Laney Ann's Arrival

I had to write this post as soon as possible so that I wouldn't forget any of the important details.

This was such a special day to me, and I can't stop reliving it in my head.

Some background information, I had a scheduled c-section with Carson at 39 weeks because he was breech.  I didn't have to labor at all, just went in the morning and had a baby a few hours later.

I chose to try for a VBAC with this baby, because why not?   I didn't want to have any regrets with how she was born.  My main reason was because I have a crazy toddler to take care of, and I didn't want to keep getting hit in my incision.

My doctor was totally pro VBAC (which is hard to come by these days) and completely supported my decision.  He said my odds of having her vaginally were less than 50%, and I was ok with that.  I knew I might have to have a c-section, but it didn't scare me because I had done it before.

{last bump picture, about a week before she came}

So fast forward to my due date, Wednesday, July 15.  Baby girl was still not here and I was getting very frustrated.  I had contractions my entire pregnancy ALL THE TIME, and I was only dilated to a 2 or 3 at my appointment that day.  I had a scheduled c-section for the next Tuesday in case she didn't come by then because you can't be induced for a VBAC.

Anyway, Saturday morning rolls around and I get a really painful contraction around 6:40 that wakes me up.  I go back to sleep and wake up again at 6:50 and know this could be it because I couldn't breathe through them!  I had another at 7:00 and woke Steve up and said it could be the time but who knows?  I was really starting to doubt myself because I had contractions start and stop all the time.  At that point they started to get closer, about 5 minutes apart and progressively more and more intense.  The doctor said to come in at 5 minutes apart so we called him and packed our bags.  We left for the hospital around 7:30.  Meanwhile I am just praying that my contractions don't stop and that this isn't false labor.  It took us about an hour from the time we got to the hospital to get checked into a room and answer all of their questions.  (why do they do that bytheway?)  She FINALLY checked me and I was at a 6 or 7!  I was seriously dying.  I just remember during each contraction saying to the nurse and Steve, "Help me!  I seriously don't know what to do.  I didn't look into this at home."  But seriously, I had no idea what to do.  I didn't have any idea how to breathe through a contraction or push or anything.  I didn't want to get my hopes up for a VBAC so I didn't prepare AT ALL.  I kept telling the nurse over and over that I wanted an epidural ASAP but she kept blowing my veins trying to put the IV in and then we had to wait for all the fluid to go in.

FINALLY around 10:30 the guy came with the epidural, and it was painless.  Then my doctor comes in and checks me and I'm already an 8!  I couldn't believe it.  This is exactly how I didn't want my labor to go, but I was happy to finally have an epidural.

My doctor came back an hour later (11:30), and I was a 10.  It was time to push!  Since I had no idea how, it took a few tries to get the hang of it.  We tried pushing laying on my back but she started having heart decels and they thought she might have a cord wrapped around her somewhere.  So I pushed laying halfway on my side and she did much better from that angle.

My doctor and nurse helped me the entire time.  I seriously could not have done it without them.  At 12:49 pm (6 hours from the start!), our little Laney Ann came into this world.  It was one of the most beautiful and emotional things I have ever experienced.  Having that moment in time was definitely worth waiting for my VBAC and not just having a scheduled c-section earlier.

She was 9 lb. 1 oz and 21 inches long.

Her stats from her 5 day old appointment with percentages were:

8 lb 13 oz (89%), 21 inches (97%), and head circumference 14 inches (86%)

Where did this huge baby come from?!  When I see how big she was (especially her head), I am amazed that she came out of me.  I think if my doctor had any idea how big she really was, he wouldn't have let me even try for a VBAC.

So I am truly grateful that it all worked out.  Babies are little miracles.  We are loving our little piece of heaven so much.