A BUMP IN THE OREGON TRAIL: Week 37 & The Arrival of Charlotte Jo Richardson

Size of the baby: She was 6lbs 3 oz, and 21 inches long!!

Most Exciting Things The Past Week:

I am catching up on my blog so here we go...

This was an exciting week. Wednesday of this week, work threw me a baby shower! It was awesome! They brought in my favorite meal tacos, and everyone told their birthing stories which freaked me out and also got me excited. The Athletic Training Leadership team got us the BOB Running Stroller (so excited!). Lisa and few of the girls were so helpful in wheeling and loading my gifts into my car. I feel lucky to work with such a great team! Here are some pics the day of the shower.

It had been a busy day running around the office to ensure I could attend my baby shower and when I got home, I had one swollen leg and ankle. Tristan and I needed to drop my car off at the dealership to get a transmission fluid flushed the following day (one of the many to do items before Charlotte arrived). I tried to prop my foot the whole way there but when we got back it was even worse and purple. So of course, since I had waited until the late evening to consider getting it checked out, I had to go to the ER. They did an ultrasound on both of my legs to look for a blood clot. They didn't find anything so five hours later (Tristan fell asleep on two folding chairs and had to wake up for work in 3 hours...) we came back home and I just wore compression socks. The Dr. told me to stay home from work and rest with my feet up all day Thursday so I worked from home. I returned to work on Friday feeling a little better, but really sluggish. Luckily I had a Dr.'s appt that afternoon at 4:00pm. Later I found out I had the beginning of Preclampsia which is what likely caused this...

So I left for the Dr. a little early as Friday was a whirlwind. I was training the girl who would be covering for me and another coworker while we were both out on maternity leave. I felt I needed a 10 minute rest before the Dr. I parked in the roof top parking where there was a little sun, rolled down the windows, and awww caught a few z's. This Dr. visit was my first vaginal exam to see if I had dilated yet. The Dr. felt and said, "well you're about 1/2 a cm dilated, you still have a bit." And then we both heard a pop. She looked at me and said is that what I think it was?! And in my mind, I was thinking, "I don't know?? Was it??!" And YES it was my water!! So Dr. Suzuki grabbed my hand and said, "Jessi, you are having this baby this weekend. Now it may not happen until Sunday because you aren't very dilated so I want you to prepare yourself." My mind was racing! I was still stuck on, what? My water just broker?? Tristan isn't with me, we haven't packed our hospital bag, I have nothing ready. Tristan's family was just here. I hadn't even cleaned our place since they left. HOLY CRAP. My question was, can I call my husband? Can I go home first? Her reply, "yes, of course call your husband. And no you can not go home. I need you to walk across the street and check yourself into the birthing center." In my mind, I'm thinking ok, I'm leaking like a gushing fire hydrant, how am I going to make it across the street without creating a scene? Luckily, she gave me the tiniest pad to make it over in (sorry for the detail). It literally got me to the hospital...not to the birthing center.

I called Tristan, who was taking his usual Friday afternoon nap. He didn't answer at first, so began to call repeatedly. He answered sleepily, "how was your appointment?" And I said, well my water broke. Can you pack our bags and meet me at the birthing center. He was ever so calm, "okay, okay, yep, I'll grab our bags and see you in a few." Luckily we only live a mile away from the hospital. Meanwhile, I checked myself in and realized I hadn't eaten lunch and it was 4:30pm. If I was going to make it threw giving birth, I needed to eat something. The nurse was nice and said, "hey, you're going to be in here all weekend eating hospital food. If you can be back in 15 minutes, I'll let you go grab something. So I darted like a mad woman to a burrito place (not sure if that was my smartest decision). On my walk over, I think I called everyone. What was surprising was Amy Dice had text me. They were getting ready to leave for Hawaii over Spring Break. She asked what we were up to and just checking in to see how I was doing. I let her know my water had broke and in true Amy fashion she was on her way to the hospital. I walked into get Tristan and I a burrito and as I'm ordering, I'm thinking wow my water is dribbling out of me and this guy just asked how my day was. I played it totally cool. "It's good, my water just broke." I don't think it even registered to him....

