With Landon, I was pretty spoiled and I was induced at 37.5 weeks. My Doctor in Kirksville found a "medical reason" to take him early (polyhydramnios aka- too much amniotic fluid). I was not so "lucky" with Milaina and the hospitals in Utah are pretty strict, so I was unable to be induced until I was 39 weeks along. I had an ultrasound at 37 weeks to check fluid levels and the size of the baby. My fluid levels were on the high side, but still within the normal range, so our "medical reason" for an induction flew out the window. When the doctor measured her, he guessed she was about 8 lbs. 7 oz., give or take 8 oz. And his words for me were, "Yeah, she's measuring about 8 lbs. 7 oz. so... good luck with that!" Haha thanks, doc... Anyway, at 38 weeks he checked me and I was dilated to a 2 and he stripped my membranes and set the induction for the following Friday. Stripping my membranes did about as much as I expected it would... NOTHING. I was MAYBE a little more uncomfortable and crampy, but that could have all been in my head, so whatever.
Fast forward to the morning of Friday, February 12th. My doctor told me to be at the hospital by 6:15 because the nurses changed shift at 7 and he wanted the night shift to get things started before they left. So my mom got to our house at about 5:30 or 5:45 to stay with Landon and we headed out. The hospital in Payson is typically only 15-20 minutes away, but that morning there was HORRIBLE fog and we couldn't really see where we were going, so we had to drive much slower. So we got there later and by the time we got all checked in and everything we got caught in the shift change... Haha it wasn't that big of a deal to me though. When they first checked me, I was dilated to a 3, but still only about 65% effaced. Since I was GBS+, they like you to have antibiotics in you for at least 4 hrs before the baby is born. I knew my labor would probably last longer than 4 hours anyway, but they didn't want to take any chances, so they started antibiotics without giving me any pit. By 8 AM, they started my antibiotics and they broke my water. Breaking my water actually didn't even start the contractions either, so I was just hanging out for the first 2 hours. Two hours after starting the antibiotics and breaking my water, at about 10:30 AM, they finally started the pitocin. I was still only dilated to a 3, but I was about 75% effaced. I didn't expect to be any more dilated than the first time they checked me, but it is still frustrating to have no progress when they check you!
Contractions started light and I was able to manage them pretty well. At noon they bumped up my pitocin and kept coming in over the course of the next couple of hours to get things moving. They knew I wanted an epidural, so around 2 when I was starting to really have to focus during the contractions, the nurse came in and said "don't you want an epidural? Why are you punishing yourself if you are planning on having an epidural??" Haha she definitely had a point, so I asked for the epidural. I swear, the time between asking for the epidural and actually getting it goes by SO SLOW!! Time had been moving fairly quickly up until then, but the half hour it took to get the epidural was crawling on by. So by 2:30, the anesthesiologist got there and got things all set for the epidural. They checked me again and I was only at a freaking 4 and so frustrated, but I was completely effaced, so they said things would move more quickly... Yeah right, like I believed them on that one! :) So placing the epidural went without incident, but I could tell right away that it was stronger on my right side than my left. Sure enough, within about 10 minutes my right side was completely dead and my left was feeling everything. So I laid on my left side and complained for the next little while because I was supposed be numb and I wasn't! Eventually, my left side became more numb, and my right side stayed completely dead. When I rolled over on my left side, my right leg even stayed behind me and I burst out laughing and asked Matt to put it on my left so I could lay on my side more comfortably. It was pretty funny.
