Our baby story

A lot of people have been asking about my labour and I would rather write it once than write it over again to each person so I am sorry that I am not answering you individually.  I also want to say that I will put information on here that may make some queasy or uncomfortable- It has words like cervix, etc.

So, many of you know that I was due March 16th and I didn't have her then.  We had our baby girl Saturday morning at 6:34 am (March 23) so she gets her own birthday on both sides of the family!  We named her Magdalen (pronounced Maudlin) Yvonne Bayes Robison.  She was 8.8, 20" or 51 cm long and her head was 14" or 36 cm around.

I was a little cagey, waiting, it's true but I found a few things to do- taking the dog for a walk every day, going to the mall and walking around... Looking at non maternity clothes longingly lol, cleaning, going to the library and going to the Temple do to initatories.  It made things feel better.

On Friday March 22, the midwives called and said that I could come in and they would give me a natural induction which was a concoction containing caster oil and other such delicious things and they also did another scrapping of the membranes   A natural induction is does not bring on labour the same as a medical one and will only work if my body is ready to have a baby.  They also said that I needed to go in and get acupuncture... ARG!  I was preparing myself for getting an IV sometime soon and now I was going in for more things being put into my skin that shouldn't be there?!  But it was up to me and I did it.  I missed my sister Rachel for this.  When I was younger and would go in for this she used to hold a book under the table for me to look at and would turn the pages when I asked her to.  It would distract me from the fact that the needles were in my back.  Also, they had me in a sitting position so I could actually see the pins/needles if I opened my eyes- Which I didn't do a lot. lol But I got through it.  It was an hour long session and half way through I started having contractions (at 3pm).  They weren't intense but were quite frequent.  After that we just waited for them to become more frequent and hung out with our friends the Rice's down the road, watched a show and tried to sleep.

At 10 ish I went in the shower but the water didn't last very long.  Around 11 we called the midwife and she came to check me but I wasn't far enough into the labour- 3 cm.  Scott says she stayed until 1am and I was still the same... :(

When the midwife came the second time she stayed because I was 6 cm dilated.  I laboured for a while with Scott pushing on my hips to relieve back labour, although Magdalen was not posterior so I shouldn't have been having it- at least in my opinion. ;) He said he was pushing as hard as he could, which isn't something I would normally be able to handle.  I guess your pain tolerance is quite different when in labour.  lol

We were planning to go to the hospital and I am Group B strep Positive so I need antibiotics via IV during labour.  When the midwife got back to our place she offered me to have the IV at home or go to the hospital and have it there.  I figured that I would feel more comfortable getting it at home and then go to the hospital. By the time I got the antibiotics and they checked me, I was too far along to safely go to the hospital any more... I think the words they used was that it would be a "risky trip".
So we were having a home birth.  From the time they showed up and checked me at 6 cm to the time I had her was 3 hours and apx 15 min after so it was good that I didn't go, I think.
Right after the IV, I was feeling like pushing and when they checked me I was dilated but I had an anterior lip- meaning at the front of my cervix there was a lip stuck over her head.  So they had me sit on the toilet and NOT push.  SERIOUSLY!  lol Well, I did it but I complained to Scott- I told him that midwives tell you what to do just like doctors or something like that.  He thought that was pretty funny I guess.  So after a bit of not being able to push and being given some herbs on my cervix to move it, they let me push on my back on the bed because then one midwife could hold the lip out of the way, with Scott and the other midwife helping me hold my legs.  They told me that I pushed for less than 20 min and she was there.  I was able to feel her head when she came out.  I had thought/heard that once the head comes out, the shoulders are super easy but I guess with the lip, it was still a little work because it was a few contractions later that they told me I could again push to get her shoulders out.  Then she was there and they put her on my belly and a towel around her- I noticed that she was a girl but I guess everyone else waited to check until the placenta was out.  The most unusual part was not the placenta but the membranes coming out because they had me cough- not push to remove the membranes and I could feel it somewhat.
Afterwards, my blood pressure dropped for a while but with some laying down, protein and water, it came back up.

She is a pleasant little one and my mom and dad came Sunday to see her with the boys.  Scott's parents were here that entire weekend as well and Linda is staying until Monday as Scott was up in Red Deer teaching again on Monday.  Huckleberry is being great with her and has cried a few times when she is crying. lol

I guess I have a lot of milk, which makes her gassy but hopefully that will all calm down and she will feel better soon- It's no fun to have a baby crying when I can't do anything to help her.
Scott is done teaching in Red Deer for the semester as of yesterday.  It will be nice to have him to help at night if I need.  We are really enjoying this parenthood thing and she is super cute... I just don't know how people do this with young children. lol I don't have to worry about that for a while though.
Thanks for all the help and support from everyone- I know we have been in people's thoughts and prayers and we appreciate it!

Last weekend was Easter and fast Sunday and so we blessed her and then had a family dinner at the church afterwards.  I was nice to have family around and to hear the blessing.

Here are a few pictures.