With Lucas, it was pretty easy. Besides having gestation diabetes, I wasn't ever sick or even really uncomfortable. I worked until the day I had him, with no issues besides my feet swelling. I could've been pregnant forever with Lucas.
With Molly, it was an adventure from the beginning. They couldn't get my due date right for a little while. I experienced a small bout of morning sickness. I bled a little bit toward the beginning, so I was put on a few restrictions for about a week. We did 3-4 ultrasounds before they could for sure tell me she was a girl. I started getting really light-headed around Christmas and almost fainted on stage at church, so I went to the doctor and found out I was anemic. I found out I had gestational diabetes again. I experienced another small bout of morning sickness. My hands started going numb and my doctor told me I had arthritis, so I had to wear braces every night. Then, the last few weeks I had a rash called PUPPP that basically covered my entire body in scales and itched uncontrollably!
Needless to say, I knew Molly's delivery would be different too. And boy was it! My doctor wanted to induce at 39 weeks because of my diabetes and because Molly was measuring a week ahead, so May 28th at 4am, Nick and I headed to the hospital.
I was a 4 the day before at the doctor and I was having a few contractions on the way to the hospital, but inside I had a weird feeling about this day ahead. I was just a little uneasy. I got all hooked up and they started Pitocin and I was having some pretty big contractions, but I didn't really feel them. My nurse and Nick were amazed! I was still a 4, but feeling overall okay.
At about 7a, my contractions started to get pretty strong, so I went ahead and got my epidural. I was still a 4, but hurting...
My mom got there at this time and I started to feel a little queasy. I was still hurting and feeling all my contractions and my catheter (TMI), so they gave me some more anesthesia. I then started vomiting. I was still a 4, but when they checked me my water broke, so they knew things would start to happen quickly now.
I received shots in each arm for nausea, but kept on vomiting. My nurse came to check me at about 10a and immediately left the room without saying a word. I knew something was up when she brought in another nurse to check me. I heard the word hand and feared the worst.
They told me they were feeling her fingers, not her head so I would have to have a c-section. They thought she was transverse. I immediately started crying. I don't know why, but when you go into labor you have an idea of how you want things to go and things weren't going as planned. I was fine with a c-section, just worried and scared. They said they'd bring in my doctor to do an ultrasound and give me more details.
My doctor came in about 11a and did an ultrasound. She determined Molly was indeed head down, so she was a little confused. When she checked me, she said they weren't feeling fingers, they were feeling her nose, lips and chin. They were feeling her face! She was head down and her body was facing the right way, but she had her head tilted up looking out! I would be having c-section. I would never progress past a 4 because her head wasn't pushing her down into my birth canal! What a wave of emotions! It was not an emergency c-section, so that was good. I was scheduled to go back at 12:30.
I was still vomiting at this point and still feeling everything! My epidural wasn't working, but they assured Nick when they took me back it would only take about 10-15 minutes to get me numb since I'd already had so much anesthetic.
This part was so sad and scary. I was saying goodbye to Nick and Lucas going in for a major, albeit routine, surgery. You never know what could happen and I watch entirely too much "Grey's Anatomy", so I was a nervous wreck. So was he! Especially when I was back there for almost 40 minutes, not 10-15. They had a hard time getting me numb. They kept upping my epidural dosage and telling me to wiggle my toes and pinching my stomach and I could still feel everything. So, after they got me all prepped, they had to undo it and give me a spinal. It hurt and I jumped, so they had to do it again. My nurse had to hold my head down and my doctor was helping keep me still too. She was even rubbing my feet to help me relax. She was amazing and they finally got the spinal to work! For the first time all day, I felt immediate relief! It was lovely!
They finally brought Nick back and they made the first cut at 1:10p and I heard her cry at 1:16p! It was such a wonderful sound. I had waited 9 hard months for that cry and I was so grateful for the Lord for this perfect gift! They took her over to weigh and measure and Daddy got lots of pictures while they put me back together. That was strange...I could feel lots of tugging, but it didn't hurt. So weird!
Then the nurse brought her over to meet me. I was still getting worked on and behind the curtain, but I could see her and touch her and smell her and I couldn't help but cry! That was the only thing I could muster. She was absolutely perfect and she was mine!
Nick took her back to the room and they wheeled me out about 10 minutes later. I held and nursed her for the first time and I couldn't get enough of her. Neither could Daddy. He was already wrapped around her finger!
They then brought in the family and to see Lucas meet her for the first time deserves its own blog post! It was so sweet. This little baby I'd had for 3 years all the sudden looked like such a big boy! He looked scared and happy and nervous and in awe all at the same time! I never want to forget that moment.
Now with Lucas, they whisked him off from the delivery room and I didn't see him again for the next 6 hours, but they didn't take her away until late that evening. They gave her a bath right there in the room and did all her stats.
Molly Ann Maxson born via c-section on May 28th, 2014. She was 8 lbs, 3 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Just perfect:)
And with her "Little Sister" jammies and her bunny from Daddy:)
We then had our first picture as a family of 4. I sort of can't believe I'm putting this up for the world to see, but I want it documented! So special!
Right after this, I started vomiting again, so the rest of the family meeting her, I don't remember much of. They wheeled me to a delivery room and many more friends and family came by to see her, but I vomited until about 6p that evening, so I was a little out of it. It was a hard day, but a wonderful day all at the same time!
I finally got some relief that evening and began really getting to know my baby girl. Wow! Just what I always dreamed of. One of each...my dream had finally come true! I couldn't ask for anything better. The next few days were spent figuring her out, many attempts at nursing, many tests, bili lights for jaundice, a 3 year old who didn't understand much and a crying mama who wanted him to, hugs, snuggles, and a little bit of rest.
And then it was Saturday and time to take this precious baby home. What an emotional day that was! We were leaving with this little life and she was entrusted to us. We were given the sweet opportunity by God to care for her and bring her up in the way she should go. We were nervous and excited and ready to have the four of us under one roof again!
