Brooklyn
Nicole Barney was due October 2, 2014, but she had her own timetable and did
not arrive until October 6, 2014! Those
4 extra days were not welcomed, but she was worth every second!
At 38 weeks
we went in for our last ultrasound to check her heart and make sure it had
developed properly (Drew had heart surgery as a child, so they wanted to double
check that she was fine) At that ultrasound Brooklyn was already measuring 9lbs
2oz! Huge, especially for a first baby!
The ultrasound tech was just as surprised as us at her weight and said
the doctor would probably induce me early because of her size. This was the start of the ‘due date run
around’! After that I went back in early
the next week to have a non-stress test, everything came back normal and Dr.
Jones said he had no plans to induce me early because he did not want me to
have a c-section. I was pretty upset,
well devastated would be more accurate.
The comment from the ultrasound tech got me all excited about meeting my
little girl early!
So, I went
home and tried every ‘at-home’ induction technique known to man! I walked, lunged, took long baths, jumped on
a trampoline, took castor oil (that one was the worst!) and had lots of sex! Anything to get this baby out! I was huge and was ready to be a real mom! J
My next
appointment Dr. Jones was delivering a baby (not mine L) so I saw his physicians’
assistant. My non-stress test came back
irregular and my blood pressure was high, so she told me to go to Labor and
Delivery the next morning to get checked out again and they would most likely
induce me because of babies size and my blood pressure. So, I though ‘Yes! This is it!’ Drew took the day off work because we were
going to have a baby!
We got to
the hospital right at 9 am I was not wasting anytime! And after about 1 hour of
testing and observation, they sent me home!
I was crushed even worst than the last time, I cried for hours and poor
Drew was so sweet and supportive of his crazy pregnant wife!
After
getting over this horrible blow to my excitement I went the next week and a
half waddling my way through life, and fielding ‘you’re STILL pregnant!’
comments and questions.
At 11 pm on
October 5th, I woke up to horrible contractions and bleeding, so I
called the doctor and he decided it was time to go into the
hospital…again! When I got there they
found that I was 90% effaced and about 4cm dilated, but my contractions were
not consistent at all. They would be 5
minutes apart, then 10 minutes, then 2 minutes, no real pattern. So it looked like I might be going home, but
since I was scheduled to be induced the next day the doctor decided I should
just stay! Yay!
When the
doctor, Dr. Haskett, came in to examine me he was really worried about Brooklyn
being so big and she was still up in my ribcage, she hadn’t dropped yet! We talked about our options of laboring and
trying a vaginal delivery or doing a c-section.
Dr. Haskett was really concerned about Brooklyn getting her shoulder
displaced and brain damage by being too big and getting stuck in the birth
canal. After Drew heard brain damage, he
was ready to meet this ‘little’ girl via c-section! I was not so sure. So we called my parents and Annette, who was
in town for the birth, to come down to the hospital because it was time! When my parents got there my dad and Drew
gave me a blessing of health and to help us decide what was right for Brooklyn
and I.
After
talking to a couple nurses and the doctor again, we decided on a c-section, we
wanted what was best for Brooklyn and her movement had slowed significantly so
it was time to get her out! Within
minutes they had me hooked up to IV’s and were pumping antibiotics and fluids
into me, I swelled up like a balloon from all the liquids!
Within 30
minutes they got Drew a jumpsuit and hairnet and were wheeling me into the
Operating Room. It was freezing in
there! They had to put multiple heated
blankets on me to keep me from shivering so they could do the spinal
block. It worked really fast and I
flopped onto my side on the table.
Finally they let Drew come in! I
was scared so I was really glad to see him!
He was so helpful rubbing my head and arm and talking to me about
meeting out little girl!
The anesthesiologist
was so nice! He talked me through the
whole procedure! The medicine made me
super sick, so he kept giving me anti-nausea medication throughout the
procedure (it did not work!)
Brooklyn
did not want to come out! The doctor had
to lay on top of my ribcage/stomach because she was so far up there they couldn’t
just pull her out. She was not going
easily. And as soon as she hit air she
screamed! All our family in the waiting
room said they could hear her screaming when she came out! All 9lbs 7ounces of her!
Drew ran
over to the warmer to get pictures and see his new baby girl! After they cleaned her off they brought her
over to my face so I could meet her! It
was magical, she was still screaming when they brought her over, but as soon as
I spoke to her she stopped crying! I
kissed her and told her how much I loved her!
Then, it was Drew’s turn to hold her (I’m still jealous he got to see
her and hold her first!) it was the sweetest sight I have ever seen. He just starred at her in awe and cried. The nurse was so sweet and took pictures for
us so I could have the memories!
After that
Drew went with Brooklyn to get cleaned up and tested. They pulled 22 cc’s of meconium out of her
lungs! And it took forever for them to
stitch me up and bring me back to my room.
I was not feeling well, I vomited several times on the way to my
room. By then everyone was there and
waiting! My parents, Drew’s mom, my
sisters and my brother! My sisters came
into my room with make-up to help me look good for pictures (they were so
sweet), but I was much to nauseas to concentrate on putting on make-up!
Then, all
of the sudden I could hear Drew coming down the hall wheeling my new baby with
him. He had to go next to the waiting
room to get to my room so all the sudden I hear all the family start gushing
over this perfect little girl and I hadn’t even got to hold her yet! So I screamed at the top of my lungs, “DREW!
BRING ME MY BABY!!” I wanted her in my
arms now! Him and the nurse hustled to
my room after that display of fierce momma bear!
After that
I worked on nursing and everyone came in to meet her! The rest of my stay was
idyllic, I healed well, and Drew and I spent our days just starring in awe of
this perfect human we made!
We also had her newborn photo shoot in the hospital! I love them! Drew and I had no idea we were going to be in them, so we were not ready for pictures! No, make-up, hair a mess! That is the honest look of new parents!
I can't imagine life without her!
