After three trips to Labor and Delivery this sweet baby girl finally came!
The first trip to L&D I was only 35 weeks and 6 days so contractions were stopped and I was sent home. More details are in a previous post. The second trip landed very very late on Pioneer Day. Although I was having contractions that were painful, they were not causing me to dilate. So I was sent home. At least this time contractions were not stopped. I was just told to come back if they got more intense. Well no such luck. I went to my normal appointment the next morning where I was still at a 3 even after all the contractions I was having the night before and the doc stripped my membranes. After the appointment he thought he would see us later that week. He had me make another appointment but didn't think that I would need it. I felt a little more cramping but the contractions still didn't get more intense. Even though once again I was disappointment and in tears I decided that I would have some fun. I went to Bear Lake with my best girl friends on Tuesday and had a blast. I took the kids to the pool a couple days later. I was just hoping that if I could keep myself busy enough doing things then maybe I would stop thinking about the fact that I was still pregnant and having contractions. It worked for the most part.
The week went on and still nothing super intense as far as contractions go. My mom flew into town on Saturday July 30th. Still no baby. I was able to keep my normal appointment on Monday Aug. 1st. I was dilated to a 4. The doc stripped my membranes again and said that he would probably see me later that day or the next. I wasn't holding my breath. In fact I went to the appointment determined that I would be going to the hospital to have the baby. Then I found out that the hospital has a policy now that does not allow doctors to do any sort of induction before 39 weeks and since I was 38 weeks and 2 days, I had to rely on my body getting things going. My doctor did say though that if I had any contractions that were even mild to go into the hospital, but to call him first. He said that if I did go into L&D again that they would NOT send me home. Feeling discouraged and in tears again, Aaron and I went back home. My mom and I decided to go out and do some walking. So we went to the mall, since it is kind of hot still and the A/C would feel nice. After the mall we got lunch and then went to a fabric store. While out and about walking, I was having contractions. They continually got more intense. Even though my doctor told me that they wouldn't send me home again I was still weary of going into L&D. I joked that I would end up waiting so long for fear of being sent home again that I would miss the epidural! I went home and laid down for awhile and the contractions did slow down a bit but continued on. At that point I felt that I could go in to the hospital. I called Aaron and he called the doctor. We got to L&D at about 6pm.
After being admitted, I was examined and I was at a 5. That meant I could get the IV and the epidural. Shortly after getting the epidural, the doctor broke my water. The epidural I received this time was a little different than my first two. I started to feel some pressure and so I pushed the button, which is what I had done the other two times I had an epidural. Well that was not a good idea. I started feeling some acid reflex/heart burn and I asked for some medication for that and then I threw up. Apparently I was sensitive to epidural. Aaron, the sweet husband that he is, got a little bucket filled with soapy water and washed my hair! Later I learned that the way the epidural was given, it was intended for me to feel some pressure. Once I was fully dialated, I started to feel more and more pressure, but scared to push the button again I waited for the nurse to come back. That is when I learned that I was fully dialated and ready to go. The nurse called the doctor and it turned out he was on his way in to see why he hadn't been called yet for me. As he got there I started to feel the urge to push. It made pushing way easy and the best part no pain. Literally 3 minutes after Dr. Kirkman got there, we found out that the little baby was a girl! It was nice to be able to feel the pressure from contractions and then the urge to push. Ginger came out so quickly that the nursery nurses were not even there yet.
So no one knew if the baby was a boy or a girl. It was never written on my chart or anything. So when she came out the doc held her up and said well I don't see any boy parts! Once Aaron and I were able to get a good look at her, we both agreed that she looks like Paige.
Ginger weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz
Born at 10:42pm on Monday August 1st.
After delivery I kept farting. I thought it was hilarious! It was the weirdest feeling. I could sort of feel the vibrations. Of course I heard the noise and knew it was coming from me. The more I laughed the more the toots came. They also came when the nurses would rub my belly, to help contract the uterus. I think that I was the only one who found it so funny. Aaron was probably embarrassed! I only busted up laughing when no one else was in the room with us.
Ginger Coleen Wells
That night was pretty awful as far as sleep goes. I wasn't expecting to get great sleep or anything, but I was in a lot of pain. The pain was in my abdomen area and I just couldn't get comfortable. I kept thinking that it was just my uterus contracting and the epidural wearing off. Well finally at 4am I was able to physically use the bathroom (I had tried a couple hours before and still couldn't get anything to come out). It was marvelous to able to empty my bladder. Then an hour and a half later I emptied my very full bladder again. Total I had 1800 ml of pee. It was amazing, the pain was gone! Recovery after that was fantastic.
My mom brought the kids in to see the baby in the morning. I wish I would have caught the look on Paige's face on camera as she came into the room. I was a little worried how she would react to having a sister instead of a brother. She was pretty sure that the baby would be a boy. When asked what if the baby is a girl, Paige would say, I will still love it. I think of all of us, Paige is the most smitten with her new sister.
They both love holding her. When it was time for the kids to leave, Jack was more than ready to go home, Paige on the other hand would have been happy sitting holding Ginger all day.
I can not say how happy, blessed and loved I felt to have my mom there. In fact I stayed an extra night at the hospital (much needed and thoroughly enjoyed) only because my mom was there. I guess if Ginger had come any other time I would not have had that luxury of having my mom to help out.
Ginger also came when my good friend Julie was visiting from Arizona. Julie wouldn't let me tell her if the baby was a boy or girl on the phone. She was able to squeeze in a visit with us at the hospital before she started her journey home. I was so happy that I got to spend time with Julie while she was in town before the baby was born, so I guess that is another reason that it was good Ginger came when she did.
We are all smitten with Ginger. She is a sweet baby and we love her dearly.
