The third (visit to the hospital) time's a charm

The story of Key Lime's arrival

After two previous visits in November to see if it was time for Key Lime to arrive I was not going back until I knew it was the real deal.....well at least that was the plan....

On Sunday November 11, I woke up and felt a "pop" in my upper right abdomen very similar to the "pop" I felt with Wyatt (but Wyatt's was much lower and I did feel a "gush" with his). I didn't feel any "gush" or leaking of fluid, or increase in contractions so I didn't say anything to Matt when he came home that morning from sound check at church. We went to church as a family of three. I went to the bathroom a few times and just thought it was my mind playing tricks on me but I just felt more "moist" than I had before that "pop" in the morning. I told Matt about it while Wyatt was napping and told him I didn't think I would be able to sleep tonight without getting it checked. We called our wonderful sitter down the street and asked her if she could hang out at our house and watch TV while Wyatt napped. Thankfully she was home on a Sunday afternoon and was happy to come over. 

We went in and Jana Myers, midwife, could not confirm SROM (spontaneous rupture of membranes), she did not use the amnisure test, which was the only positive result that kept us in the hospital with Wyatt. So, back home we went.

The day before Thanksgiving, November 21, we had an OB appt. By this time I'm 38 and 4 days pregnant (38 and 5 days if you go by the ultrasound at 8wks that made my due date 11/30 instead of 12/1), I'm tired. I had a baby in my arms and headed home from the hospital by this time with Wyatt. Not to mention that I've been feeling braxton hicks contractions since 20 ish weeks and had felt some get regular for 30 min- 1 hr since 35 wks with this little bundle, Key Lime. I was getting tired working 2 - 12 hr night shifts/week and caring for a 2 year old at home. I knew it would be different once our Key Lime was in our arms; but at least I wouldn't be dealing with contractions and shortness of breath going up hill at the end of our trips to the zoo or up the stairs!  Barb Good, midwife, stripped my membranes, told me I was 4 cm and we hoped for the best!

That whole day I had more contractions than normal. Matt had a meeting a the Starbucks in Harrisburg so Wyatt and I went to the Mall and got his photo with Santa at Bass Pro Shop. We met up with Matt and had dinner at AppleBee's. Matt started counting the contractions as I was still having them even with sitting still and drinking water at dinner. I felt like when this baby decided to arrive s/he would arrive quickly so with contractions every 4-6 minutes we headed home and called Andy and Melissa while we drove home. We put Wyatt to bed and were convinced we were going to have a baby!

Well, Dana Shade, midwife, said I was still the same. We walked the halls as I downed cranberry juice and water....2 hrs later she could "stretch me" but didn't feel like I was in active labor. I expressed how nervous I was about going into labor and making sure my son was taken care of and that I felt like this baby was going to come fast when s/he finally decided to come. She said I could talk about a planned induction at my next OB appt on Tues but since I wasn't 39 weeks (at midnight I would be 38 6/7 weeks.....) she wasn't going to do anything tonight to get my labor going......back home we go and apologize to Andy and Melissa since it was Thanksgiving morning after midnight when we got home! Thankfully since it was the holiday neither one of them had to be at work that morning, except to make food for the crazy feast they were having with their family and extended church family. No baby and I was tired of being asked when I was going to have this baby (come on people- I know I went early with Wyatt but I'm not even "over due" yet)! I know everyone was excited about the arrival, but I was getting annoyed..mommy hormones anyone :) I kept telling myself to keep calm and just take one day at a time. We enjoyed Thanksgiving with Andy and Melissa's family and some of our church family at our church social hall. Melissa had Baby Key Lime's pray blanket for people to pray as they made a knot in the blanket. I prayed for this little one to arrive safely, healthy, & naturally because I really didn't want an induction or c-section.

I got to enjoy Thanksgiving off but worked the weekend- Fri, Sat, and Sun nights. I had some excitement that weekend including catching new onset stroke symptoms on a transfer patient as soon as he arrived onto our unit from a different hospital. One of my co-workers joked that if that didn't send me into labor, nothing would.....foreshadowing anyone? All in all it was a good weekend and kept my mind of the fact that I was due any day.  

But that's where it gets fuzzy and interesting.....I can tell you that around 2-4 AM Monday morning I noticed a wet spot on my scrubs and feeling more wet....I had been going to the bathroom frequently as I had been downing water like crazy over all three nights of the weekend. I can't tell you if it was Saturday night, Sunday night or Monday morning but at some point I started leaking amniotic fluid.....I remember changing my pad almost every time I went to the bathroom but I thought it was just because my bladder was full and I didn't always get to make it to the restroom exactly when I needed to....but early Monday morning for a split second I thought "hmm that's odd and this changing of my pad all the time seems weird." but again no gush of fluids or painful contractions and working night shift my brain wasn't thinking "Oh, my water might have broken" my brain was thinking, "I only have a few more hours left of work and I can go to sleep" :)

I got home and slept for 3.5 hours since I was off work Monday night and wanted to be able to have a normal night's sleep. I woke up around noon and went about the day hanging out with Wyatt while Matt taught his classes. I had some contractions and just felt like something might be different but still wasn't sure. (side note- I had joked with my coworkers earlier in the month that I was most likely going to go into labor after working the weekend because my body just doesn't know how to do this labor thing well rested.....)

