Welcome Evelyn Grace!
Evelyn Grace came into the world at 11:36 p.m. on Wednesday October 22nd, 2014 - exactly a week before her due date. She was a healthy 7 lbs 1 oz and measured 20 inches long, and we couldn't be happier with her. Here is the story of her birth and first few days - definitely the most exciting and happy time of my life thus far. It's a long post...
I had my 39 week doctors appointment on Tuesday morning of this week, and was pretty excited to find out that I was already 3 cm dilated (not in labour, but a good sign that baby was moving in the right direction). The doctor also did a membrane sweep at this appointment - this can be a labour induction technique but only really works if the baby is ready. Anyway - I went on with my work day and noticed some cramping (can be an effect of the membrane sweep for up to 24 hours). That evening and through the night the cramping continued, but I was still able to sleep for the most part (thank goodness). Around 3 am I woke up with slightly more pain, and then by 5 am I wasn't able to stay in bed any longer. This being my first pregnancy I wasn't really sure if these were contractions or still just an effect of the sweep but I knew I was in enough pain that I couldn't get through the 5 meetings I had scheduled for the day (I was supposed to work until Friday Oct 24).
Since I wasn't really sure what was happening, we decided that Craig would still go into work and come home at lunch if I was worsening (he was also scheduled to do about 25 Ebola training sessions this week at the hospital). By 9 am though, I was timing the contractions and definitely knew these weren't just side effects so I told Craig he better come home. We stayed at home until we met the 5-1-1 rule (contractions 5 or less mins apart, lasting 1 minute each, happening for at least 1 hour in this pattern) and then headed to the hospital around 1 pm.
At the hospital, our admission was relatively quick. I was about 4 cm dilated when we arrived and was glad to hear the doctor confirm that I was in active labour (I did not want to endure a car ride home!). We were in triage for about 2 hours and then given our labour and delivery room around 3pm - which was really nice and comfortable. We were at Rocky View General Hospital, and the L&D rooms overlook the Glenmore Reservoir and the Rocky Mountains - so at least the scenery was nice.
The contractions got a lot worse and I made the choice to get an epidural when I was 6 cm dilated, at about 5 pm. I am so happy I made this decision after originally planning to do it naturally. My experience with the epidural was really positive - I was able to feel all of my contractions, but instead of intense pain it was just a bit of pressure that felt a little like I had to pee. I could also feel and move my legs the whole time which was good. From there, Craig and I basically just waited for things to continue moving - I would actually describe the rest of the experience as relaxing and much easier than I would have expected and I'm glad I had that time to rest and save my energy.
By 9 pm or so, I was about 8 cm dilated (the goal is to get to 10 cm) but my contractions weren't all that regular and the baby was having some decelerations in her heart rate after some contractions, so the doctor started me on Pitocin to normalize the contractions and make them more frequent as she felt it would be better to get the baby out sooner. That worked reasonably well, and when she checked me at 11 pm I was fully dilated and ready to push.
The doctor gave us an overview of what was going to happen, and said that it could be up to 3-4 hours of pushing knowing that I was a first time mother and that my contractions were still quite spread apart. I love when you are prepared for the worst, but then end up with a much better situation :)
I pushed through 4-5 contractions before the nurses called in the delivery team - much to my surprise! It was very motivating when they told me she was going to be here soon. In total, I pushed for 16 minutes. Having Craig, and the L&D nurses and doctor there cheering me on was very motivating - kind of like the end of a marathon where all the fans just keep you from stopping and walking. It was the most amazing experience to feel and see my baby come from inside my body to on my chest. She cried right away and happy when the doctor said she was healthy and sent away the "baby support team" (they were there in case there were any problems related to her heart decelerations).
They did their checks/procedures on both me and the baby - Evelyn was healthy overall with no major concerns. She has a hematoma on her her head but it should go away in time - it's likely due to the fact that she came out so quickly. I had to get a few stitches as I tore inside a little bit (to be honest, I don't know where they are and I don't plan on trying to figure it out). The nurse also gave Craig and I a "tour" of the placenta and amniotic sac before getting rid of it. That was really neat to "see" what was actually going on inside my body for the last 9 months.
From there, I had some skin-to-skin time with Evelyn and did my first feed with her, then the nurses had me up and showering and using the washroom before we transferred to the postpartum unit. At Rocky View, they allow partners to stay overnight but all that is a provided is a hard, low-back chair for them to sit in. We were also in a shared room - so based on that and the fact that our house is only 5 minutes from the hospital, we decided it would be best for Craig to go home and get a good nights sleep.
We didn't actually choose the name Evelyn until about 2 a.m. but I forced Craig to make the choice before he left for the night. The other name we were considering was Lauren. Both of the nurses we had in L&D were named Lauren, so we thought that might have been a sign but decided instead to go with Evelyn - a very classic name that we both really like. We also really like nicknames (e.g. Huddy and Rubes - our fur babies) and will likely use Evie a lot of the time with her (pronounced EH-vee).
