my birth story

Riley Quinn

October 24th, 2011

3:40pm

8 lbs 9.5 oz

1 week ago today at about 3:30 I checked into the hospital for some bleeding and abdominal pain. I was having contractions 4 mins apart but they were not super strong and they had me walking. At 8:30 they gave me the choice to stay or go home and get a good meal. "It could just be pre-labor and who knows how long it will be until active labor." Well, we decided to go home (because we really weren't thinking that was it anyway, we just wanted the baby to be checked because of the bleeding and the past concerns with my placenta.)

We came home and ate dinner. Mom made us salmon and it was great. I was still feeling small contractions, but not horrible so I told Michael at 9:15 I was ready to get in bed and watch tv to try to fall asleep. We watched Amazing Race and then tried to watch Housewives, but I was in so much pain at this point, I was almost in tears with each contraction. We called mom because every girl wants her mommy when she is in pain and she told us to come over to her house if we wanted to. So we did. I laid on the couch and Michael sat at my feet. As mom was watching my face, she looked at Michael and said "time these contractions." So he did... well, they were 1-2 minutes apart and I was in a lot of pain at this point. Her next words were "go back to the hospital."

I was checking into the hospital with contractions 1-2 minutes apart by 12:30. I was not dilated at all still when they checked me. The doctor on call (who I had already spoken to 3 times that Sunday) was on his way. The nurse hooked up my IV and wanted to give me morphine because my contractions were so bad. This was at 1am. It was taking a while to order it up and as she was about to put it into my IV. At 2am, Dr. Hardisson walked in the room. He asked her to wait while he checked me. I was already dilated to 5cm! His next words were "are you ready for your epidural?" Of course!!! I was in a lot of pain. I just knew- "oh my gosh, this baby is going to be here so soon since I am getting my epi now!" We called our parents and they were on the way! I was a bit nervous, but the epidural didn't hurt at all. Just a quick pinch or pressure pain and that was all. I didn't even know he was done. At 2:30, once the epidural was in, I felt amazing.

7:50am- Dilated to 8cm and they broke my water.

waiting, waiting, waiting...

Riley is posterior and they are concerned she may not turn her head right. They said I could still deliver, but it would be more difficult.

Around noon they started pitocin to regulate my contractions a little better.

1pm- Riley is turned the right way and I am starting to push

2pm- still pushing- epidural was amazing still.

3pm- still pushing. epidural= not so amazing. It didn't take at the bottom and the nurse wanted to get me something local for the pain but the dr. that delivered my baby girl was a b*t%$ and I can go into that whole story later. No more pain meds and at this point forward until 3:40... I felt EVERYTHING. I am sure it wasn't as bad as if I had no epi at all, but wow... Mom and Michael were amazing on the side of me helping me through. MIL took pictures and I am very thankful to have them. Everyone else (poor guys) were in the waiting room for about 12 of my 16 hour labor.

At 3:40pm on Monday, October 24th, Riley Quinn arrived just 1 day shy of her due date.

We were discharged on Wednesday to come home. We had to wait a little longer because her billiribbon test was slightly elevated and they wanted to do a second test. It was fine, so thankfully they let us go home. Her discharge weight was only 5oz below birth weight.

At her appointment on Thursday she was maintaining her weight and the dr. was so impressed. She also noted how alert she was and I was so proud of my baby girl already. :)

I am so blessed with an amazing little girl. She is such a good sleeper and is rarely fussy. We are really getting into a routine as a family of 3 and boy is it busy. We love every minute of it and could not be happier. I cannot believe she will be 1 week old tomorrow.

Happy Halloween and 1 week birthday, Riley Quinn. Mommy and Daddy love you!