I returned to the hospital, they got me all hooked up to the heart monitor, contraction monitor, and baby heart monitor. Tristan arrived with about 5 bags packed with everything you could think of (he's an amazing packer). And shortly after Tristan arrived, Amy arrived with a vase of tulips, and two large Nordstrom bags of goodies. Her quote, "I forgot what you might need so I had to call some friends." She had brought two robes, one soft plush one and one lighter weight, matching sweat pants, burp clothes, a snuggly, cute socks for Charlotte, and more! I was so grateful to just see her. It calmed me and her excitement got me even more excited. She snapped a picture of Tristan and I and headed out....

The nurses put me on Pitosin to help kick start labor. My body was already contracting although not true labor contractions. By Saturday late afternoon they decided to take me off the Pitosin and let my body do it's thing. The Dr. finally checked me, which did I mention Dr. Suzuki was headed out on Spring Break so I now had a new Dr. I had never met...SO the Dr. finally checked me Saturday evening to see if I had dialated more. She had wanted to wait as long as possible as I was at a higher risk for infection since my water had broken so early. When she went to check, I had so much fluid, it had formed another mini bubble which was keeping me from going into full labor. She popped the bubble (which HURT!!) and it was 5 minutes later and I was in full active labor! Holy moly...it dropped me literally to my knees. It took me by complete surprise. I had two full days of heavy braxton hicks, who knew that it would feel like this. I went without drugs for about 2-3 hours. Threw up from the pain, and after about 3 hours. I looked at Tristan as I'm doggy style on the floor. The next time a nurse come in, I need some pain medicine. In my mind, I knew I needed something if I was going to make it through several more hours of labor. I was barely dilated so I knew I had some time, but the contractions were coming with little break. Enough for me to get a sentence out. By the time the ding dong of an anesthesiologist made it in, I was not such a happy camper. He was moving slow, there were a ton of people in my room, and it was all irritating as it just felt like overload. I just needed to focus on breathing! Tristan brought me back to focus after I had begun to get a little snappy with the anesthesiologist...I needed him to move quick and do it before I had another contraction, and of course in my mind I doubted his ability to do this. Luckily, he finally injected me quickly and right as another contraction was coming. The bummer with this epidural was it didn't fully take and they had laid me down so I could rest (who can freakin sleep when you're in labor?) and the epidural had traveled to my lungs. I couldn't breathe! (My worst fear) So they had to give me blood pressure medicine (I think), and sat me all the way up on my pelvis, in which was still have excruciating pain. This did help some, the anesthesiologist then gave me some narcotics to try and help since the epidural just made my legs numb (another fear of mine). So now, I'm completely drugged and spinning. I threw up again. Poor Tristan was there for it all. Holding my hair in the bathroom and holding the bag for me to puke in. Nothing brings you closer than labor! I found some relief in the sitting up position and leaned over on a yoga ball. Tristan sat at the end of the bed to hold the yoga ball and we both got a little rest in that position. I soon began to feel like I needed to push. The nurses kept telling me not yet, honey. BUT how do you stop your body from pushing?? So finally about an hour later they went and got the Dr. after I insisted I COULD NOT NOT push. The Dr. came in and said, YEP you are a 10! I pushed for an hour. Charlotte's heart rate had begun to drop. The Dr. said you need to push her out in the next 3 pushes or we will have to use the tongs. I pushed with all my might and until I was blue in the face and sure enough there she came! The umbilical cord was wrapped twice tightly around her neck, so she was purple. The Dr. cut the cord right away and Tristan got to cut the remaining cord. They screened her quickly to make sure she was breathing ok and then brought her to me and it was this moment....

Wow, my heart was filled. Who was this little person? 6 lbs, 3 oz and 21 inches long. She was born at 7:19am on Sunday morning, March 23rd. The sun was rising and the beautiful tulips, Amy had brought were sitting in the window. I saw those as I was giving my final pushes. Tulips will forever be Charlotte's flower in my mind. What a beautiful day!!