Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Alexandra Verity Pictum

I've been wanting to sit & write down Lexa's birth story. More for my reference than anything & I just haven't had the time. (I'd rather sit & snuggle my sweet newborn). But here I am at 5 am feeding her & so I guess I can just do it now!! 

Exactly a week ago- time & everything I was being prepped to meet my baby girl. After a long wait at the hospital. 

Last Tuesday morning- the 19th of May I had a routine doctors visit to check if I was dilated & whatnot. Before every visit at the doctors they check my blood pressure & weight gain- along with a urine sample. That morning I didn't feel all that great. I had a pretty bad headache but didn't think much about it. My blood pressure at the doctors office was 150/110. High. The girl that took my blood pressure was sure it wasn't right & said she'd manually take it after I saw the doctor. I was only dilated to a 1 & not effaced whatsoever. I was feeling really frustrated. After going thru pre-term labor & expecting my baby early it didn't seem like she had the same idea & was pretty comfortable. While I was sitting in the room my doctor came in & said my irons sample came back with high protein & my blood pressure was too high & he wanted me to head right to the hospital to get tests ran. Just to be safe. My blood pressure was taken again & it was exactly the same. Oddly enough even heading to the hospital I was extremely calm. I can remember trey asking if I was nervous & I kept telling him no. He said "we could be having a kid here in a few hours" & I wasn't freaking out at all. I was really calm & ready if that's what was going to happen. 

When we got to the hospital I asked trey to take a picture of me. & he responded with: "I don't think now is the time for pictures" but I felt deep inside that i wouldn't be pregnant much longer & needed to document it! 

You can see in this picture I'm pretty swollen. & I was exactly 38 weeks pregnant. 

On our way up to labor & delivery I was feeling a little dizzy. We got there & they were expecting us- we were put into a labor room & we waited for someone to come see us. The first nurse came in & said they would admit & induce me soon. NO. That's not why I was there for just yet. I was supposed to just get a few tests ran first. She ran my blood pressure & took a urine sample & once again they were high. We were admitted a little after 3:30 if I remember right for preeclampsia. I changed into a gown & trey gave me a blessing. After the blessing I felt even more at ease. Times like these make me grateful for my husband & the priesthood that he holds. The blessing said that everything would be fine & the baby would be healthy & that's all that mattered to me. 

After IV's & blood work we waited until 8 when I was given a pill (vaginally) to help efface me to prepare for labor. I was having contractions really often. Every minute to two minutes. They were starting to get more painful in my back. At midnight I was checked again & still hadn't really progressed. Only to 60% effaced- but not soft. I was given another pill & had to wait to see if I progressed anymore. The entire time my blood pressure was being super bipolar. It would go up really high then be normal. Then go up & come back down. At about 3 o clock AM my nurses came in & were observing my contractions on the monitor. Every time I would have a contraction- Lexa's heart rate would dip down. They called my doctor & at 4 am they were told not to give me anymore meds because my blood pressure wouldn't go down & my baby was stressed. At 5 AM my sister & Trey went to get breakfast at McDonald's & my mom & treys mom stayed with me and slept. I WAS JEALOUS. I was so hungry & wanted to eat but wasn't allowed anything but ice chips. Lame. I needed food.  At about 5:45 AM my nurses came in & were talking to me. My mom was asleep on the floor & treys mom, Rose was half awake half asleep listening. I remember laying there as my nurse said they talked to my doctor & he decided that they didn't want to risk anything with the baby's heart rate dipping- & that an emergency C-Section was going to have to happen. I told the nurses "well can you gimme a minute cus my husband isn't here!" I called & thank goodness trey was pulling into the hospital parking lot. They had scrubs for him to change into & we- both moms & my two sisters (all of them were there with me while I was at the hospital) said a prayer & then there we were being wheeled away to have our baby. 

It all happened really quick. From the time they told us we'd be having a c section to it actually to us being wheeled out seemed to happen so fast. I was taken into the operation room first & was given a spinal. It numbed me from my chest down. Completely numb. I couldn't feel anything. Trey came in & they started the surgery. Trey peaked over the curtain a few times & I'm really glad he was able to watch. I could feel the doctor tugging but I didn't have any pain at all. Trey told me "She has so much hair" & I started crying. She came out & I heard her cry & cried some more. My baby was here & I was a mom. I didn't plan on having our baby via C-Section but it worked out just fine. She came into this world healthy & that's all I cared about. Trey went over with her as I was being stitched & she was being cleaned up. I couldn't believe how big she was. 


They brought her over to me & I saw her face & instantly fell in love. She was perfect. 


After everything happened I was wheeled back to the room & Trey went to the nursery with her where our parents & my siblings were waiting. They all got to see here & then she was taken to run tests. Trey was with her the whole time & im convinced they really bonded because Lexa really loves her dad & is calm immediately in his arms. I didn't get to hold her until 2 hours after she was born but I was okay cus I knew trey was with her. 


Alexandra Verity Pictum came into the world at 6:49 am. She was 7 lbs 14 oz & 20 inches long. She is the perfect addition to our family & I am so grateful to be her mom. I really can't believe she is our daughter. She is so loved. 


After her birth I was assuming I'd be allowed to eat but my blood pressure was still high so I was out on magnesium sulfate- which made me feel really crappy for 24 hours. Which meant another 24 hours of ice chips. We had lots of visitors the first day & Lexa was a dream baby. Sleeping & eating perfectly. We stayed at the hospital for 2 days & were discharged. We are all doing great at home & I am absolutely loving this new time in our lives.