Alexis Grace is here!

Alexis Grace was born July 2 at 1:56 pm. She weighed 6lb 9oz and was 18.5 in - not bad for being four weeks early.

At my doctor appointment on Wednesday, I was 2cm and 50% effaced. I asked the doctor what my chances were of making it another 3 weeks to my induction at 39 weeks. He said they were pretty good and that he didn't really think I'd go early. I didn't quite believe him, so after my appointment I bought her going home outfit and had planned to finish everything up over the four-day weekend.

On Thursday, I just didn't feel quite right. My sides were hurting a little in the morning, to where it was painful to move my foot from the gas to the brake in the car. Lunch time rolled around and I had no appetite, but didn't think much of it. The pain in my sides got worse. By the end of the day, it was to where I could barely walk or drive home. I thought maybe I had pulled muscles in my sides trying to climb into bed with Abby. After I got home, I laid down thinking it would help the pain, but it didn't. I decided to call the on-call doctor around 7 and she said it didn't sound like labor and to take some Tylenol, then come in if it didn't get better. After two doses, it didn't even touch the pain. We finally called one of my coworkers around midnight to drop Abby off and headed to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital around 1:30am and when they asked if I was in labor, I felt really stupid saying that I didn't know. The pain was constant, it didn't feel like it was coming and going in waves, so I really didn't think I was in labor. When they checked me, I was 3.5cm and was having contractions every 2-3 minutes, so I was admitted. I wondered if they would try to stop the labor because I was so early and the GD causes slower lung development, but they said the medication to stop the labor would cause more harm at that point. Because I was GBS+, they got me started on antibiotics and offered an epidural, but I declined at the time and opted for some IV painkillers. When they came in to check me at 7am, I was only 4cm and my contractions had slowed to 6 min, so they broke my water. They again offered the epidural, but I still declined because I wasn't feeling too bad. Then they came back a few minutes later and said there were two ahead of me for epidurals, then they were starting three c-sections, so it would be a several hour wait if they started the c-sections before I wanted one. I decided to go ahead with it and it was heaven! Now I know how ineffective my last one was. I couldn't believe the difference.

A little before 1pm, they checked me again. My contractions were about every 3-4 minutes and I was 7cm. I was a little disappointed at how slow everything seemed to be going, but then I had to tell myself that I wasn't getting any pitocin this time around and that it was all me. About an 45 minutes later, the nurse came to check me again. I thought she was wasting her time and couldn't believe it when she said I was 10cm and ready to push. She got everything set up and I started pushing. I pushed three times on the first contraction and then she told me to stop and hit the call button and asked for the doctor. I was thinking that this doctor liked to be in there for more of the delivery than my last one because surely the baby wasn't ready to come out already. After she came in, I pushed once and she started yelling at me to stop. She said she wasn't ready yet. Apparently, her head was out already. One more push and she was here!
I can't believe how easy the pushing was this time around. I felt absolutely nothing and it was what I thought an epidural was actually supposed to feel like. I had a small 1st degree tear and got a couple of stitches. I was worried that with the epidural, I wouldn't be able to push effectively, but apparently not. The doctor told me that if I have any more kids, not to start pushing until the doctor is there. I feel great and don't even really have much soreness right now.

Alexis pinked up right away. She spent most of the first 24 hours in the nursery because she was considered premature and was having some trouble with her blood sugar and a couple of other things, but she's doing great now. We are having a lot of trouble with bfing and I'm supplementing with formula because she doesn't need to lose any weight.

So far, Abby is doing great with her and loves to give her kisses. She is doing so much better with her than I had imagined.