The hospital stay was fairly uneventful from there -lots of health checks on me and her just to ensure we were doing okay. The nurses at Rocky View were really great - very supportive and helpful. I was able to see two lactation consultants before leaving and they provided some helpful tips to get breastfeeding off to a pretty good start (this was probably the thing I've been most anxious about, knowing that feeding has an impact on so many other aspects of an infants growth and behaviour, and that it can be a huge challenge in the beginning).
We delivered on Wednesday night at 11:36 and were discharged Friday around noon, so overall not too long, but it was definitely great to come home and be in our own space and finally making use of all these baby things that we've been accumulating the last 9 months. Both Evie and I are doing really well. She is eating well and sleeping very well, so we've been enjoying the cuddle time with her (and this "calm" phase that newborns usually have before they get more challenging, or so we've been told). I am also doing really well in terms of recovery, and overall it has been much less painful than I anticipated. It really is incredible what the body can endure and how quickly it can recover. We went for a walk today and I felt more comfortable than I did when I was pregnant for the last couple months (lots of pelvic pain which is gone now).
Our friend Jeff watched the dogs while we were in the hospital (much appreciated!) - and they are adjusting well to Evelyn so far. They are pretty loving dogs to begin with so we didn't think there would be a problem - they just want to sniff every square inch of her and get pretty concerned when she's crying. I think they'll adjust well to new routines and the fact that they won't be the centre of attention all the time any more--but they will still be very loved members of our family :)
That is our story - All in all, this has been a life-changing week (definitely for the better) and I am just trying to take in every day with her since I know she'll never be this small again. Having a baby really is a miracle.
If you're still reading - good for you! Now here are the pics that I'm sure you're really interested in
Post-delivery skin-to-skin time - Such a happy and amazing moment
Just a few hours old here
Craig was an awesome support through the whole experience and he is a great dad already - he definitely loves this little girl.
The dogs are really interested in her (in a good way) - I think they'll both be pretty protective of her. They are adjusting well overall, a little thrown off by the constant waking in the night (Hudson gets up everytime thinking it's his "breakfast time" - but I think he's getting used to the fact that he's not the centre of attention when I bring Evie to the nursery to eat)
Mommy-baby selfie
Ruby's first reaction to Evelyn was to lie in her lap - it was so sweet
I had my 39 week doctors appointment on Tuesday morning of this week, and was pretty excited to find out that I was already 3 cm dilated (not in labour, but a good sign that baby was moving in the right direction). The doctor also did a membrane sweep at this appointment - this can be a labour induction technique but only really works if the baby is ready. Anyway - I went on with my work day and noticed some cramping (can be an effect of the membrane sweep for up to 24 hours). That evening and through the night the cramping continued, but I was still able to sleep for the most part (thank goodness). Around 3 am I woke up with slightly more pain, and then by 5 am I wasn't able to stay in bed any longer. This being my first pregnancy I wasn't really sure if these were contractions or still just an effect of the sweep but I knew I was in enough pain that I couldn't get through the 5 meetings I had scheduled for the day (I was supposed to work until Friday Oct 24).
Since I wasn't really sure what was happening, we decided that Craig would still go into work and come home at lunch if I was worsening (he was also scheduled to do about 25 Ebola training sessions this week at the hospital). By 9 am though, I was timing the contractions and definitely knew these weren't just side effects so I told Craig he better come home. We stayed at home until we met the 5-1-1 rule (contractions 5 or less mins apart, lasting 1 minute each, happening for at least 1 hour in this pattern) and then headed to the hospital around 1 pm.
At the hospital, our admission was relatively quick. I was about 4 cm dilated when we arrived and was glad to hear the doctor confirm that I was in active labour (I did not want to endure a car ride home!). We were in triage for about 2 hours and then given our labour and delivery room around 3pm - which was really nice and comfortable. We were at Rocky View General Hospital, and the L&D rooms overlook the Glenmore Reservoir and the Rocky Mountains - so at least the scenery was nice.
The contractions got a lot worse and I made the choice to get an epidural when I was 6 cm dilated, at about 5 pm. I am so happy I made this decision after originally planning to do it naturally. My experience with the epidural was really positive - I was able to feel all of my contractions, but instead of intense pain it was just a bit of pressure that felt a little like I had to pee. I could also feel and move my legs the whole time which was good. From there, Craig and I basically just waited for things to continue moving - I would actually describe the rest of the experience as relaxing and much easier than I would have expected and I'm glad I had that time to rest and save my energy.
By 9 pm or so, I was about 8 cm dilated (the goal is to get to 10 cm) but my contractions weren't all that regular and the baby was having some decelerations in her heart rate after some contractions, so the doctor started me on Pitocin to normalize the contractions and make them more frequent as she felt it would be better to get the baby out sooner. That worked reasonably well, and when she checked me at 11 pm I was fully dilated and ready to push.
