr. Sebestyen pulled Gray out and placed her on my chest. As she did this I exclaimed "It's a GIRL!" Then Gray had a BM all over me and they were so busy trying to get me cleaned up that nobody else had seen if she was in fact a girl. So I began to ask, "It's a Girl, right?" and finally they were able to confirm that she was indeed a girl. The nurses took her to be weighed and measured and brought her back to me. She had dark hair and dark brown eyes and weighed 6lbs 12oz and measured 20.75in in length.

When they asked for her name we told them Gray Elizabeth. Gray for Kevin's Grandpa Gray and Elizabeth for both of my Grandmothers. She was alert from birth with her eyes wide open. My mom and dad were in the room for most of my labor, but my dad waited in the waiting room with Joel while I was pushing. Once Gray was born, my mom called my dad and Joel to tell them she was here and that she was a girl. Kevin then called both his parents and his brother, Drew, to tell them the news.

Then, after getting cleaned up, they brought Gray to me to breastfeed and she took to it right away. My dad and Joel then came in to meet her and while they held Gray, I really needed to use the restroom (because of the IV of fluids). The nurse commented that she had never had a mother ready to go before their baby. After going to the restroom, Gray headed to the nursery with Kevin and I headed to my Postpartum room to get settled in where they later joined me.

Gray's visitors the night she was born were my mom and dad, Joel, Janica, Drew, Randi and Kael. I was on such a high that I was walking around and even changed Gray into her own clothes (with Janica's help) before going to "sleep" around 3:00am. We had several visitors the next day including, my mom and dad, Joel, Drew, Randi, Kael, Sameh, Cathy, Chris, Grandma Hatch, Aunt Dolly, Cyrece, Heather, Rosa, Kelly, Shana, Liza, Julie and Kristen. And my mom stayed with me both nights in the hospital so that Kevin could take care of the dogs and get some much needed rest at home.

Dr. Campaigne came to check on me the morning after Gray was born and Kathy came on the day we checked out. Dr. Nguyen was the pediatrician that came to see Gray both mornings and said she was perfect and had "great bowel sounds." We had a wonderful Labor & Delivery nurse named Halana and our favorite Postpartum nurse was Bethanny - they both made it a great experience. Gray passed her hearing test and had her pictures taken the day after she was born. When her weight was checked the night before we left the hospital, she had only lost 6oz, 5% of her weight, which was good. At the same time they checked her Bilirubin level, which was thankfully "low risk."

I am so glad that Gray was born naturally and peacefully without any interventions. Even though it was a long, exhausting labor, I would not have changed a thing and we could not be happier with the end result!

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