Elena's Birth Story
We were all eagerly anticipating the arrival of Baby Girl on her due date which was supposed to be July 20th. But the day came and went, and so did the next 5 days! Finally, around 1:00am on Saturday, July 26th, I started to feel strong contractions. I had gotten up to use the restroom, and all of the sudden I heard a what sounded to me like my water breaking (Michael still doesn't think my water broke until we got to the hospital!) Regardless of when my water broke, the contractions started shortly thereafter and became more and more intense. I paced around our bedroom in the dark for quite awhile, wondering if this was it. I took a shower. Paced around the room again. Got back in the shower. I was a little unsure of what was going on, but I knew that what I was feeling was unlike anything I had felt before. Everyone had always told me that I would know for sure when it was actual labor.
Michael was still sleeping at this point so I woke him up. We started timing the contractions and they were about 3 to 5 minutes apart. At about 2:30am we woke up my mom, who had come down to be here for the birth. She began timing the contractions with me, while Michael looked up information on the internet. By about 3:00am the contractions were about a minute apart, so we called the midwife and she told us to come on in. What a whirlwind! Even though it had been two long hours since my contractions had started, I didn't feel like that much time had passed at all. I guess being in labor does that to you!
My dear husband Michael took a shower before we left so he could be fresh as a flower for the birth. I was a little annoyed that he would be worried about feeling clean while I was anticipating giving birth to our child but I just waited quietly while he finished and got everything packed up in the car. We then called Michael's family and let them know that we were on our way to the hospital.
The contractions continued on the 5 minute ride to the hospital and continued to get more and more intense. We went straight to labor and delivery where the nurse called the midwife to check me. After donning the hospital gown, I was checked by Jasmine Ortega, who was the midwife on call. She told me that I was 9cm dilated and fully effaced. She thought that I might not make it up to the birth center, but determined that I would have time so I was transferred up to the birth center on the 4th floor. By this point, I was already having such strong contractions that I felt the urge to push.
When we arrived at the birth center we were greeted by Kacie, who was the volunteer doula at the birth center that evening. They brought out a birthing ball, I was able to try it out in several different positions as I tried to find one that would help give some relief. Kacie had brought some CD's that she had not had the chance to try out previously but offered to put them on while I worked my way through the contractions. The first CD that she put on was not exactly what I had picture as the most relaxing CD for giving birth. It was a CD of jungle sounds and all I can remember were the monkey calls. Everyone determined that a different CD might be more appropriate for the situation so some nice piano music was put on instead.
The next hours were a blur to me as I pushed with each contraction. I had never felt such an overwhelming urge ever before and it took all the energy that I had. I do not remember much about the next hours except for little bits and pieces. Michael was helping me breathe through the contractions while my mom and Mary Lynn took turns fanning me or just offering moral support. The doula was great in helping me count each push and encouraged me to push harder and harder. By 5:00am I was completely exhausted and I think everyone could tell so they told me to take it easy and to not push so vigorously.
At around 5:45am I remembered looking outside the window and seeing the sun rise. What a night! And the new day was beginning. The midwife had me start pushing again. I pushed for over an hour as the midwife became more and more concerned about the well-being of Baby Girl. As I pushed my amniotic fluid would leak and they could all see the meconium from Baby Girl. It was a cause for concern so they told me that by 7:15am they wanted me to have her out! I was starting to get very, very tired as I had been pushing for around four hours. There were several people in the room and they were all encouraging me as I pushed. Little Baby Girl's head was crowning and ended up crowning for over an hour but no matter how hard I pushed, she just was not coming out!
By 7:30am the midwife, Jasmine, determined that I needed to be moved down to Labor and Delivery so that I could receive some help as I pushed. By “help” they were referring to either the vacuum or the forceps. They could tell that something was in the way and that was way Baby Girl wasn't coming out. They had me move over onto a gurney so that they could take me down. The trip downstairs was the hardest! They told me to stop pushing and to just breathe through the contractions. It was virtually impossible! I ignored what they said and silently pushed because that is what I felt like doing!
We finally arrive in Labor and Delivery and a whole bunch of nurses, doctors and other people started filtering in the room. They introduced me to that person and that one and all along I was thinking “I don't care who you are, just get this baby out!” A guy who introduced himself as Dr. Eskander came in and said that he would be the one helping to deliver Baby Girl as Jasmine's shift had ended. Dr. Eskander explained our different options to us regarding the delivery. We decided on them using the forceps to aid in the delivery. They gave me local anesthesia and did all the prep work for the final push! This whole time while he is talking to me and prepping me I was continuing to have contractions. By this time I was starting to not care how Baby Girl came out. The thought of having a c-section even crossed my mind but I knew that I had to give the forceps a try. By the way, the forceps were also present at my birth 27 years before so I knew they worked!
