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Am in the hospital with labor in full swing - hoping to have a baby by later this afternoon/evening!!

@PinkElephant: good luck!!

@PinkElephant: so excited for you!!! Can't wait to see the first baby of the group!

@PinkElephant: Congratulations! Can't wait to see pictures and hear any details!

@PinkElephant: congratulations!!

@pinkelephant congrats! Can't wait too see and hear about it!

As promised, here are the details on Baby S (I'll share her name and photos in my next post so that I can delete it later but leave this post up), who will be one week old in just over an hour!

I went into the hospital last Saturday morning for a planned induction due to IUGR.

(Background: At my anatomy scan, baby was measuring behind by at least 2 weeks, and the maternal and fetal medicine team decided it would be in our best interest to have an amnio done to see if there was any underlying cause. None was found, so I continued to be monitored monthly, then bi-weekly, for the remained of my pregnancy. At 35 weeks, growth had dropped off to a point that I started twice weekly monitoring until I could be induced without steroids at 37 weeks. Doctors suspected placental issues that might be limiting the oxygen and nutrients reaching the baby.)

I arrived at seven, but there wasn't an LDR room for me to be admitted to available until after 10 AM (thanks, full moon weekend!). Once admitted, they started me with a Foley balloon catheter (um, OUCH! I hadn't had one of those before !) to help me dilate, since I was only at 1 cm, and an epidural before beginning pitocin. Those first few hours were a breeze - my epidural was light, so I could feel my legs and contractions, but wasn't in pain. Things were progressing slowly but steadily....around 3 pm I was dilated enough to remove the Foley balloon, so they broke my water and cranked up the pitocin, expecting a baby before dinner time. This was the only really scary point of my labor - at some point, when baby tried to descend, she was squashed in such a way that her heart rate tanked, and a ton of people came running into the room to get me into a position that allowed her more space/oxygen, and to set up for a possible emergency c-section. They attached an electrode to her head to monitor heart rate, put me on oxygen, and took me off of pitocin for about an hour, saying they'd restart it again at the lowest level as long as her heart rate stayed up. Once they started the pitocin again, my contractions picked up quickly and I was feeling a lot of pressure.....I called in the physician's assistant to tell her I "thought" I might be feeling the pressure they said to let them know about and sure enough - we were ready to go! My OB came in and had me do one "practice push" but told me to stop because baby was right there and the pediatrician/neonatologist weren't in the room yet (they needed to be there because of Baby S's expected small size). Sure enough, in about 1.5 pushes, Baby S was born - 4 lbs 11 oz, 17.5 inches. She had to go straight to the pediatrician, and I needed to be worked on as well, so I didn't get to hold her right away. It turned out that her umbilical cord was very short, very thin, and inserted at an odd place on a small placenta. My doctor had to remove the placenta manually because pushing or pulling on the cord would have torn it. Knowing this makes me so thankful we opted for induction when we did, since the cord could have become detrimentally damaged, or baby could have crashed as she descended, if we left her in to bake longer. As it was, she was born crying (she sounded like a tiny kitty cat) and kicking. I got to hold her for a few minutes before she was taken to the nursery to start her glucose monitoring, since she was low.

After 24 hours of glucose tests and a "car seat challenge", we were permitted to take her home. She came home at 4 lbs 6 oz, and hasn't gained any back yet, but we're seeing her pediatrician a few times a week to work out a feeding plan that will get her gaining. She's tiny, but perfectly proportioned and healthy - pure perfection, in our opinion!

For now, she sleeps most of the time, but we're getting scattered moments of open eyes and awareness, and a teeny bit of vocalization here & there. I can't wait to get to know her has she gets closer to her due date and matures!

@PinkElephant: oh she's a cutie and feisty too! Congrats again and I hope she starts gaining soon.

@PinkElephant: Congratulations on your sweet peanut! She is beautiful and I'm so glad she is doing well

@PinkElephant: Aw congratulations! She's beautiful! Great day to have a baby! My daughter's birthday is 10/15/14!

@LAZB: @delight: Baby is slowing down here too. I get worried and then my husband will shake my belly and get me a cup of tea- she wakes right up! They are just getting cramped in there (hint hint time to come out )

Well I am back at the hospital for observation. Baby O has been misbehaving today/tonight. He looks great on the monitors. I am dilated to 4 and about 50% effaced. They are having me walk (as I type this) to see if we can make progress in this or if they will send me home. I am hoping for progress I have been miserable all weekend.

@PinkElephant: Congratulations!! I missed this thread! She's beautiful!!

@MrsRcCar: I hope things move along soon for you!!

I am slowly going crazy waiting for things to get going. Regular BHs, PMSish cramps in evening, had a bit of bloody show about 1.5 weeks ago, lots of pressure, but nothing labour like yet. I would love for this little one to arrive a little early (said every pregnant woman ever?). I'm definitely getting grumpy (which is a mood i'm not familiar with).

Hope you're all staying as comfortable as possible in your final weeks!!

@MrsRcCar: any update?

@delight: @Mrs. Marshmallow: @caterw: @dragonsword: I was released from the hospital. I need to dilate one more centimeter before I am considered in active labor. (6cm). I opted to leave because I need to eat and my youngest has his last speech appointment. I am hanging out at 5cm and 75% thinned.