Welcome to the world... McKenna Piper Fleury!

Since we kept so many people in suspense for so long, I thought I would post my birth story. It has taken me a while to get it all down on paper and to get online again. But, here it is... be forewarned it is a long story.

(1/18) I was admitted for my induction at 7am on Sunday 1/18. They took me back and started fluids, etc. There was a bit of a wait while they searched for the cervical ripening balloon my Dr wanted to use. Evidently it’s new and not something used that often yet, so they had to hunt one down. By around 10am they came in and placed the balloon. It was very uncomfortable, not only being placed, but just in general. I had to have the external part taped to my leg the whole time... (sorry if that's TMI) I dreaded my frequent trips to the bathroom. As if that weren’t bad enough on it’s own, my back was getting progressively more sore and achy. I wound up taking 2 doses of Stadol (sp?) (lasts about 45 min – 1 hour) during this 12 our period, which really just knocked me out, but it helped pass time and dull some of the back pain. All the while our visitors are arriving. My Mom, Dad and in-laws were all at the hospital by about 11am on Sunday. Little did they know they were in for a LONG wait! My Dr originally told me that this cervical ripening balloon was a faster method (than others sometimes used) and that it would likely be somewhere around 4 hours and I would be 4cm dilated at the end of that process. Well, evidently this was not going to be the case for me. I sat there for the full 12 hours and at the end of it all was “3 -4 cm” and still not fully effaced. At this point I was just ready to get that damn thing out and start on the next step in the process.

(1/19) So at midnight, they finally started me on pitocin at midnight. Now we continue to wait. Throughout this process they are steadily increasing the pitocin. They started me out at 2 units and bumped it up every 20/30 mins or so until I eventually maxed out at 32 units. All with no results… no contractions, no progress, etc. All the while I’m wondering when they will break my water, since my Dr has told me that would be the plan, if necessary. I just kind of assumed that it wasn’t time yet of there was some reason it was “necessary” yet, so I never asked. By 9:30am Monday morning (26 ½ hrs into this process) I had officially maxed out on the pitocin. Aside from all the other discomforts, being in a hospital bed for 26 ½ hours sucks! Those beds are so damn uncomfortable. They had to give me an hour off the pitocin before we could try another round. They told me to go ahead and shower, eat lunch etc and then we would get started again; they would break my water and start the pitocin again. I was feeling pretty discouraged at this point, but figured that once they broke my water things would progress quickly. Wrong again.

(1/19) Around 11am on Monday they broke my water. Oh my God, that was so painful (makes me want to cry just thinking about it), but I had Craig there by my side to talk me through it.

About 3 ½ hours into the the 2nd round of pitocin, my Dr suggested I get the Epidural so that it would be easier for me to “cooperate” when the time came to push, etc. So by around 2:30 pm the Epi was in, and the pitocin was being cranked up. I was hoping this was the homestretch. Wrong, yet again. Several hours later I was only 5 cm. Of course everyone told me that this was “great progress”… I cried. Around this point I start losing track of time (in my memory of the event… not at the time. At the time I was painfully aware of each passing minute). A few hours later the Epi started wearing off and I was getting very uncomfortable, so they gave me a bolus, which made me pretty much entirely numb. I couldn’t even lift my own legs.

All the while my poor family was waiting, waiting, waiting. My Dad had to arrange to stay a 2nd night at his hotel, my in-laws were going to our house 2x each day to feed our dogs, and my Mom & Craig were sleeping in the room with me the whole time (freezing their butts off because I had the room like a refrigerator and having to take turns sleeping sitting up!) and everyone was trying their best to pass the time any way they could… wandering the halls of the hospital, watching TV in the waiting room, etc. Over the next 6 hours it was a constant flow of “one more hour and we’re gong to push” updates none of which produced the “she’s here” update they were all so anxiously waiting to hear.

(1/20) Around 12 or 1am I finally reached 8 cm. Around 2am I was just about 10, feeling tremendous pressure and they were turning off my Epi so that I would be able to feel enough to push effectively. I was miserable, and hot…Craig was wonderful, putting cold soaked washcloth on my head and wrists for several hours trying to help keep my temperature down. My fever was at about 101 at this point. I had what they called a cat lip, a tiny bit of cervix still not dilated and in the way or pushing, so couldn’t push for risk of tearing the cervix. I sat there for hours waiting for the next check to see if I could push yet. Each time they would walk in and say “Ok, now we’re gonna push and have this baby”, then they would check me and see that I hadn’t made any further progress and tell me “not yet” and they’d check back in an hour. It was devastating each time. By the third time I just broke down. I was so exhausted, in pain and still had a 102 fever. Sometime after this my Dr came in and said they could manually try to push the lip if the cervix back while I pushed in order to allow me try to push past it. So we tried this for an hour or so, but I just couldn’t get her past my pubic bone. I was so done at this point. I felt like I had no energy left. Each push was exhausting and they had me doing 3 at a time… each time I took in a big breath I felt like the contraction was ripping my side open. By my third breath each time, I could barely hold my breath long enough to make it to the 10 count. I had my Mom, Craig and my nurse Jen telling me I was doing great and not to give up, but after each round of pushing I felt like I was failing miserably and I was so exhausted I just wanted to cry and say “I can’t!” My blood pressure was through the roof, my fever was up to 102 (the Tylenol wasn’t doing any good) and I was quickly running out of steam. By this time it’s about 5am. My Dr comes in and goes through one round of pushing with me and says “She’s not gonna make it past your pubic bone… let’s go have this baby”. I have to admit that even though I really was hoping to avoid a c-section, I was somewhat relieved to hear him say that. I needed this process to be over at this point… 46 ½ hours was all that I could take.