The doctor gave us an overview of what was going to happen, and said that it could be up to 3-4 hours of pushing knowing that I was a first time mother and that my contractions were still quite spread apart. I love when you are prepared for the worst, but then end up with a much better situation :)
I pushed through 4-5 contractions before the nurses called in the delivery team - much to my surprise! It was very motivating when they told me she was going to be here soon. In total, I pushed for 16 minutes. Having Craig, and the L&D nurses and doctor there cheering me on was very motivating - kind of like the end of a marathon where all the fans just keep you from stopping and walking. It was the most amazing experience to feel and see my baby come from inside my body to on my chest. She cried right away and happy when the doctor said she was healthy and sent away the "baby support team" (they were there in case there were any problems related to her heart decelerations).
They did their checks/procedures on both me and the baby - Evelyn was healthy overall with no major concerns. She has a hematoma on her her head but it should go away in time - it's likely due to the fact that she came out so quickly. I had to get a few stitches as I tore inside a little bit (to be honest, I don't know where they are and I don't plan on trying to figure it out). The nurse also gave Craig and I a "tour" of the placenta and amniotic sac before getting rid of it. That was really neat to "see" what was actually going on inside my body for the last 9 months.
From there, I had some skin-to-skin time with Evelyn and did my first feed with her, then the nurses had me up and showering and using the washroom before we transferred to the postpartum unit. At Rocky View, they allow partners to stay overnight but all that is a provided is a hard, low-back chair for them to sit in. We were also in a shared room - so based on that and the fact that our house is only 5 minutes from the hospital, we decided it would be best for Craig to go home and get a good nights sleep.
We didn't actually choose the name Evelyn until about 2 a.m. but I forced Craig to make the choice before he left for the night. The other name we were considering was Lauren. Both of the nurses we had in L&D were named Lauren, so we thought that might have been a sign but decided instead to go with Evelyn - a very classic name that we both really like. We also really like nicknames (e.g. Huddy and Rubes - our fur babies) and will likely use Evie a lot of the time with her (pronounced EH-vee).
The hospital stay was fairly uneventful from there -lots of health checks on me and her just to ensure we were doing okay. The nurses at Rocky View were really great - very supportive and helpful. I was able to see two lactation consultants before leaving and they provided some helpful tips to get breastfeeding off to a pretty good start (this was probably the thing I've been most anxious about, knowing that feeding has an impact on so many other aspects of an infants growth and behaviour, and that it can be a huge challenge in the beginning).
We delivered on Wednesday night at 11:36 and were discharged Friday around noon, so overall not too long, but it was definitely great to come home and be in our own space and finally making use of all these baby things that we've been accumulating the last 9 months. Both Evie and I are doing really well. She is eating well and sleeping very well, so we've been enjoying the cuddle time with her (and this "calm" phase that newborns usually have before they get more challenging, or so we've been told). I am also doing really well in terms of recovery, and overall it has been much less painful than I anticipated. It really is incredible what the body can endure and how quickly it can recover. We went for a walk today and I felt more comfortable than I did when I was pregnant for the last couple months (lots of pelvic pain which is gone now).
Our friend Jeff watched the dogs while we were in the hospital (much appreciated!) - and they are adjusting well to Evelyn so far. They are pretty loving dogs to begin with so we didn't think there would be a problem - they just want to sniff every square inch of her and get pretty concerned when she's crying. I think they'll adjust well to new routines and the fact that they won't be the centre of attention all the time any more--but they will still be very loved members of our family :)
That is our story - All in all, this has been a life-changing week (definitely for the better) and I am just trying to take in every day with her since I know she'll never be this small again. Having a baby really is a miracle.
If you're still reading - good for you! Now here are the pics that I'm sure you're really interested in
Post-delivery skin-to-skin time - Such a happy and amazing moment
Just a few hours old here
Craig was an awesome support through the whole experience and he is a great dad already - he definitely loves this little girl.
She loves to be swaddled so spends most of her time in a ball of blankets
We're not sure what colour her eyes are yet as they are still pretty dark (and she is usually sleeping) - we both have blue eyes so we're thinking that is the most likely outcome
Craig and Evie enjoying some skin-to-skin snuggles
The dogs are really interested in her (in a good way) - I think they'll both be pretty protective of her. They are adjusting well overall, a little thrown off by the constant waking in the night (Hudson gets up everytime thinking it's his "breakfast time" - but I think he's getting used to the fact that he's not the centre of attention when I bring Evie to the nursery to eat)
Mommy-baby selfie
Ruby's first reaction to Evelyn was to lie in her lap - it was so sweet
What an eventful week. Welcome home Evie! Very lucky girl to have you and Craig as her parents.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful birth story Ellen! Thank you for sharing! You and Craig are doing so well already! And the pictures are beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura - we will have to plan another visit sometime soon :)
DeleteCongratulations Ellen and Craig! She is adorable. I am so happy for you and even more happy that it sounds like the birth was a great experience overall. I am looking forward to more updates when you have time.
ReplyDeleteRhonda Patton
PS. I hope that you don't get two comments from me...had some technical difficulties.
Glad you liked it and good to hear from you. We will be in sw Ontario in early January so maybe we can come for a visit in Guelph ( if you guys aren't back in calgary I guess :)
Delete