Sunday the 26th I was feeling very pregnant but not necessarily thinking that labor was imminent. I had what I was calling "tremors" throughout the day, little contractions that had increased but were not in a pattern. I had seen my doctor on Friday and was still 2cm dilated and 70% effaced so she said it could be this weekend or it could be another week! Went to bed that evening and awoke around 12:30 with contractions every 2-3 minutes. I decided to wait and see if they maintained the pattern and intensity so at 1:30 I tapped Rob and said, "Robbie, I am having contractions every 2 minutes." He looked at me with one eye open and said, "Good to know." and then rolled over to go back to sleep. I tapped him again and said, "It's time to call the doctor." "In a few hours." he replied. I didn't agree with that time frame and went ahead and called. She told us to come in and get things checked out.
We finally arrived at the hospital around 2:30. They hooked me up and I was indeed contracting every 2-3 minutes but when they checked there had been no change in my dilation. So they decided not to admit me but "observe" me and also give me an IV to see if I was just dehydrated. I was totally bummed and having been in the hospital the week before for 5 hours only to be sent home I was really ready to meet this baby! The contractions began to subside a bit around 4 but then at 5am they came back with a vengeance. I was in lots of pain, to the point of tears and thinking that if I am having a c-section than I am not interested in laboring with this kind of pain. The nurses had told me that they could see my monitors at their nurses station so I didn't call them in and was wondering why no one was coming to check on me. Around 6:30 a nurse came in and saw that I was in pain, looked at the monitor and was like, "Why didn't you call us! I need to get the doctor in here, it looks like you are in labor and will be having a baby today!" My doctor arrived around 7:30 and she too looked at the monitors and thought that I was in true labor and decided to check me internally. Well turns out I was pretty much the same, just more effaced! Everyone was surprised because based on the intensity of my contractions and their frequency there should have been change. My doctor than asked me about a prior surgery that I had on my cervix and it turns out that the scar tissue from that surgery has created a "ring" around the cervix and was keeping it at 2cm. As the doctor said almost acting like a natural cerclage. (A cerclage is a stitch that they sometimes put in to keep you from dilating too early and preventing pre-term birth. There had been lots of discussion if I should have one done due to past pregnancies. We decided not to for various reasons.) The doctor then said that if that scar tissue were to break right now I would be at 8cm within moments! At this point in the story I want to clearly give thanks to God for this "natural stitch" as I believe that is why I was able to carry Libby full term with no medications or bed rest! God is good and creative! :)
Our room quickly came alive with nurses and doctors prepping us for the c-section. I was in the OR by 7:55 and Elizabeth Ann was born at 8:23. She came out screaming and kicking! The doctors and nurses commented on her "chestnut" colored hair and said she was a beauty! Her apgar scores were 9 and she was breathing with no problems. Rob was able to cut the cord and to hold her. They stitched me up and rolled me into my room and I was holding her and nursing by 9:00am! I am in the hospital for 5 days due to the section and am enjoying bonding with her and recovering before taking on Mommy duties to 3 kids!
Callie and Charlie have had a great time holding her when they visited me! Callie told me yesterday, "She's just like we ordered her, healthy!" And when Charlie first saw her he pulled back her blanket and said "She's beautiful!"
Thanks for all your prayers throughout this pregnancy! We are overjoyed and so blessed by God's gift of three beautiful and healthy children, our daily prayer is that they grow up to know Him personally and delight in His perfect plan for their lives!
