Our sweet Baby Jane was born at 7:01 April 14th, 2015
7lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long.
She has been the sweetest baby and such a special addition to our family.
Her labor and delivery could not have been more perfect. It was such a sweet special experience.
^^ my last picture at 39 weeks and 1 day. My final weight gain came in at 22lbs!! I was so happy! I worked so hard this pregnancy. I ran 2 miles at an 11 minute mile pace the day before she was born. I was pretty impressed with myself.
I was scheduled to be induced on the 14th. We decided to try induction early because I really wanted my mom to come and stay with me. But she was headed to Germany the next week, so baby Jane needed to come early! We had to be at the hospital to check in at 7, but my mom's flight didn't come in until 9. So Kaity came over to our house super early and stayed with the girls until my mom came. Getting to spend the morning with Kaity and the rest of the day with my mom, the girls were in heaven! It was so different leaving the girls this time than it was leaving Abby. Its so nice knowing they have each other, and they are so big now. Abby was still a baby when Jules was born. That was hard. This time Kyle and I were so excited to get to spend the day together sans kids. Well at least until Jane came. Ha ha.
We got checked in at the hospital and the entire time I was standing at registration I was having contractions. But I had been having them pretty regular for awhile. So I didn't think much of it.
We came right at the nurse shift change so we sat in our room for a long time. Over an hour before they even came in to monitor me. Finally our awesome nurse Debbie came in and hooked me up to all the machines. And I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes and I was getting uncomfortable. So she checked to see how far I was dilated and I was already at a 3 and in labor! Dr. Andrews still decided to hook me up to pitocin to get the contractions to be stronger.
I had really been worried about being induced without a real reason other than convenience. So it was so nice to know that I would have been coming in later that day, or the next morning to have her anyway.
I didn't want the epidural until I was sure that baby Jane's head was engaged and she had dropped far enough. I wanted to be able to walk around and not be strapped to the bed the entire day. I had been so active this pregnancy I wanted to be active throughout the labor. I would have been running up and down the stairs if I'd been able to figure how to drag the IV behind me.
Debbie was really supportive of me wanting to be active so she was able to get some equipment that allowed them to keep monitoring Jane's heartbeat and my contractions while I walked around. I could easily go to the bathroom and move around without having to unhook everything.
We walked around a little bit, I sat on the big exercise ball and did some movements to help her drop while we played farkle. Around noon kyle ran out to find some food. I was so incredible hungry, so I wouldn't let him bring anything in the room. I hadn't had anything real to eat since I had my oatmeal that morning. I had lots of jello, a popsicle and lots and lots of ice chips.
Around 3 the contractions were really getting to me. I was starting to get exhausted with how strong the contractions were. The funny thing about me is that I really don't let on to how much the contractions are affecting me. I don't like to let people know that I am in pain or struggling ever in life, and labor isn't any different. When the nurses would come in I was all smiles and joking. When they would leave I was breathing hard. So when I told her it was time for the epidural she was surprised. But Kyle knew what I was going through and was like ya she needs it now. Kaity had come and stopped by and she would sit and watch the contractions and be like are you feeling this. Yes I am! I just don't show it.
The Nurse Anesthetist came in and she was a hoot. She was so much fun and let kyle watch as she explained everything she was doing. When she walked in she said "please tell me this isn't another 1 centimeter". We all laughed and were like no I've been in labor for hours and am over half way progressed. She was just surprised because I was still smiling (even though I was really feeling it). While she was getting ready the contractions were really getting strong and I couldn't fake it. I started breathing through them while everyone was in the room and my nurse goes "ok now I can see you are in pain, I hadn't seen you breathing through them yet". Although I had been doing it all day!
After I got the epidural it felt like everything went really fast. Jane still wasn't dropped far enough so my nurse Debbie came in with a little exercise ball and a really cool technique. She had me sit up and drape myself over the ball and her and kyle rocked me back and forth while I was having contractions. We did this for about a half hour. Then I laid down on my side and she slid right down into position and I started feeling some very strong pressure. She was coming!
Thats when things started to get very real and very exciting. It had been such an awesome day and now the real fun was about to begin. All day I had just kept telling Kyle over and over again I just want to see my baby. I want to hold her! And she was coming!
Kaity had been there with us all afternoon so she gave me a hug goodbye and said good luck! Then everyone came in and they were getting everything ready. They got me on my back and it felt like as soon I got into position she was already there! I hadn't even started pushing and they could see she had dark hair.
Dr. Andrews came in and pretty much just caught
her. I didn't have any tearing this time. Hallelujah! They handed her straight
to me and I was just bawling my eyes out. Jane is a special baby that came at a
very special time and you could feel how strong her spirit was. She was so
beautiful and holding her like that for the first time is a moment I will never
forget.
They took her to clean her up and I started shaking
so bad. I wasn't cold but I was shaking like I was in the middle of the north
pole. The nurses said it was because of the pitocin and the adrenaline. Kaity
came back in to see her and that was a very special moment.
They weighed her and kyle guessed the weight dead
on. 7lbs 12oz. He was very proud of himself.
I was starving and the kitchens were closed,
luckily Kaity was awesome enough to run out and grab me so Jimmy Johns. I have
never had such a delicious sandwich in my life!
Then we just held her and stared at her and loved
her. They transferred us over to recovery and we settled in for the night. It
was a great first night. Last time they came in just about every half hour and
kept waking me and Juliet up. This time they hardly disturbed us, and when they
needed to check Jane they were very careful not to wake her up. I got a solid 5
hour stretch of sleep! It was awesome. Kyle stayed the night with me and it was
nice to not be alone.
Nursing was so much better this time. I told them
from the very beginning she would not be nursing without a nursing shield. Its
very inconvenient but it is the only way I can nurse without a considerable
amount of pain. It still hurts (bad) and I'm bleeding (but not as bad as the
first 2 times). There is just something wrong with me. They kept trying to get
me to just try without it. And I was like this is my 3rd time doing this! Trust
me! Its not going to work. Yes I have seen lactation consultants. And they were
the ones that encouraged me to keep using the nursing shield. They were worried
it would inhibit my milk supply. Let me tell you, that is NOT true. At least
for me. It has never been so good before. In the first month I have already
pumped and put in the freezer more milk than I was every able to get with
Juliet. I never was able to pump anything with Abby. So yay me! My body finally
figured it out!
We were really bad at taking pictures this time!
But we got some beautiful pictures of the delivery. The nurse anesthetist came
in to give me a little more in the epidural for the last stage and she stayed
to take pictures for us! We really bonded with her. She wanted to be there for
the delivery and see our sweet baby girl. We were so grateful for the pictures she
took!
^^ getting ready to go walk the hallways
All the rest of the pictures are the one she took!
Labor and delivery is one of the most beautiful
things of my life. Getting to meet my sweet babies for the first time, and
seeing the power and strength that my body has is incredible!
We love you Baby Jane! We are so glad you are here!
