My pregnancy & labor story
Irelynn Nicole
Born 10.29.12
6 lbs. 8 oz. 19 inches & perfect
Pregnancy
This little girl, had my heart from the moment I took that pregnancy test 38 weeks earlier. However it was a moment that I thought I might never enjoy, a moment the doctor had convinced me was going to take lots of visits to the infertility clinic and a moment that my life forever changed.
Just four months early, I had my annual check up with gyno. Just a regular appointment that you dread every year, but considering my past history of gyno related issues, I always made sure I scheduled. This appointment was different though. I was married now and we wanted a family.
Rewind five years, I find myself with an uncomfortable health issue and land myself in the 3rd gyno office and terrified at 20 years old when I'm told I have endometriosis, I need surgery and that with every surgery my chances of miscarriage will increase, my chances of getting pregnant are slim (but possible). I always dreamed of kids, a family, I had picked their names out when I was 5 and practiced dressing my baby dolls for at least a good 12 (okay 14) years of my life. The doctor might not have realized it, but those words, would ring loudly in my head for years to come.
Back to 2011 when I find myself at a regular old check up and the doctor asks what I'm using for birth control. Nothing. Nothing? I responded with we want to try to get pregnant within the year and I know it's going to be an uphill battle. He smiles and says I will make you an appointment with the infertility clinic, you can see them right away. I should have been happy. My doctor is on my side, he is one step ahead of me, I just said we were wanting to try.. I mean we've only been married a few months and his first response was such a scary one.
I decided that I was not going to see the infertility specialist. I know plenty of normal, healthy couples who try for a year and don't get pregnant right away. I was going to put this in God's hands. I cried a lot after that appointment. I cried every time someone posted on facebook they were pregnant (and they weren't even trying!) I cried every time I watched teen mom (how come these teens who are not even responsible get to have a baby on their first try!) I cried because I thought it was my fault that my husband might never get the son and daughter he longed for. I cried because I wanted to experience pregnancy, I wanted to experience giving birth (I know, what was I thinking!?) I cried just because I'm a big cry baby and that is how I deal with pretty much all emotions. I cry.
I started doing all the things your "supposed" to do, if you want to get pregnant. I took my prenatal vitamins (yuck). I worked out. I watched what I was eating. I tracked my ovulation days and months passed and test were negative and the thoughts plagued my mind, you are never going to have a baby.
And then... February came. I remember I was heading out to the laundry mat (I was really behind and thought it would be faster to wash all the clothes at once, then load by load) and the air smelled really funny to me. I thought to myself, why does outside smell so weird? A few days later I was napping and woke up in a sweat, I could have sworn someone turned the heat to 90 in the house! The whole sweating every time I tried to sleep lasted a few weeks! My husband even made a comment that maybe I was pregnant and since I was convinced that was NEVER going to happen, I laughed it off. A few weeks later, I was sick. So sick. I woke up for class and thought there was no way I was going to make it through the day. However, I had a presentation and I couldn't miss. So I headed out the door and onto class, wanting to puke with every word I spoke. I some how made it through the presentation, but didn't make it all the way home without getting sick :/ I thought I had the flu. For the next 4 days, I couldn't eat or drink anything at all. On day four, I called the ER. I needed to know when I should consider going to the hospital. The women on the other end asked, are you pregnant? No, I laughed. She said if I wasn't pregnant that it was up to me, but not to let it go on too much longer. Day six came and I was feeling better, craving Chinese but better. The entire month of February passed and I look back now and think I must have been stupid not to realize I was pregnant but I never let the thought cross my mind.
Oh my God, What do we do now!? Was my response to my husband, after we realized the pregnancy test I took on March 6th was positive? Called some family, cried (remember that is what I do about everything) and then I worried.
I let fear grip me so tight that I never thought I was pregnant, while having every symptom known to pregnancy. Now I was pregnant and I was going to let the fear of miscarriage steal my peace for the next 38 weeks. I prayed for this baby, I cried for this baby, I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. And then God answered my prayers and I was so worried he would just leave me alone with this pregnancy. That he was just going to let this baby die. Every pain, weird feeling, I googled it, I emailed my doctor and I stayed up worrying.
Eventually, the fear was less intense. The worry was pushed back in my mind and the excitement pushed its way through. 38 weeks came really fast (even though I had my days, where I thought I'd be pregnant forever.)
18 days before little miss Irelynn joined the world.
and my last belly shot :)
Labor
Sunday, October 28th 2012. This date is my nephew's birthday. This was the one day I was NOT supposed to go into labor. It was his day and it wouldn't be ideal to steal it from him. I had been having contractions for 4 days now on and off. High blood pressure and just uncomfortable. But I was only 38 weeks and the doctor couldn't help my labor along at that point. I woke up that Sunday morning and the contractions were stronger then they had been before. I headed off to church, taught kids church, went to my nephew's 7th birthday party, attended a funeral, and spent my whole day pretending I was NOT in labor.
This was also my annual "girls night out" dinner at the Melting Pot (seriously, not missing that!). After the funereal, I came home to get ready for my dinner. My husband said he really thought I should just stay home. I refused. He said okay, at least make sure your hospital bags are packed. As I was walking around getting last minute things to put in my bag (I started packing a month ago, you can never be too prepared!) I couldn't even bend over, the contractions were so strong, but I kept this to myself.
Off to the Melting Pot I went. Barely able to walk through some of my contractions, I sat down looking forward to much needed girl time (little did I know that was the last "girls night" I would get for a while) as we ate, I began to feel my contractions getting stronger and closer. I took my phone out and set it on the table to time them. After a few mins, the girls asked what I was doing. At this point I couldn't hide the fact that I was really in labor and really needed to go to the hospital, but I choose to down play it. "Oh just having some contractions, I'll let ya know if they get to close." They were 3-5 minutes apart at this point, but I really wanted desert! We finished, quickly and headed out. On the way home I mentioned I should probably just swing by the hospital and get checked. I called my husband, he wanted me to come home and get all the stuff because he thought this was it. Baby Irelynn was coming! We stopped home, I changed, grabbed the bags and headed off to get checked.
On the way there, my contractions were as close as a minute a part. To make this long. long story a little shorter, I'll fast forward to the part where they decide to keep me. And don't worry it's pretty uneventful so you aren't missing anything, and the rest won't take long! At 11:30 pm I was checked, hooked up to all the fun stuff and doozed in and out of sleep for the next 6 hours, eventually getting an epidural (I think I could have waited longer or skipped it but that's for another story) they broke my water at 7 am, checked me at 10 am I was only at 5 cm :/ The nurse said "it's probably going to be a while, get some rest" about 11:15 I felt super sick, buzzed the nurse she gets me a bucket and says she was going to send someone in to check me. The resident comes in, checks me, and looks up shocked. "Do you feel the need to push?" Um no... "Great. Don't! I'll be right back." Maybe 30 seconds later the doctor comes in and says it's time. I was 10 cm and the baby was crowning! Fifteen minutes and 4 pushes later. I found out what love was.
I thought that after 38 weeks and 1 day of worrying I would feel peace, nope. Welcome to motherhood, where worrying never ends.
My blessing. My sweet baby girl. My world.
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