After getting the epidural, things moved very quickly. I got the epidural at 2:30, and by 3:50 I had gone from a 4 to a 10 and was complete and ready to push! Man, if there was anything I had forgotten about labor with Landon it was how freaking exhausting pushing can be!! Seriously, a woman can tell me they were "in labor" for 48 hours or something and I think "meh", but if they tell me they had to push for more than like... an hour, I feel TERRIBLE for them. Haha I pushed Landon out in 40 minutes and Mia in 20 minutes, and both of those felt like FOREVER! Mia was posterior at first, unfortunately, but my doctor was able to get her turned around so I could push her out more easily. Pushing was exhausting and frustrating and I can't tell you how many times everyone said "oh yeah, for sure on the next push she will be out!" and she didn't come out... Haha I was getting so frustrated. But after about 20 minutes of pushing, our sweet Milaina Marie Wright came into this world. To make things a little more special, she was brought into this world by her daddy! Matthew had rotated with my OB earlier and my OB allowed him to deliver. I thought that was so fun, and I couldn't have cared less if he was by my side holding my hand, so I figured why not let him deliver? :)
The doctor held Mia and guessed she would weigh about 8 lbs. 14 oz. (I think he forgot how big we were assuming she would be... haha). Well, they nurses took her, cleaned her off, and took her measurements and she weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz. and was 21.5" long! Our big, beautiful, chubby baby! I got to hold her right away, of course, and she was just like Landon... calm as soon as they put her on me! She was almost TOO calm! It was crazy. She has been like that ever since, too! She has let me have it a couple of times when she was cold or when her bath was too cold, but besides that, she is SO chill.
One funny/random story that happened. At one point, a nurse from the OR came in and Matt had recognized her and started chatting with her a little bit. Then once they were done chatting she was like "okay, so we are doing a tubal ligation today?" I was totally caught off guard and all I could say was "NO!" Haha Matt just started laughing and told her that I was just there to have a baby and we weren't done yet and to talk to us in several more years. :) Apparently she had the wrong room, but it was SO random! We had a good laugh about it though.
We are so grateful that Mia came to us so happy and healthy. They are always concerned about blood sugar levels with bigger babies, but she has had absolutely no problems since she was born! She has nursed well, her bilirubin levels and blood sugar levels were great, and she sleeps well but also is awake and alert enough when she needs to eat. The hospital stay was totally uneventful. The hardest part was being away from my little buddy Landon! The hospital actually would have allowed him to visit, but he was throwing up the 2 days I was gone! I felt SO bad that I couldn't be there to snuggle him and take care of him, but I was so grateful that he was in good hands with my mom. Matthew would go and visit and stay the nights with him, and I was so grateful for that too. Landon didn't pay Mia much attention for the first several weeks, but now he loves her and hugs her and kisses her all the time. When he wakes up and comes downstairs, if she isn't down here, he is always asking where she is. He also always makes sure to remind me when she's not in the car with us yet. ;) I can already tell he is going to be such a sweet and loving older brother (Most of the time, at least)!
In case you were wondering the story behind her name, here it is! Matthew went on his mission to Brazil. While he was there, he met an adorable little blonde girl named Milena. It was a name and a little girl who has stuck with him ever since. So, even though we spelled it differently, the pronunciation is still the same (mee-lay-nuh), and her "nickname" will still be Mia.
So... There you have it! Pretty boring and uneventful, but that is our story! Recovery was a breeze, and I actually felt better immediately after labor than I did those last couple weeks of pregnancy. And the last couple weeks of pregnancy weren't even THAT bad! :) I really did have to keep reminding myself that I had just had a baby, because I felt pretty much normal! I am so blessed. WE are so blessed. Life is beautiful! I can't wait to watch Mia learn and grow the way I have been able to watch Landon learn and grow. Motherhood is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I love my kids SO much. Matthew and I really do have a good life and we are so blessed.
Until next time.
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| My last bump picture at 38 weeks. Look at that belly! |
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| Proof that she really was 9 lbs. 8 oz. :) |
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| Delivered by her daddy! |
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| The 3 of us. I just wish Landon would have been able to be in this picture! |
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| All set to go home (on Valentines Day!) |
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| A picture of my whole world. |
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| Matt's sister, Trisha, actually had a baby 5 days after Mia was born. Here is the first picture of the two of them together. Mia is HUGE! haha |
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| Proud big brother holding his sister for the first time. :) |
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