41 weeks, 3 days!

As most of you already know, at 41 weeks & 3 days, I had Lily on March 2, 2010! I'll try & recapture the events of the day (& day before) as they happened.

The day I went into labor (Monday, March 1) I had had a doctor's appointment that afternoon. I was still 1.5cm dilated, which was about the 3rd week in a row that I was that amount. Later that evening, I started having contractions around 9:30- they felt like the contractions that I had been having for a few weeks, so I didn't do anything at first. After I had been having them for an hour (& at a pregnant girlfriend's suggestion- thanks Tiffany! :) I began timing them, because they were just as strong as when they started. I timed them for 2 hours (now having had them for 3 hours) & they were happening every 2-3 minutes & lasting for 1-2 minutes, with a few lasting 3, 5, & 7 minutes. I felt my contractions in my back from when they first started happening (weeks beforehand)- it felt like my kidneys ached. I only knew my abdomen was contracting if I had my hand on my belly. This time they were a little stronger, but tolerable, but after having had them for 3 hours & timing them for 2 hours, I decided to wake Jeff up & tell him.

He was nervous at first, because we had learned at our labor & delivery class that you were to call the doctor when your contractions were 5 minutes apart, lasting for at least a minute each, for at least an hour; I obviously was past that. We waited for a little while to call the doctor because I was afraid that these were still just Braxton-Hicks contractions, & I didn't want to look stupid! Around 1:15am we called the doctor; the doctor I had seen that day was the same one on call- luckily she remembered us & remembered that my cervix was "soft & ripe", although only dilated at 1.5cm. She told us to go to the hospital, so I took a shower since the contractions weren't that bad still, & Jeff gathered our last minute things that weren't able to be packed in my bag.

When I got to the hospital, it was around 1:45am; when the nurse checked me, I was 3cm. She told the doctor, they decided to keep me, & I was told to walk the floor for an hour to help progress things. We walked until about 4am when I decided to try & lay down for a little while because I had been up since 8am the day before. I napped for about a 1/2 hour, & then the nurse came in & attached me to the monitors so they could get a reading for the doctor. The doctor came in around 6am & checked me, & I was 5 cm; then she broke my water. I wanted to keep walking because being up & around made my contractions easier to deal with than being in bed. Well, after my water was broken, the contractions sped up so much & got so much stronger in intensity, that I decided to forgo my intervention-free birth plan. I wasn't able to do more than one lap around the floor, & I could hardly talk to Jeff at all. My breathing techniques weren't helping because I found myself holding my breath & then feeling like I was going to pass out. I was also so nauseous that that was almost as bad as the pain. So I asked for something to take the edge off while I waited for my IV fluids to go in prior to my epidural. They gave me Nubain, which I think was great, because I could still feel the contractions, but I was more relaxed & able to get through them, & I felt a little sleepy, but didn't sleep. The anesthesiologist came in after I had had 1.5L of IVF, around 10am. He did a great job! I was able to feel the beginning of my contractions, but there was no pain, & I was still able to move my legs! I progressed after the epidural was in to 9cm by around 12, & around 1pm, I was ready to push.

I pushed for 1 1/2 hours, the whole time knowing when it was time because I could feel the contraction. Pushing actually felt better than just feeling the contraction, so I pushed with each contraction I had except for 2 or 3 times when I needed to rest. I could feel the pressure, but no pain, & I had her at 2:31pm. The pressure wasn't that bad until she was crowning, but by that time I was so ready to get her out I didn't care how bad it hurt, I kept on pushing until she was out! The doctor gave me a small episiotomy when 1/2 of her head was out, but when I pushed out the other 1/2 of her head, I tore a little anyway. So I have stitches now, but I didn't feel the episiotomy or tearing. So all in all, I was probably in labor for 16 or 17 hours; but only at the hospital for 13 hours before I gave birth.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures, & trust me, it's hard to narrow it down to just a few!

8lbs, 7oz!

Erythromycin ointment in the eyes :(

Love at first sight for Daddy




Our family :)

My little bubble blower

We are beyond thrilled that she has finally made her way into our lives! Thank you all for all of the love & support you've shown us throughout this most precious time. We look forward to continuing to share her with each & every one of you!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & LILY!!!