Our labor story…(very long)
January 29, 2009
Today, Elyana is 9 days old and I can hardly believe it! The above picture was taken a couple of days ago. We wanted to show her in perspective of our living room to show how tiny she is. As we prepared for this picture, Elyana showed me how much she loves me by peeing all over me! I’m sure that is just the first of many!
Elyana’s delivery took 31 hours. I wanted to get it into writing as soon as possible. I will warn you now that this is probably the longest blog ever…
On Monday, February 19 (Elyana’s due date), we had a scheduled appointment. We started with a stress test to check her heart rate and my fluid levels. Her heart rate was great, but the fluid level was down to 5 and it’s supposed to be above 8. So, off we went to labor and delivery. We were so excited that she was going to be born on her due date! We were admitted to the hospital around 10:30 am, grandparents were called, Pitocin was started (that’s the drug that induces labor) and we settled in. Both Collin and I were nervous but incredibly excited that the day had finally come.
I was dilated to 2 cm, so I had a long way to go. The contractions started, but I was able to walk around, sit in a rocking chair and watch TV. Collin and I even played Yahtzee to help pass the time. As the day passed, the contractions started to get much worse. Around 7:00 pm, I asked for my epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and administered the epidural around 7:20. I cannot even describe the pain and sensation of receiving an epidural. I was certainly not prepared for it, but I’m sure glad I got it! The doctor came in around 8:00 to see how far I had come…only 4 cm now and he said that I would probably not delivery until 7:00 or 8:00 the next morning and to “rest as much as possible throughout the night”, as I would need my strength in the morning. Collin and I were so disappointed that we would have to wait until morning. Since we knew it would be a long night, Collin went home to get a shower and a fresh change of clothes, while my mom and mother-in-law stayed with me. We watched Mama Mia while I enjoyed my epidural. Collin returned and we sent all the grandparents home.
With the epidural, I could no longer walk around, I was only able to stay in bed. That was fine with me, as exhausted as I was. Throughout the night, I could still feel the pressure of each contraction, even with the epidural. One of my nurses explained that the epidural takes away the pain of the contraction, but not the pressure, so you still know when to breathe through each contraction and know what your body is doing. I’m not sure what time it was, but at some point, a nurse came in to check on me because my contractions were doubling up. I could no longer even feel my right leg, even though I could lift and move my left leg. My nurses helped me move to my left side to help even out the epidural medication, as it works with gravity and I had be laying on my right side for the entire evening. As soon as I got on my left side, Elyana’s heart rate started dropping with each contraction. So, I had to move back onto my right side, despite feeling as if I no longer had a right leg. It didn’t matter to me, I just wanted Elyana to be safe. Because her heart rate kept dropping, they removed the outer monitor for her heart rate, and put in an internal monitor, where they essentially screw a tiny wire into her head. I didn’t know that at the time, though.
Through all of this, my amazing husband was watching each contraction and helping me breathe through them. I honestly cannot imagine how women do this without an epidural, because I was in a great deal of pain even with the epidural. The nurses decided to slow down my Pitocin to give me a little bit of rest and to make sure that Elyana’s heart rate stayed at a good level. Collin tried to get a little sleep by propping his legs up onto a chair and leaning on a wall with a couple of pillows. Little did I know, but Collin was really just watching the monitors to see how his girls were doing the entire time. I couldn’t see the monitors from my position.
Early in the morning, the doctor came back to check me and I was now only 5 cm dilated!!! Collin and I started to quickly realize that Elyana would most likely not be making her grand entrance any time soon. Around 8:00 AM, the grandparents started to return and we all watched the Presidential Inaguration together. At this point, I was so emotional and exhausted that I just started to cry. The nurses changed shifts at 8:00, and by 10:00 I still had not seen my new nurse. My epidural was running low, so it was beeping this hideous noise to alert someone, but no one came. I called the nurses station and finally a nurse came in. She asked how I was doing, and I just lost it. I started crying and said “I just want to have my baby”. She kindly kicked everyone, except Collin, out of the room, closed the blinds and started to ask about our baby. She asked what her name was, and we explained that Elyana means “answered prayer” and that was why we chose the name. She said something about God always hearing our prayers and I asked if she was a Christian. She said that she was, and I told her that we were too. I apologized for being so emotional, but that it had already been a very long 24 hours and I was really hoping to have a baby in my arms by now. Before she left my room, she prayed for us. I truly believe that God sent her to our room to give me peace and comfort when I was so scared and tired. It turned out that she wasn’t even my nurse at all. She just came to check on my epidural medicine!
