07/26/2016

Abigail-Josée Carol Francine Brunet was born July 26th 2016 at 5:23 am. She weighed 9lbs and her length was never measured! 

Her pregnancy and labour and delivery was the hardest of all three. She really didn't make things easy for me. Morning sickness lasted into the third trimester and even in between contractions, from beginning to end she had me barfing!

With her, as with the boys, I was induced at 38 weeks. This time was a little different since I was already at 3-4 cm dialated and didn't require a cervidil treatment. They considered breaking my water but she wasn't descending into the canal. So we started the pictocin iv drip. It took so long to get ot going because my veins wouldn't hold the iv. 4 tries in, with the anesthesiologist called in to do it, we got it going. And did it ever go! Those contractions started and were steady from the get go.

Standing, walking and even big ball bouncing did not get her down. Dialation progressed steadily until 5-6 cm when the membrane was ruptured in hopes to get things progressing faster. Still, she did not go down. But the intensity of contractions only increased. We were at 8 cm for over 3 hours and stalled out there. No more dilation, no progression into the canal. With major urges to push yet no progression and only exhaustion, sometime after 4am I pleaded epidural. It brought some relief but my body was so tired and my muscles so played out that they started convulsing. And that's about the time the contractions were so close together and intense and she still hadn't engaged yet, she began being distressed. Being exhausted and her being in danger, the infamous c-section was brought up and agreed to. As I was being driven around the hallways, contractions were overwhelming and I was pushing with all the might I had left. I was wheeled in and prepped and people in scrubs where buzzing around me like crazy, getting everything ready. With all of that happening, I'm all by myself, pushing so hard. Finally, they check to see where I'm at since the room and there she is, crowning. They pushed daddy in, in his whole surgeon outfit, as her head comes out. A minute and a half later, she was born.

We didn't get delayed clamping or immediate skin to skin cuddles or a latched vitamin k injection. Daddy cut the cord and she was whisked away to the baby station, requiring tubing and cleaning and care. Daddy overlooking the whole time as I was being reconstructed again. Without pain this time, to my greatest relief. There I was, bawling my eyes out and going through every emotion possible. She was born, I did it. No surgery. But she wasn't crying yet. And then she cried but I couldn't see her or hold her. So relieving, so stressful, so intense and so scary. Then, she was in daddy's arm. And she fell in love. And he fell in love. And I was reminded of how deep my love was for him. She was placed on my chest but I couldn't hold her. My muscles wouldn't allow it. Then she needed more suction and was taken back. I didn't even get a look at her pretty face.

Daddy walked her back to the room as I moved off the OR table to the bed. Once in the room, I laid my eyes on her. She was so little and round and perfect. And then daddy had to take her back. I couldn't even stay awake or control the muscles spasms. I slept for an hour on and off. Then we latched and snuggled. It was all magical again. There she was. Our little girl.

We went home a day or so later. She hadn't really drank much or latched properly since that first time. The nurse chalked it up toher being tired after all that hard work of being born. I went with it. It was ok, I  got to sleep too. Bad idea. Once we left, we had to go back the next day for repeat jaundice testing. Her bilirubin levels skyrocketted. She was re-admitted. There goes the next emotional roller coaster. Cue UV lights and pumping and feeding her like crazy! Thank goodness for nipple shields. A few days later, we finally made it home and were able to settle.