Our baby girl arrived Monday morning weighing 8lbs3oz and 19.5 inches long.

After a long road to get pregnant, it only makes sense that our road through pregnancy and labor/delivery would be equally long. I had posted a few weeks back that I had been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes at 30 weeks which thankfully I was able to diet control the entire time and was shortly after diagnosed around 32 weeks with mild preeclampsia (only high blood pressure and barely elevated protein). The preeclampsia diagnoses meant lots more monitoring and also a planned induction at 37 weeks. Along with the monitoring came the diagnoses of polyhypdramois as well as her belly measuring over the 100%, which meant even more risks and reasons to induce early which I was fine with.

My husband and I went in to the hospital for our induction at exactly 37 weeks last Saturday January 23rd at 7am. They immediately did a cervical check of which I was expecting to be 0cm dilated and 0% effaced since that’s what I had been earlier in the week,but much time my excitement I as now naturally dilated to 2cm but still 0% effaced. They began my induction with 2 rounds of misoprostol orally and would check again in I believe 12 hours (can’t fully remember). I was hopeful it would work and I would have a relatively quick induction for a FTM since I was already 2cm,but disappointing when they checked I had progressed to 3cm but was still 0% effaced and baby was high. We decided to try one more round with no luck. Since misoprostol was not working we decided to do a round of cervidal overnight. In the morning when I was checked however No progress had been made.

We decided that after multiple failed attempts with cervical ripening drugs we would try to start me on pitocin in hopes the contractions would move baby down and she would do the work. I was in pitocin for 6 hours and felt very minimal contractions most of which were back labor. They checked again and I was only at 4cm and 10% effaced...finally. They tried another round of 6 hours of pitocin and made it to 20% effaced. They then told me I could try one more round for 6 hours and if they couldn’t break my water they would recommend a break or a csection as baby was not engaging. We opted to try one more time. By morning and after the final round of pitocin I was still 4cm but 50% effaced but they could not feel baby’s head and were worried about breaking the water with her so high up and lots of excess fluid. After over two days of induction my husband and I decided a csection was the safest and best option for the baby and I.

They quickly prepped us for the surgey and within an hour I was in the OR getting my spinal. I was very excited and couldn’t wait to finally be meeting my baby girl. They brought my husband in once I was ready and at 9:44am my daughter was born. Things quickly took a turn for the worse however when her crying turned to muffled coughing and the NICU was called. She sadly had breathed in some amniotic fluid and needed to be brought to the NICU for some lung scans and O2 to help her work the fluid out of her lungs. I told my husband to go with her while they stitched me up. My poor husband would later come back to an empty labor room because as all of that was occurring my doctor discovered I was hemorrhaging and they couldn’t stop the bleeding. I lost about 2.6 liters of blood. They quickly performed a procedured called a Bakri balloon that inflate to stop any bleeding in the uterus. This was successful and they wheeled me back to my room. Once back in my room my temperature spiked to 103 and and my blood pressure spiked to 212/over high 100s. They immediately started me on magnesium drip and stopped all blood transfusions due to fear of reaction to the bloods causing my temp to spike. I was awake for all of this and my husband watched helplessly. Thankfully my doctors/nurses were incredible and were able to get my blood pressure quickly lowered and controlled and my temp naturally lowered. They believe the temperature was just a reaction to all the meds I had taken previously.

Once I was stable I was finally able to be wheeled up to the NICU a few hours later to hold my doctor for the first time and it was incredible. I was on the magnesium drip for 24 hours and it was honestly torture as it makes you feel like you are on fire,but it saved my life so it was well worth it. I also later found out that if the Bakri balloon had failed I would have had to have a hysterectomy to stop the hemorrhaging. Thankfully for me my body fought off everything and surprised even my doctors with how quick it bounced back from both the hemorrhaging and high blood pressure.

I was able to be moved to the maternity ward the day after delivery and my daughter was released from NICU after about a day and a half after delivery to join us too. Somehow despite all that transpired, we all were able to come home a three days after delivery all doing well and healthy.

Although most people would find the whole birth traumatic, I felt almost empowered that despite the battle with infertility and pregnancy complications and severe labor complications my body was still able to create an incredible and perfect little girl. Us women are all truly warriors and are capable of anything! I can’t wait to see all the pictures of everyone else’s little ones as I know so many of your due dates are quickly approaching. 🥰💕