Our little one is finally here! Arrived on Monday 3/9, 6 days after her due date and I want to write out the story while it's all still fresh in my mind.

I'll start with some background - back when I was 20 weeks along, we got an ultrasound that showed echogenic bowel, which could mean all sorts of scary things (downs syndrome, cystic fibrosis, etc), is associated with growth issues in utero, or it could be absolutely nothing. We took tests to eliminate the genetic issues, and kept going back for more ultrasounds to check on growth. At one of the ultrasounds her growth was really low, only in the 15th percentile, and they warned us that if it wasn't up by the next appointment they'd have to do a c-section and take her out during that appointment (31 weeks) to put her on a feeding tube. So, we freaked out and planned for a premie. Then, at the appointment, her growth was back on track and we got to keep watching her growth and have her go to term.

So, after a while of planning for a premie, the due date started approaching with no baby. Then my husband got a new job which would start on March 9th, so i wanted her to come early/on time (due 3/3) so he could get some time wtih her before his start date. As her due date passed, we worked with his new company to move back his start date and reluctantly scheduled induction for 3/8 at 8pm.

We went in Sunday the 8th after a nice last dinner as a family of two. The plan was to do cervidel overnight and start pitocin in the morning. The cervidel placement hurt a lot more than i was expecting! I tried to sleep in the hospital bed and started feeling contractions in the middle of the night. By the morning when they took out the cervidel i was dilated to a 2 or 3. I was still contracting so they decided to not give me pitocin yet and see if things continued to progress. Contractions kept coming - very close together (less than 2 minutes apart start to start)... I was sitting on a birthing ball and doing breathing exercises through them. At one point i asked for the wireless monitors to try walking around more and it was a whole production getting them (the first one they got didn't work, the second one was an older model and finicky). After trying so hard to get them, I walked one lap around the room and realized walking hurt way too much and wasn't working for me. Then my cousin stopped by to bring DH coffee (she works in the hospital) and was surprised i was still up and suggested i ask for the epidural. Since i couldn't walk around and was planning on getting one anyway, and beginning to really need a break from the very close together contractions, i went ahead and asked for it. The epidural placement was really easy (much less painful than the cervidel!) and started to work quickly. The contractions were coming quickly still and i kept my dosage pretty low so i could still tell when they were happening but not painful (felt like braxton hicks again). I was glad to finally be able to catch my breath, the contractions were so close together that when i didn't have the epi i felt like i never got a break. They broke my water after the epi, and there was meconium in the fluid, which wasn't surprising since she was past due. The doc said that there would be a few extra people in the room to suction her lungs if needed when she was born, but they might not have to either. At this point i was 5cm and felt very peaceful / "in the zone". DH and i just chatted about what was coming and how excited we were - it seemed so relaxing and magical. The epi was working more on my right side, my right leg felt super heavy and the left wasn't, so i tried to lay on my left side a bit more to help. The next time my nurse came in, my doctor called the room phone and she said she was just about to check me and put him on hold while she checked. She got back on the phone with him and told him to guess how far along i was, she said "no, guess again" and then "yep, she's complete! and +2 station!" I progressed really quickly from the 5cm when i got the eip to being done!! The doc headed up to my room and said it was time to push! We started pushing and her heart rate was dipping a little during pushes, but not significantly. The doc had me push only every other contraction to give her a bit of a break (they were still coming very close together). DH is not good with blood and, prior to that day, was VERY nervous of passing out. Now that pushing was here he said he was so amazed by the whole process it never even crossed his mind, and he was even fine with looking even though he never thought he'd do that. We pushed for about 35 minutes on every-other contraction and she was born at 6:29pm! DH and I both watched as she came out and she had not inhaled the meconium, so i got skin-to-skin right away!!! Then they scooped her up to clean her off and do some tests. DH kept insisting they give her back to me in between tests, which the doc thought was hilarious and encouraged (apparently the head nurse who was there is very "old school" and doesn't like to give the baby back - the doc told us later he'd never seen someone get a baby away from her so well). We got to feed her right away and she latched on like a champ!

After everything, my right leg was still sooo heavy and had clearly gotten more of the epi. It was immovable all night, so i had to have the nurses help me get to the bathroom - i couldn't walk at all. Didn't wear off until the next day

The whole process was amazing - i didn't want to do the induction but it ended up working really well - didn't even need pitocin. After the epi, DH and i had a wonderful time talking - a true bonding experience. I kept using the word peaceful - it really did feel that way. We're so excited that she's here and she's healthy (after all those scares, nothing is wrong!) and we love being a family of 3!