the birth story...

of my beautiful Brilee!!!

 

 

Please know that this post is going to be raw.  I have no plans of going back and editing it.  What I write, is what you get.  This story is dear to my heart and I want to write everything down that I remember.  I hope one day, my precious little girl, will be able to look back at this and know how much she changed my life.

 

 

And let me state this fact real quick.  I had two fears at the end of my pregnancy.  Going into labor with unshaved legs and my hair looking like mufasa.  So for the last month, I literally shaved my legs every morning and fixed my hair.

With that being said, January 19th, 2012 started out normal. 

I was miserable, grouchy and fat.

I wanted Brilee out immediately- especially since for the last 3 weeks I was dilated to a 2 and nothing else was changing. 

So while I got out of bed, way too early, for my doctors appointment... I was silently praying that my doctor would say she would induce next week if nothing had changed at this appointment.

Knowing she probably wouldn't just pissed me off more.  

I was done!!! 

Sick of shaving my legs daily, fixing my hair and putting makeup on.  I was going to this appointment in yoga pants, a t-shirt and curly wild hair. 

 

After I was finally called back into the room, my doctor came in to measure my belly.  In the past, she would always measure it once and write something down.  Not this time.  This time she measured it, looked at my file, measured it again, looked at my file, measured it again and then said...

"Shealee, this whole pregnancy your belly has been a head or behind by a week, but today your belly is only measuring at 32 weeks.  We need to do an ultrasound immediately."

WTF!

 

Trying to stay calm, I went into the other room.  She began the hour long ultrasound and watched Brilee very carefully.  She clicked on things, did measurements and listened to her beautiful little heartbeat for ever.  Then she said the next scariest thing ever... "are you ready to have a baby today?"  Umm... if you had asked me two hours ago, yes I was ready.  But now that she just said "baby... today..."  I'm not so sure!!!! 

She went on to say that my amniotic fluid was extremely low and it was no longer safe to keep Brilee inside of me.  It was time for her to come out. 

 

FREAK OUT MOMEMT!!!!

For one, I was at this doctors appointment alone.

Secondly, my mother was 30 minutes away.

Third thing, I didn't have any of my bags ready.

And lastly, my legs weren't shaved nor was my hair fixed.

(yes, I realize none of those facts said "I'm about to be a mom")

 

After having a mini panic attack, I called my mom.  Once again, she isn't the person to call when you are freaking out- she doesn't help the case.  But she told me she would leave work as soon as she could, go grab my bags and head this way... and that I needed to call my dad to come meet me.  So after hanging up, I called my dad.  After briefly telling him what was going on and that I needed him, I still had an hour before I had to be at the hospital.  So what do you do before you have to be admitted into Labor and Delivery?  You go eat!!!!!  So I met my dad at subway.

 

At subway, I could barely sit still.  I was a nervous wreck.  My dad, who is a lot like my sister, is normally very calm and doesn't worry about anything.  He was doing a great job of calming me down and reassuring me that all was going to be okay. 

Once we got to the hospital and they started the IV, my nerves started to calm down.  I had contacted everyone letting them know what was going on and eventually people started coming in to see me.  The contractions weren't bad at all at first.  I was sitting up and enjoying the company of friends and family and laughing at the fact that by now my sister was already begging for an epidural.  (I was determined not to get one!) 

 

Then around 5:00pm my doctor came in.  She said I was progressing nicely, but she wanted a baby by 9:00pm.  So she (no lie) put her whole arm up me and did something I wouldn't wish on my enemy.  I'm still not certain what she did, but whatever it was, the contractions started.  Oh, did they start.  Within the next hour, I went from laughing and talking to holding the bedrail and giving everyone the evil eye.  At this point, I was begging for an epidural. 

Finally, they came to give me one!!  

But it wasn't 10 minutes after they gave it to me that I had the urge to use the restroom.  Matter of fact, it happened so fast that the man who gave me the epidural, was still in the room!  So the nurse checked me and confirmed that I was fully dilated and ready.  Only thing was... the epidural wasn't fully working and my doctor was 15 minutes away.  

Again... WTF!!!

 

That was the longest 15 minutes of my life.  Having the urge to push and them not letting you is hell on earth.  But when my doctor walked into that room and said "you ready?"  I thought I saw and heard God.  Yes, I was ready!!!!! 

 

7 contractions later....

I did hear the most precious sound ever.

My daughter crying!!!!

Earth stood still.

Time froze.

My life changed.

My heart was now in the hands of a 7lb 19" long angel. 

 

 

 

 

 

.....stay tuned for the 2nd part.....