I was able to rest for about an hour or two, when I became very nauseated. My nurse, Suzanne, said it was normal and that it’s a good sign that I was progressing. I must have been progressing pretty well because that nausea turned into much more which I will not describe. I also started to shake and shiver and the nurse said that I was running a very high fever (102). My poor husband stayed by side, held my hand, and watched me shake and vomit. I felt so bad for him. I kept saying, “I’m fine, this is no big deal”…but this look in his eyes said it was a very big deal. He kept telling me how proud he was of me and how much he loves me.
Around 4:00, I was dilated to 8cm and at 5:00 I finally got to start pushing. They had stopped my epidural so I could completely feel each contraction and know when to push. After my second push, I started crying again and I said, “I can’t do this”. My wonderful nurse Suzanne said, “OH YES YOU CAN! You will not give up on me now! We have been through too much together and this baby is coming tonight!” Collin took one look at me, then one look at Suzanne and said, “That’s right, you’re not giving up!” I really wish I could have watched all of this from a different perspective because it might have been kind of funny. So, with each contraction, Suzanne held my left leg, Collin held my numb, limp right leg and I pushed through it. I don’t remember much after that. Collin said I entered into some kind of zone, where I was so focused I didn’t look at anyone or anything, I just pushed when I needed to. It must have worked, because at 6:06 PM, January 20, my beautiful Elyana Isabelle came into our world and hearts and was placed on my chest. This was the most amazing feeling I have ever had. To be able to look into her eyes and hold her and look over and see Collin crying and taking pictures was the best moment of my life.
After that, they bathed Elyana, while Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles came in to see her and us. After about an hour, they took us to our recovery room, where we settled in. My mom stayed the night with me so Collin could go home to try to get at least a couple of hours of sleep. I didn’t want him to miss anything at all, so I took pictures all night with my phone and kept sending them to him!
Because I had a high fever, I was kept in the hospital for 2 days and was released on Thursday, January 20. I was so excited to come home with our new baby girl, but I was also terrified that no nurses would come in the middle of the night to check on us and make sure everything was ok.
Well, we’ve made it 9 days now and Elyana is such a gift to us. We’ve gotten little sleep, Collin returned to work on Monday, I change about a million diapers a day, feed every couple of hours, walk around like a zombie, and yet I’m walking on cloud 9 because I’m finally a Mommy! I’ve waited so long to be able to say those words. It’s terrifying, but so exciting and thrilling that God has given us this incredible gift of parenthood. You always hear people say that the love you have for a child is like no other. I now know what they mean. Even when she’s sleeping, I will stay up at night just to watch her breathe. I giggle when she poops (though I don’t giggle at the cost of diapers), and Collin makes up silly songs to sing to her. That’s the other thing. Watching your husband turn into a daddy. Nothing could have prepared me for the look I see in Collins eyes every single time he holds her and looks at her.
I think I could go on forever, but you’re probably tired of reading and my daughter is asleep, which means that I should try to lay down and get some rest as well.
We thank you all for your support, prayers, cards, emails and phone calls. We are so blessed.
Kyla, Collin, Elyana and Callaway (who is doing much better, by the way)
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Oh my Kyla, you had quite a labor! My labor stories are not quite as interesting (two c-sections!, one natural) but I do understand the pain…they slowed down my epidural and it stopped just in time to feel EVERYTHING towards the end. I’m sorry it was a rough labor…but YOU DID IT!!!! You should be so proud of yourself! Much love to all of you…we love you guys!
It may be a long blog…but it’s a beautiful one. It brings tears to my eyes reading and experiencing it all over again.
Thanks Bebe!
Wow, Kyla. That labor was crazy! You should be so proud of yourself! Elyana is gorgeous and I love the pic of her on the couch! We are so happy for you all and can’t wait to meet her.
Oh WOW Kyla!! What a wonderful story of LIFE! A gift from God indeed! I am SO HAPPY for your new family and wish you lots and lots of wonderful mommy and daddy days ahead. I got 16 more weeks till my big labor day so keep me in your prayers too =)
Lots of love,
Marie
Well, you sure “labored” for her, and I understand totally as I went through the same thing with Noah. I’m so thankful, for you guys, that even though you were sick with a fever, she came out healthy & you got to take her home right away! She’s beautiful, such a little angel. I’ll pray for your sleep!