SHE'S HERE!!!!!
And what a joy and beauty she is :)
Maelynn McCleve was born two days ago on July 3, 2014. She weighed 8 lbs even and measured 20 in long. She's got a little brown hair and is just the cutest!
7/3/14 10:41 AM Ten minutes after birth
We are a happy family!
As for the story or how she got here...
Well, the last time I wrote I had just got my membranes stripped for the second time (on Wednesday morning July 2). I hadn't really had many painful contractions and so I was starting to get discouraged. I felt like she was never going to come! I had made an appointment to be induced with petocin on Monday the 7th, but deep down I didn't really want to be induced. It made me feel nervous and I didn't like the idea of being hooked up to a bunch of things. I just wanted to her to come on her own! But as the days kept going by it was looking more and more like she might decide to be a Independence Day baby (which I also didn't want, cuz I wanted her to have her own day!)
I think The Lord knew of my anxieties and answered my prayers Wednesday night. After only getting an hour or so of sleep I woke up at 1am with some pretty strong contractions. I wasn't sure if they were going to continue so I didn't wake Chris and for almost an hour I kept track of these contractions that were lasting about 90 seconds with only a few minutes in between (starting around five then decreasing to about 3). That's when I woke Chris up and told him that we needed to get ready. He helped me as I labored through a few more contractions. Then we finally decided, as they began to be more intense, that it was time to go. It was a bit of a surprise to me because I thought that the contractions would come more spread out for a few hours, preparing me for when they would be closer together.
I'm glad we went when we did because the contractions were still pretty bearable through the 20 minute car ride. When we got to the hospital they put me into a triage type room where they monitored my contractions as well as the heart rate of the baby. It was very difficult to get through some of the contractions while sitting up in bed, but eventually the nurse let me get off the bed and labor on my knees, leaning up against the bed. She said she would watch me for 1 hour to see if I progressed at all. When we got to the hospital at about 3am I was only a 3 (which I also thought I would be more than that with all the contractions I was experiencing). At 4am she came back in and checked me again. I was only a 3.5!!! What?! Going through these contractions was already such a mind game and I felt incredibly discouraged. "At this rate I would be in labor for days!", I thought. The nurse gave us some options. I had given her my birth plan that stated that I would rather not have an epidural, but was open to other pain medications and an epidural as a very last resort. So she said that at this point I could get a mild pain killer, go home and labor a little more and then come back in a while to get checked again. I looked at Chris, and thought to myself, "I really don't want to go home." She also said that I could be monitored for one more hour and be checked again. I think it gave me a little bit of hope, having that one more hour to work through and after one more At that point I had experienced some contractions that were either a minute apart or right on top of each other and I thought to myself, "how could I not have progressed now?" Thankfully when she checked me I was at a 4! And immediately she said she could admit me and move me to the room where I would deliver. YAY!
So they took us to room #117. My mom thought this was kinda ironic seeing as the baby would be her 17th grandchild and we were married on the 17th. I guess it's just a lucky number!
Once we got into the room they said they would need to administer the antibiotic for Strep B (it's a bacteria that a small percentage of women have harboring in their vagina that is harmless to them, but can be harmful to the baby when she comes out, so they give the mother antibiotics right before so the baby is protected). So a nurse tried to put an IV in and missed! Argh! My veins are awesome! How could she miss?! And in the middle of some really hard contractions too! I wasn't very happy with that, to say the least.
After the antibiotic I was left again to labor on my own. Mom and Chris were such a huge help and comfort. During the contractions Chris would do counter pressure on my lower back (the only thing that really seemed to help me get through the pain). Mom was really good at stroking me and telling me how awesome I was and how well I was doing. When they came back in to check me I think I was at almost a 5. I was so hungry and tired and hearing that I still was only half-way there really got me discouraged. I cried between contractions and really doubted whether I could last through all these contractions and for how much longer. The nurses discussed having an epidural with me. I told them that I wasn't totally against it, but had just heard of some disadvantages. They reassured me that an epidural was very safe and that I would still be able to move my legs and feel pressure enough to push. So I decided I'd go for it.
They said the anesthesiologist didn't usually come in until later (it was about 7am by this point). I would have to wait probably another hour or so until he would make it here. I could do one more hour! Mentally, I prepared myself to go one more hour, but within just a few minutes the nurse came back in and told me that the anesthesiologist was actually already here! Lucky me! At 7:30 he came in and administered the epidural. Talk about nerve wracking! I had to hold so still through one of the hardest contractions. I think I practically squeezed Chris's fingers right off! But it made it in and within twenty minutes I could only feel slight pressure and a crampy-type of feeling with each contraction. What a relief!
