I am finally getting around to writing her birth story, hopefully before the details start to fade.
I am going to start with the fact that I was huge. I was hoping to give birth early because i was so uncomfortable and tired of being pregnant but just really anxious to meet whoever it was in my belly because I had no feeling either way(or so I thought). I started contractions around 38 weeks and had been going through my days 5 cm dialated and 90% effaced. On Thursday, At my 39 week appt my midwife checked me and it was still pretty much the same. She mentioned that she checked me pretty good so it would be normal for me to see some spotting. So Danny, Elliot, and I left to go eat some lunch at a nearby mexican spot. While we were there, i felt a bit of some sort of fluid come out so I went to the bathroom to check. I had been feeling like I was peeing myself for weeks so this was not abnormal but when I went to check i found a lot of blood and by that I mean enough to be scary. Unfortunately I let Elliot come with me because I didn't think that would be the case and the poor little girl- the expression on her face was priceless (not mention that this became her new story to tell anyone - I literally had to tell her not to tell her teachers that mommy had ALL THIS BLOOD coming out.) So we headed right back over to the doctor and by that time it had subsided. They hooked me up and did the stress test. I was consistently contracting but had no pain whatsoever. I was sent home to take a bath and rest. So I did. and then it was Friday
I felt fine, no contractions, and bleeding had stopped. We went to work, visited friends, and had a pretty normal busy friday. We were gearing up for Halloween/Moogfest weekend which was going to one of the busiest all year. It was a good thing that I wasn't in labor because that was the one time we didn't want to have the baby because of all the craziness. So Friday night D and I watched a movie and I got up when it was over to go to the bathroom at about 11pm to find out that I was bleeding pretty bad again. Midwife said to go ahead and meet her at the hospital to make sure that everything was ok. So my mom came over to stay with Elliot and D and I headed over feeling pretty nervous because we had no idea what all the blood could mean and the fact that they were worried was worrying us. So I was checked in and then looked at by what seemed like a crowd of doctors...just a little vulnerable...Anyway, they came to the conclusion that I had to stay overnight under observation and that it would be a really good idea to go ahead and induce labor in the morning. They were thinking that my placenta was tearing away from my uterus causing the bleeding and while the baby sounded great and was in good health, they wanted to keep it that way. This was not exactly how I imagined my birth. With Elliot I was a week late and went into labor spontaneously and it was a little like magic. This felt planned and like I was choosing it or something. They made sure to let me know that they were choosing it and this was for the good of the baby and me. So D went home to Elliot and I "slept" with my enormous belly in a tiny hospital bed all hooked up to moniters...fun. The next day I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast (yuck) and got to take a stroll down the hall to choose which birthing room I wanted. They actually had birthing tub room available...amazing. I chose the one with the mountain view and lots of natural light. And then waited for my midwife to show up.
Finally at noon, she broke my water and then it was time to wait again. I was having light contractions that were pretty regular but around 2 they decided to hook me up to pitocen (just a little) to try to get the contractions kickstarted. As soon as they started to get everything set up for pitocen I started having some good contractions but they started it anyway. I immediately got into the tub and everyone left us alone to labor for a while. Danny was so great massaging me with the water. It progressed fast. Soon I was telling Danny that I was feeling pressure and I had changed my mind and wanted an epidural. The natural child birth had stopped sounding good all together. The pain was outrageous and I was scared. Finally the nurse and midwife came back in the room and told me that the only person IN THE WHOLE HOSPITAL that was qualified to administer an epidural "was busy" sitting in a room with a lady laboring with twins JUST IN CASE!!! At this point I wasn't completely out of control and when she checked me she was like...uh, Paige...do you feel like you need to push? so we started the process of pushing and crying and wimpering and cussing and begging for the epidural. I just couldn't push. I overheard the midwife say to someone that I wouldn't push, but for real, I could not push. Then finally they came in with the epidural. In minutes, I couldn't feel a thing. It was a little like heaven. I have to interject that my husband was awesome. He just comforted me the whole time and never got on my nerves -like everyone else. He was exactly what I needed to get through that. I needed someone to let me cry and beg.
Once the epidural took effect, it was just minutes before the babies full head of hair appeared. All I have to say is thank god the epidural showed up because the head came out and the next thing i knew, I was being flipped upside down and just felt a strong sense of urgency/panic in the room. What I didn't know was that the babies shoulders were stuck (shoulder distotia)and luckily my babies present themselves with their right hand by their cheek which made it easier for the midwife to pull her arm out and get the baby out. At 5:42 pm they put HER on my chest and then she was immediately whisked away from me. She wasn't breathing much and there was no crying so they were putting oxygen mask over her face and FINALLY maybe 10 minutes later I heard her cry. They brought her to me and Danny mentioned that she looked a little blue and they whisked her away again. I just wanted to hold my baby. While they were pondering over her everything, Danny was taking pictures of her and bringing the camera to me so I could see her. She was HUGE and full of chubby rolls and her face and head was so swollen and bruised.
They did mention that her cord was really big and thick...i dunno.
The next five hours are pretty blurry. We were in the labor and delivery room for that long so the nicu could come and examine her a couple of times and they eventually took xrays of her chest and arm (suspected clavicle break because her arm was down by her side)She was given a clean bill of health except the clean break in her clavicle. They told us to swaddle her and it will just heal itself in a couple of weeks...no stress right? Oh, I forgot to mention that they finally weighed her in at a healthy 10 lbs 3 oz and stretched 20 1/2 inches long! She was big and tiny all at the same time.
We finally were taken to our resting room around 11:30pm and we were exhausted. Danny left to go home and take care of the older kids. Kyla had been watching Elliot all day and night with the help of our dear friend Brooke. Logan was away on a cubscout camping trip so it was a bit easier for Kyla than it could have been. Logan and Elliot are little tornadoes when they are together. The rest of the time there I snuggled my baby and took healthy doses of pain relievers for the cramping.
We spent the next day thinking of a name. In the delivery room, Danny and I thought we would try Delilah. The next morning I thought Sehra Delilah sounded pretty and when I talked to Danny he told that Elliot had been calling her that so it was settled. Though her legal name is Sehra Delilah Kincaid Scully, Delilah is what we call her. Sehra just wouldn't flow out of my mouth and sounded weird when people would say it. So Baby D it is. Which is appropriate since she looked identical to her daddy:)
Welcome to the our family Delilah. We love you already!
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