Baby Poll Winners and Reba's Birth Story

I will first start with the "winners" of the baby poll...that way, you can stop reading if you have no interest in the details of Reba's birth.

Winners of Date of Arrival: (they all guessed the 17th)
GG (Great-Granny)
Aunt Katie
Christine Manges
Aunt Carol Shaw

Winner of Weight:
Molly Smiley ~ she guessed 7 lb 5 oz (Reba was 7 lb 4 oz)

Winners of Length: (they both guessed 20 inches)
Aunt Lisa
Jennifer Foxx

Winners of Sex:
Jennifer Foxx
Aunt Katie
Christine Manges
Stacia Luh
Aunt Josie
Molly Smiley

Thanks again to all who played!

Now for Reba's birth story...

First, I will back up to the 6th of November. At that appointment with Dr. Smollen, I had began dilating some. Dr. Smollen said that if I made progress by the next Wednesday, she would be able to induce me on Friday the 13th. When I went for my appointment on the 11th, I was still only dilated at 1. She suggested I move my next appointment from the 18th to the 16th because she would be at the hospital on the 17th...if I made progress by the 16th - she would be able to induce me on the 17th!

Doug and I had already decided that if given the chance to be induced early, we would take it giving us the better chance of making it to Indiana for Thanksgiving. When I went to my appointment on the 16th, I had in fact made progress and Dr. Smollen gave us the go for induction.

We arrived at the hospital at 8 am on Tuesday, November 17th. After getting signed in and changed, Dr. Smollen came in to strip my membranes and to break my water. I was dilated to a 3 at that point and about 80% effaced. Contractions started right away! They were about 5 minutes apart, and pretty bearable. By 11:30 a.m. Dr. Smollen wanted the contractions to be closer together, so they started me on a small amount of Pitocin. The contractions slowly got to 2-3 minutes apart.

Dr. Smollen checked me at 4 p.m., and I was dilated to a 4 and 100% effaced and baby had moved down the birth canal greatly. I decided at that point to get some Nubain to help with the contractions. I was then able to sleep for about an hour. When I woke at a little after 5 p.m., I decided I wanted an epidural. The anesthesiologist got to the room around 5:30, and the epidural was in place around 6 p.m. As soon as Dr. Thomas (the drug lady) left the room, my contractions got dramatically stronger and longer! I was like, "I thought the epidural was to take care of this!" The nurses said it would take about 20 minutes to take full effect.

Doug helped me breathe through those 20 minutes, but the pain was still very intense. I then had Doug get the nurse again, and she called Dr. Thomas back. It took 20 minutes before Dr. Thomas got back to the room. Thankfully, Doug was still there helping me breathe through those contractions. She asked the nurse if I had been checked recently. The nurse said no, and proceded to check me. It was 6:45 p.m. and I was dilated to a 9! Dr. Smollen came in at 7 p.m., and I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push. Dr. Smollen left to scrub, dress, and call in the other nurses. We had to have extra on hand since I was delivering vaginally after a previous c-section.

I was able to start pushing about 7:05 p.m., and Reba was born at 7:19 p.m.! I did tear some during the birth and therefore have a few stitches, but all in all things went very smoothly and I have recovered very well.

Hopefully, I haven't turned away too many readers with my story.

Until next time...