Delivery

We got to our private room shortly after 6pm. William and I were so nervous, but excited.  We didn't really know what to expect, but she was coming whether we were ready or not. The nurse antithesis came in to give me my epidural around 9 pm at 8cm.  Shortly after, Dr Simmons came in to break my water.


At 12am, I started pushing. Our nurse, Hannah, was so great! (Another great thing: the epidural, I didn't feel a thing!). I pushed and pushed (almost 3 hours worth of pushing), but she was having no part of coming out. I was exhausted; I hadn't eaten since eating at David's Burgers the night before and I was tired. She had only moved about an inch down the birth canal.

Dr. Simmons came in and explained that we could try forceps or we could have a C-section. I really didn't want a C-section so we decided to try the forceps. During the forceps delivery her heart rate dropped significantly.  So we were wheeled in to have an emergency C-Section.

When I was first wheeled into the OR, the drugs for the C-section were not in the room turns out the new computer system canceled the order since it was ordered from my L&D room instead of the OR. since Shelby's heart rate had dropped (and was continuing to drop), Dr Simmons couldn't wait, he had to her out and quickly.  I remember feeling the initial incision and the muscles ripping before going into shock.  Ray, the  anesthesiologist, gave me left over meds from the previous surgery. Before the hallucinations kicked in, I remember thinking "is this what death feels like?"  I literally thought I was dying.  After the meds kicked in, I remember seeing trains going up an orange mountain.  I woke up still in the OR and asked how Shelby was and how much she weighed.  I passed back out and woke up in the L&D room. I was shivering from being cold and shaking from coming off the meds.  I must have had 15 warm blankets on me.  I again asked how and where Shelby was and how much she weighed then passed back out.  This process continued for about 4 hours.

Delivery from William's perspective:
When he walked into the OR I was screaming at the top of my lungs and punching the air. He had to hold down one arm and Ray was holding down the other.  After I was open on the table, Dr Simmons tried to turn Shelby around to pull her out, but he couldn't so he attempted to pull her out breach; however, her head was stuck in the birth canal. He had to cut a little more and reach in to get her head out.  When she came out she wasn't breathing and was immediately intubated and taken to NICU. At one point, I coded.  William thought for a while he'd have to choose between me and Shelby.  I told him he better have picked her, but praise God it did not come to that.  He said I felt a lot more pain than I remember feeling. I never did get the real drugs, but the narcotics took away the memory of pain so I don't remember it.

FINALLY at 7:45am, the nurses rolled my bed over to the NICU and I got to hold my beautiful baby girl for the first time.  Holding her in my arms suddenly made me EXTREMELY grateful for Dr Simmons.  I know it could not have been easy to operate on me while I was screaming in pain.  I thanked God right then for getting us both through. I believe His hand was all over our delivery.

























We love our baby girl and could not be happier that she is part of our family.


Shelby's birth stats:
10-4-12 @ 3:14am
9 lbs 3 oz
20 1/2 in long

Pregnancy

We found out we were pregnant on February 6th, 2012.  We were so excited to add a precious little one to our family.

We decided to tell our families on Valentine's Day.  We announced to my family by handing out valentine's cards signed Baby Bridges.  Grandma was so excited and great grandma cried tears of joy.  Everyone was so excited! The next day William's parents came down for a doctors appointment.  We got his mom a "New Grandma 2012" t-shirt and his dad a "new Grandpa" coaster.  They opened their gifts and were so excited! We didn't make a big deal out of telling anyone else.

Our first doctors appointment was at 9 weeks.  We saw Dr. Sellers.  He is very nice, and we were glad he was our doctor.  We got an ultrasound after seeing Dr. Sellers.  Seeing our baby for the first time was amazing.  She looked like a little peanut.  We saw her heartbeat - that was the moment I felt like a mother for the first time.





In the early pregnancy I craved salad and orange juice.  I couldn't get enough.  We ate at Outback (ALOT!!) - They have the best salads.  A little further along I started craving chocolate chip cookies and milk.  I even made William go get some at 10 pm one night from the gas station down the street.  I was drinking about a gallon and a half of milk a week. Yum!!!!

I felt her kick for the first time at 15 weeks while on a cruise.  It felt like popcorn popping in my stomach. I also bought her first baby item.  It was kind of generic since we didn't know what gender she was yet, but I thought it was adorable.



We found out she was a girl at 22 weeks.  We had an ultrasound at 18 weeks, but she was uncooperative and would not open her legs to let us see.  The ultrasound tech said she was "pretty sure" she was a girl, but wanted to make sure on our next appointment.

I quit my high stress, high over time job at 22 weeks.  I was co-supervising 6 employees with no manager.  I was also working 80 hours a week for 2 weeks out of the month.  I didn't want to have a child that I would never get to see. It was also unfair to ask William to raise our daughter alone. I started a new job in June and am loving the hours and free time.

William felt her for the first time at 23 weeks while at a good friend's wedding in Clinton, MS.  It was the first time it felt real to him we were having a baby. He loved to put his ear to my belly and listen to her heart beat.

Most of the pregnancy symptoms people complained about, I never experienced.  I started having heartburn and snoring about 30 weeks and the lack if sleep hit hard about 32 weeks.  Other than that, the pregnancy was smooth sailing.  I gained 36 lbs - most of them coming in the last 6 weeks.


At my 37 week appointment on October 2nd we saw Dr Brenneman.  My blood pressure was 150/92 so he sent my to the hospital to test for Pre-eclampsia (negative).  I was also 4cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Once the tests came back negative the nurses discharged me and William and I went to eat at David's Burgers.  We were starving!!  I was put on bed rest and spent the next day in bed working.

My contractions started occurring every 3-5 minutes so we went back to the hospital around 3.  By the time  I got there I was 6 cm dilated and 90% effaced.  Around 6 pm Dr Simmons came in to check one and admitted us. :). My office took a poll on when her birthday would be -(everyone lost!)