So, within about 10 minutes (a very LONG 10 minutes, as I was completely without any pain meds at this point) I was being wheeled into the OR. Once they pushed the meds I started having a terrible time keeping my eyes open… that was so upsetting. After all this time I did NOT want to sleep through my daughter’s birth. I fought to stay awake, shivering uncontrollably the whole time. Not long into the surgery Craig said, “There she is, do you hear her?” which I didn’t at first. Then I heard her little cry and started crying myself. At 5:38am, McKenna was born weighing 9 lbs 2 oz and 21 ¼ in long. I was so glad she was ok and that she finally was here. After all we went through to get to this point, not just labor, but also our prior losses, it was an unbelievable relief to see her. They brought her over to me so that I could give her a kiss and then they handed her off to Daddy. He was completely in love immediately and it was written all over his face. He was holding her with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, he looked at me and said “We did it!”

Because of my fever, McKenna and I would both have to have several rounds of antibiotics. This meant that she would have to go straight to the NICU and stay there for 2 days. This is probably the most disappointing part of my whole labor experience for me. Daddy accompanied McKenna to the NICU (and didn’t leave her side for 48 hours!) and I was wheeled off to recovery once they finished stitching me up. I hate that I was apart from her for those hours (at least 4+) after she was born. I was so looking forward to that moment when they plop your little newborn on your tummy and you get to meet/bond with her right away. Once they brought me up from recovery and got me settle into my post-partum room, they wheeled me down to NICU so that I could see my baby. It broke my heart to see her attached to all the monitors and an IV in her tiny little hand. Despite appearances, she was doing wonderfully. My post-partum stay was the longest 3 days of my life! I wanted to be with my little girl and I just wanted to come home…and get out of that awful hospital bed! Friday afternoon, we were finally released and sent on our way to start our new life. It’s been wonderful and unbelievably emotional. My hormones are out of control, but I know that is part of the whole new Mom thing. We were lucky enough to have my Mom here with us for our first week at home… we hope she’s able to come back out on a regular basis. Hopefully during her next visit we will be able to get out of the house more often and I won’t be an emotional basket case the whole time. ☺

Time to try and have a quick lunch before my little angel wakes up. Here are a few pics and a link to our online album. Please focus your attention on our darling little girl and not on Mommy. Mommy isn’t looking so sparkly these days.

Online album link: http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w219/fleurdelv/McKenna%20Piper%20Fleury/



Daddy putting on McKenna’s hat




On our way to our first Pediatrician visit


Daddy/daughter time


I love this little outfit… she’s almost too long for it already! lol


3 generations…


I almost forgot... after our first night at home, Craig sent out this email to some friends/family to update them on our first night. I thought this was a riot!

Well 1st night at home, and the theme would be “check the baby”

As soon as the lights were off she started to fuss, sooo get up and check the baby. Get her calm and get back in bed. Geeee she is very quiet, so get up and check the baby, she’s ok, back to bed. Oppps I heard a gurgle, get up check the baby. Pass out… “waaaaaa” wow is it 2am already, well get up and check the baby. Diaper time, feeding time (trying to breast feed her, but she only takes to it sometimes, and she hates My booby) Maybe mom should breast feed. Well if one parent is up, hell we should both be up. Back to bed now. Did you hear that? Check the baby. Hey this is what 4 am in Phoenix looks like, well check the baby. Wait where is dad going, ohh back to bed he is learning this is not a 2 person job every time (see breast feeding comment). Dream land “yes president Nixon I can build that ray gun to defeat the Gorg space armada.. and what else sir?… what,…. Check the bady?” Ok I am awake, hey just for shits and giggles… wait for it…. Check the baby. Well now it is 930am, THANK GOD FOR COFFEE! (side note to cousin Chris: How can you not drink this liquid crack?) I am up, mom and baby are sleeping……………………..sorry it was too quiet in there I had to check the baby.

As so the day begins.

Love you all.