I took a wonderful nap while my body worked. By 9:00 the nurse finally checked me again to see how far I'd gone. I heard sometimes that an epidural slows your progress, but the nurses had said that usually only happens if someone gets the epidural too early, before active labor starts. I was hopeful that mine would be fast. Lo and behold, they checked and I was already at a 9! The nurse called my midwife Dena Walker and we started preparing for the last stage: pushing.
When Dena showed up and by the time she got me all set up I think it was about 10 am. I was at a clear 10cm and super ready to go. To Dena's surprise my bag of waters was already bludging out. It was obstructing the baby's head from coming all the way down, so she broke it. Chris grabbed my left leg while a nurse grabbed the right and I started to push. At first it was hard to know when the contractions were, but I soon recognized the pressure of the baby's head coming down and was told that was the time. So I pushed and pushed and pushed. Dena said that I was making great progress. I started to tear a little, but it was just one so she wasn't too worried about it (I was watching in the mirror FYI). The baby's heart rate on the monitor was down to 90, which worried me. I hadn't pushed through more than 4 contractions when on the last one she just came flying out! (Apparently I was a little overzealous in my pushing cuz the nurse had to tell me to stop).
They pulled her out and plopped her on my now empty tummy. What a miracle! I couldn't hold back the tears. I had done it! She was finally here! She wasn't crying much at first, but they suctioned her out and rubbed her a little and there she went a screaming--such a great noise! She looked so good and so healthy! When they finally got her back to me after weighing her and warming her up I just held her so close. What a dear and precious gift! He little eyes were covered in a clear salve and slowly she started to open them, but not much. Daddy came close too and we both talked to her--telling her how much we loved her and were so very glad she was finally here.
While we reveled in our newest treasure, Dena tried to take care of the damage. Baby Maelynn (which we ended up naming her) was a good size (8lbs) and I was a small girl so I had a second degree tear and a few other little tears (even up to close by my cervix!). Needless to say it took her a while to stitch me back up and warned me that it would take a little while to heal completely (6 weeks!). Luckily, I was still numb and so it didn't seem like that big of deal yet.
Little Maelynn has since learned to breastfeed and is doing an awesome job! It was a little painful in the hospital, but every nurse that came in commented on what a great latch she had and how good she was at sucking (which was all very encouraging). But when my friend Brittany Downs came to visit the next day she looked at Maelynn's tongue and mentioned that maybe she was tongue tied and that possibly that's why it was still quite painful for me. I mentioned this to the nurse and she agreed as well. So on the day we were leaving we had the pediatrician take a look and he agreed and snipped her little frenulum really quick and I think it's been much better for Maelynn since.
We spent the rest of Thursday, all of Friday (the 4th of July) and left Saturday at 11. Overall, the experience in the hospital was a great one. The nurses were all really great with us and with our requests. They let me sleep while Maelynn was watched in the nursery (which was a great help and need, especially after such a long night/day). And the cafeteria even let me get double servings (for Chris to have something to eat too!)
Speaking of, Chris was so awesome through all of this. Through the labor he was great at getting to me when I needed him. During the pushing he stood by me and encouraged me (even though at one point he had to sit down because he was feeling lightheaded haha). He stayed both nights in the hospital on their couch/bed and when he stopped by at home during Friday day he picked up my medications and cleaned up the house. What a great man I have! I'm so thankful for such a supportive and loving husband! I know I couldn't do this without him (or at least it would be a whole ton harder).
What a wonderfully hard, yet satisfying experience it's been welcoming this new little angel into our lives. We are so blessed to have such a healthy and strong baby. No complications, no stress, no problems! We are excited for this new adventure and know that the Lord will support us as we try to do our best with this precious child of His.
So they took us to room #117. My mom thought this was kinda ironic seeing as the baby would be her 17th grandchild and we were married on the 17th. I guess it's just a lucky number!
Once we got into the room they said they would need to administer the antibiotic for Strep B (it's a bacteria that a small percentage of women have harboring in their vagina that is harmless to them, but can be harmful to the baby when she comes out, so they give the mother antibiotics right before so the baby is protected). So a nurse tried to put an IV in and missed! Argh! My veins are awesome! How could she miss?! And in the middle of some really hard contractions too! I wasn't very happy with that, to say the least.
After the antibiotic I was left again to labor on my own. Mom and Chris were such a huge help and comfort. During the contractions Chris would do counter pressure on my lower back (the only thing that really seemed to help me get through the pain). Mom was really good at stroking me and telling me how awesome I was and how well I was doing. When they came back in to check me I think I was at almost a 5. I was so hungry and tired and hearing that I still was only half-way there really got me discouraged. I cried between contractions and really doubted whether I could last through all these contractions and for how much longer. The nurses discussed having an epidural with me. I told them that I wasn't totally against it, but had just heard of some disadvantages. They reassured me that an epidural was very safe and that I would still be able to move my legs and feel pressure enough to push. So I decided I'd go for it.