Dr. Eskander was doing his residency so a Dr. Shrimmer was also there as an attendant. He was a more experienced doctor that was there to supervise. At this point I didn't care who was there or who they were. Over on the other side of the room was a team of nurses and other personnel who were ready to receive Baby Girl when she came out. Dr. Eskander told me that I had to give one good push and that while I pushed they would pull with the forceps. Let's just say that the forceps being put in was the most uncomfortable thing ever! It was way worse (in my opinion) than enduring the contractions. Nevertheless, the forceps saved the day! One big push on my part and one big pull on the part of the forceps and Dr. Eskander and little Baby Girl came out! It was 9:00am on Saturday, July 26 when Baby Girl was born. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces and was about 21 inches long.
It felt so strange as she came out. The little one that had lived within me for almost 41 weeks was now out in the world, right next to us! Well, not quite! She was whisked off to the other side of the room where the team of nurses performed all the necessary tests to ensure that she was okay. I really don't remember much after this as I was in such as state of joy and discomfort from all that had just happened. A few minutes after Baby Girl came out they told me to give another push and out came the placenta. Because they had used forceps on me I had a third-degree tear, which they then proceeded to sow up. Dr. Eskander and Dr. Schrimmer worked together for about half an hour while the nurses gave me pitocin and other medications which I was not even aware of. Being sown up was no fun – I'm not going to lie! But it was all do-able because I knew that once that was done, I'd get to hold my beautiful Baby Girl. Michael stood by me while my mom and Mary Lynn talked to family or called relatives to let them know about baby's arrival.
Once everyone had left the room and it was just Michael and I and the baby I looked at him and said, “Michael, we've got to decide on a name for this girl – now! Our families want to know and they want to call people. It's time!” We already had a list of three names that we were working with but decided on the one we liked best. Our first daughter was named Elena Mae. Elena because my maternal grandmother's name is Helen and Mae because my paternal grandmother's middle name is Mae. A few hours later I was transferred back up to the birth center. Once we settled up there all the family came in and everyone got to hold Elena Mae. Elena's cousin Grace affectionately called her “Lemonade” because that's the way it sounded when she said Elena Mae. So cute! Grace can now say Elena Mae with no problems but I have the feeling “Lemonade” will always be a cute nickname.
We were discharged the next day around noon after an uneventful night in recovery. It felt so good to come back home. We were greeted by family and friends as they came over to see Elena. And it's been like that ever since. Elena is certainly surrounded by many wonderful people who lover her very much and love seeing and holding her! And that is how Elena Mae came into this world...
Michael was still sleeping at this point so I woke him up. We started timing the contractions and they were about 3 to 5 minutes apart. At about 2:30am we woke up my mom, who had come down to be here for the birth. She began timing the contractions with me, while Michael looked up information on the internet. By about 3:00am the contractions were about a minute apart, so we called the midwife and she told us to come on in. What a whirlwind! Even though it had been two long hours since my contractions had started, I didn't feel like that much time had passed at all. I guess being in labor does that to you!
My dear husband Michael took a shower before we left so he could be fresh as a flower for the birth. I was a little annoyed that he would be worried about feeling clean while I was anticipating giving birth to our child but I just waited quietly while he finished and got everything packed up in the car. We then called Michael's family and let them know that we were on our way to the hospital.
The contractions continued on the 5 minute ride to the hospital and continued to get more and more intense. We went straight to labor and delivery where the nurse called the midwife to check me. After donning the hospital gown, I was checked by Jasmine Ortega, who was the midwife on call. She told me that I was 9cm dilated and fully effaced. She thought that I might not make it up to the birth center, but determined that I would have time so I was transferred up to the birth center on the 4th floor. By this point, I was already having such strong contractions that I felt the urge to push.
When we arrived at the birth center we were greeted by Kacie, who was the volunteer doula at the birth center that evening. They brought out a birthing ball, I was able to try it out in several different positions as I tried to find one that would help give some relief. Kacie had brought some CD's that she had not had the chance to try out previously but offered to put them on while I worked my way through the contractions. The first CD that she put on was not exactly what I had picture as the most relaxing CD for giving birth. It was a CD of jungle sounds and all I can remember were the monkey calls. Everyone determined that a different CD might be more appropriate for the situation so some nice piano music was put on instead.
The next hours were a blur to me as I pushed with each contraction. I had never felt such an overwhelming urge ever before and it took all the energy that I had. I do not remember much about the next hours except for little bits and pieces. Michael was helping me breathe through the contractions while my mom and Mary Lynn took turns fanning me or just offering moral support. The doula was great in helping me count each push and encouraged me to push harder and harder. By 5:00am I was completely exhausted and I think everyone could tell so they told me to take it easy and to not push so vigorously.