Matt came home from work Monday evening around 6pm and I told him about my morning at work and not so sure if my water broke. He asked if we should stop at the hospital before dinner. I said no- I didn't want to be worrying about keeping Wyatt entertained while we were at the hospital just to be sent home again (secretly I think I knew this was the day and I wanted one more dinner with just my little boy and hubby). So we went to Tulsi Indian Restaurant for dinner- Wyatt had Indian French Fries - veggie fritters with momma and ate some of my Chicken Tikka Masala. On the way home Matt asked if we should stop, I said that we should go home and put Wyatt to bed and then make that decision. We got home around nine I think and then put Wyatt to bed.  At 2300, (11PM) I was looking to contact my friend Dana -(a soon to be certified midwife and a friend from my LDRP days in Wichtia, KS) and saw that I had her blog in my contacts. I pulled it up on my phone while I waited for her to return my text and read about her delivery of her girl in 2010. My jaw dropped- it was very similar to my situation so I knew (and I knew before I texted her) that I had to go to the hospital. I decided to take a bath and make sure everything was manicured if I was going to go to the hospital....I mean I had worked the last 3 nights, so shaving my legs had not been a priority! 

I decided to see if I could check myself like I had with Wyatt. After scrubbing my hands like I was going into surgery I did check myself and felt HAIR! Yep, pretty sure my water broke.... I let Matt know we were definitely going to the hospital and then I called Melissa and told her I was pretty sure this wasn't a false alarm this time. I called the triage line at MayGrant and spoke with Anne Williams, midwife and told her I had no clue when my water broke but that it could have been sometime between 2-4 this AM or earlier and that I checked myself. Of course she wasn't too happy about hearing that I checked myself since my water was broken. I knew I was GBS negative - thank goodness since my water has now been broken for at least for 19 hrs if not longer!

Andy arrived at our house around midnight and by this time my contractions were getting more uncomfortable than earlier in day. The 20 min drive to the hospital was bearable but any longer and it would not have been very fun. We made it to the hospital, got checked in, signed the papers that say "yes I will pay for services rendered and yes please treat me."

Anne Williams, midwife, greeted us in triage a little before 0100 as well as the nurse whom had seen us the week prior. Anne had a PA (physician assistant) student with her and asked if it was okay for her to observe. Of course I was okay with it. We told her about the amnisure being the only thing positive with Wyatt. She did the swab for the amnisure and then placed the speculum. She said "Wait don't sent the amnisure, we have pooling. There's no doubt your water broke." Uh oh....great now me and my unborn baby have significant risks for infection with my water being broken for so long. Anne suggests IV antibiotics and I agree. An IV is placed and blood drawn. I called my mom to let her know what is going on and to double check that I'm wasn't allergic to Penicillin as a child. I wasn't, so time for the Ampicillin. 

Admission paperwork completed, Antibiotics infusing, and Matt ran to the nearby Sheetz to get himself some food since it was going to be a long night and he needed more than vending machine nutrition :) 

By 0300 we are in the room and I can't stay in the bed. My antibiotics has infused and I think I want to try to whirlpool. Things are still okay but getting intense. Matt and I find a rhythm with my contractions in the whirlpool with him applying counter pressure on my hips with each contraction. Things seem to be getting real at this time but nothing like when I had to have pitocin with Wyatt. Anne comes back around 4:30 to check me. I make it back to the bed she says I'm a 5 and breaks my forebag of water....me and my 2 bags of water in both pregnancies. Once that bag is broken life goes into the fast lane. I debate on if I want Nubain and Benadryl. I'm so tired as I have only had  3.5 hrs of sleep in almost 24 hrs and hope that if I get the meds I might be able to sleep (like I did with Wyatt's labor) before Key Lime arrives. As my nurse is giving me the meds I tell her I know things are moving fast as I just felt a rush a fear go through my body with the shakes, as soon as I feel that I also feel the Nubain go through my veins. I am now drugged while I am sitting/rocking on the bed. I have to lie down. It's only been 5-10 min since Anne checked me and I feel my body pushing. Anne comes back and tells me I'm complete and can do whatever I want. I tell her I want to rest and let my body take over. She and Matt sit on either side of me while I lie on my side. I now lie with my eyes closed letting my body take over to allow our baby to make it through the birth canal. At some point Matt looks down and tells Anne "Hey, I think I see a head." Anne checks and our baby is crowning. I again find that the squatting position/hands and knees is the most comfortable position to deliver this baby too. Anne asks Matt if he wants to help deliver his baby. He is excited to and after Anne finishes delivering the head with a hand presentation and a cord. Matt is allowed to deliver our baby GIRL. SHE arrives into this world on 11/27/2012 at 5:05 AM....just a few hours after we arrived into our labor room! Thanks to Anne's technique and allowing me to push as I felt the need, even with Miss Mabel Wren having a hand presentation there was no trauma or tearing involved in her birth! I was one very thankful momma.

Very proud and tired daddy cutting Mabel's cord

Thank you Anne for being our midwife

I can't believe I have a daughter! I am so blessed!

I think she just wanted to cuddle with momma.

My two amazing nurses! Sara (blue scrubs) was my labor nurse and was around 20 wks pregnant herself!

She's over 4 oz heavier than her brother was at birth! 

My awesome labor partner that is one awesome daddy of two kiddos now!

My precious baby girl I am so in love with you!

Our little Key Lime
Mabel Wren Skillen
born November 27, 2012 at 5:05 AM
7 lbs 9.9 oz 21 inches

Thank you to Anne Williams CNM and all the nurses who were part of our delivery!