They said the anesthesiologist didn't usually come in until later (it was about 7am by this point). I would have to wait probably another hour or so until he would make it here. I could do one more hour! Mentally, I prepared myself to go one more hour, but within just a few minutes the nurse came back in and told me that the anesthesiologist was actually already here! Lucky me! At 7:30 he came in and administered the epidural. Talk about nerve wracking! I had to hold so still through one of the hardest contractions. I think I practically squeezed Chris's fingers right off! But it made it in and within twenty minutes I could only feel slight pressure and a crampy-type of feeling with each contraction. What a relief!
I took a wonderful nap while my body worked. By 9:00 the nurse finally checked me again to see how far I'd gone. I heard sometimes that an epidural slows your progress, but the nurses had said that usually only happens if someone gets the epidural too early, before active labor starts. I was hopeful that mine would be fast. Lo and behold, they checked and I was already at a 9! The nurse called my midwife Dena Walker and we started preparing for the last stage: pushing.
When Dena showed up and by the time she got me all set up I think it was about 10 am. I was at a clear 10cm and super ready to go. To Dena's surprise my bag of waters was already bludging out. It was obstructing the baby's head from coming all the way down, so she broke it. Chris grabbed my left leg while a nurse grabbed the right and I started to push. At first it was hard to know when the contractions were, but I soon recognized the pressure of the baby's head coming down and was told that was the time. So I pushed and pushed and pushed. Dena said that I was making great progress. I started to tear a little, but it was just one so she wasn't too worried about it (I was watching in the mirror FYI). The baby's heart rate on the monitor was down to 90, which worried me. I hadn't pushed through more than 4 contractions when on the last one she just came flying out! (Apparently I was a little overzealous in my pushing cuz the nurse had to tell me to stop).
They pulled her out and plopped her on my now empty tummy. What a miracle! I couldn't hold back the tears. I had done it! She was finally here! She wasn't crying much at first, but they suctioned her out and rubbed her a little and there she went a screaming--such a great noise! She looked so good and so healthy! When they finally got her back to me after weighing her and warming her up I just held her so close. What a dear and precious gift! He little eyes were covered in a clear salve and slowly she started to open them, but not much. Daddy came close too and we both talked to her--telling her how much we loved her and were so very glad she was finally here.
Meeting mommy and daddy (seemed like she already knew our voices!)
While we reveled in our newest treasure, Dena tried to take care of the damage. Baby Maelynn (which we ended up naming her) was a good size (8lbs) and I was a small girl so I had a second degree tear and a few other little tears (even up to close by my cervix!). Needless to say it took her a while to stitch me back up and warned me that it would take a little while to heal completely (6 weeks!). Luckily, I was still numb and so it didn't seem like that big of deal yet.
Little Maelynn has since learned to breastfeed and is doing an awesome job! It was a little painful in the hospital, but every nurse that came in commented on what a great latch she had and how good she was at sucking (which was all very encouraging). But when my friend Brittany Downs came to visit the next day she looked at Maelynn's tongue and mentioned that maybe she was tongue tied and that possibly that's why it was still quite painful for me. I mentioned this to the nurse and she agreed as well. So on the day we were leaving we had the pediatrician take a look and he agreed and snipped her little frenulum really quick and I think it's been much better for Maelynn since.
We spent the rest of Thursday, all of Friday (the 4th of July) and left Saturday at 11. Overall, the experience in the hospital was a great one. The nurses were all really great with us and with our requests. They let me sleep while Maelynn was watched in the nursery (which was a great help and need, especially after such a long night/day). And the cafeteria even let me get double servings (for Chris to have something to eat too!)
Speaking of, Chris was so awesome through all of this. Through the labor he was great at getting to me when I needed him. During the pushing he stood by me and encouraged me (even though at one point he had to sit down because he was feeling lightheaded haha). He stayed both nights in the hospital on their couch/bed and when he stopped by at home during Friday day he picked up my medications and cleaned up the house. What a great man I have! I'm so thankful for such a supportive and loving husband! I know I couldn't do this without him (or at least it would be a whole ton harder).
What a wonderfully hard, yet satisfying experience it's been welcoming this new little angel into our lives. We are so blessed to have such a healthy and strong baby. No complications, no stress, no problems! We are excited for this new adventure and know that the Lord will support us as we try to do our best with this precious child of His.
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