At around 5:45am I remembered looking outside the window and seeing the sun rise. What a night! And the new day was beginning. The midwife had me start pushing again. I pushed for over an hour as the midwife became more and more concerned about the well-being of Baby Girl. As I pushed my amniotic fluid would leak and they could all see the meconium from Baby Girl. It was a cause for concern so they told me that by 7:15am they wanted me to have her out! I was starting to get very, very tired as I had been pushing for around four hours. There were several people in the room and they were all encouraging me as I pushed. Little Baby Girl's head was crowning and ended up crowning for over an hour but no matter how hard I pushed, she just was not coming out!
By 7:30am the midwife, Jasmine, determined that I needed to be moved down to Labor and Delivery so that I could receive some help as I pushed. By “help” they were referring to either the vacuum or the forceps. They could tell that something was in the way and that was way Baby Girl wasn't coming out. They had me move over onto a gurney so that they could take me down. The trip downstairs was the hardest! They told me to stop pushing and to just breathe through the contractions. It was virtually impossible! I ignored what they said and silently pushed because that is what I felt like doing!
We finally arrive in Labor and Delivery and a whole bunch of nurses, doctors and other people started filtering in the room. They introduced me to that person and that one and all along I was thinking “I don't care who you are, just get this baby out!” A guy who introduced himself as Dr. Eskander came in and said that he would be the one helping to deliver Baby Girl as Jasmine's shift had ended. Dr. Eskander explained our different options to us regarding the delivery. We decided on them using the forceps to aid in the delivery. They gave me local anesthesia and did all the prep work for the final push! This whole time while he is talking to me and prepping me I was continuing to have contractions. By this time I was starting to not care how Baby Girl came out. The thought of having a c-section even crossed my mind but I knew that I had to give the forceps a try. By the way, the forceps were also present at my birth 27 years before so I knew they worked!
Dr. Eskander was doing his residency so a Dr. Shrimmer was also there as an attendant. He was a more experienced doctor that was there to supervise. At this point I didn't care who was there or who they were. Over on the other side of the room was a team of nurses and other personnel who were ready to receive Baby Girl when she came out. Dr. Eskander told me that I had to give one good push and that while I pushed they would pull with the forceps. Let's just say that the forceps being put in was the most uncomfortable thing ever! It was way worse (in my opinion) than enduring the contractions. Nevertheless, the forceps saved the day! One big push on my part and one big pull on the part of the forceps and Dr. Eskander and little Baby Girl came out! It was 9:00am on Saturday, July 26 when Baby Girl was born. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces and was about 21 inches long.
It felt so strange as she came out. The little one that had lived within me for almost 41 weeks was now out in the world, right next to us! Well, not quite! She was whisked off to the other side of the room where the team of nurses performed all the necessary tests to ensure that she was okay. I really don't remember much after this as I was in such as state of joy and discomfort from all that had just happened. A few minutes after Baby Girl came out they told me to give another push and out came the placenta. Because they had used forceps on me I had a third-degree tear, which they then proceeded to sow up. Dr. Eskander and Dr. Schrimmer worked together for about half an hour while the nurses gave me pitocin and other medications which I was not even aware of. Being sown up was no fun – I'm not going to lie! But it was all do-able because I knew that once that was done, I'd get to hold my beautiful Baby Girl. Michael stood by me while my mom and Mary Lynn talked to family or called relatives to let them know about baby's arrival.
Once everyone had left the room and it was just Michael and I and the baby I looked at him and said, “Michael, we've got to decide on a name for this girl – now! Our families want to know and they want to call people. It's time!” We already had a list of three names that we were working with but decided on the one we liked best. Our first daughter was named Elena Mae. Elena because my maternal grandmother's name is Helen and Mae because my paternal grandmother's middle name is Mae. A few hours later I was transferred back up to the birth center. Once we settled up there all the family came in and everyone got to hold Elena Mae. Elena's cousin Grace affectionately called her “Lemonade” because that's the way it sounded when she said Elena Mae. So cute! Grace can now say Elena Mae with no problems but I have the feeling “Lemonade” will always be a cute nickname.
We were discharged the next day around noon after an uneventful night in recovery. It felt so good to come back home. We were greeted by family and friends as they came over to see Elena. And it's been like that ever since. Elena is certainly surrounded by many wonderful people who lover her very much and love seeing and holding her! And that is how Elena Mae came into this world...
You can see pictures of Elena's first day of life here.
1 comments:
Thanks for posting that, Ann! It sounds like you went through a bit of a rough time there at the end! Isn't it amazing how much resilience and determination we receive during labor from "motherhood".... to be able to endure all of that. Elena is so pretty, and she is blessed to have you for a mother!
-Eva
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