Laynie's birth was a scheduled c-section. Surprisingly I slept really well the night before and actually did not want to wake up when my alarm went off in the morning. I'm weird...I know! In fact, we were almost late getting to the hospital! Turns out it wouldn't have mattered anyway because I ended up waiting in the waiting room for about 20 minutes before my nurse came to get us to go to the surgery prep room. I was very antsy and honestly a little irritated that I was sitting in a waiting room! I'm not sure why it bothered me so much but it did! Once we got into prep, everything went smoothly. I was a little upset to learn that I would not be getting lidocaine before the IV was inserted in my arm. I was dreading the IV more than the surgery itself because I remember how bad it hurt when I had Rex. This time they put it in my arm rather than my hand and it was much better for keeping it out of the way. While it did definitely hurt when they put it in, the pain didn't last too long and it didn't hurt at all when they took it out. So...I can't complain too much :)
The rest of the prep was fine. As I was sitting there, they had a monitor for the baby on my belly to listen to her heartbeat. I did not have a monitor for contractions, only her heart beat but we could tell when I was having them not only because I felt them but because her heart rate would increase when I was having them. They were happening pretty regularly so I'd like to think I would have gone into labor that day anyway. I really really wanted to go into labor on my own. I hated knowing her birthday before she was here and just like the idea of her coming on her own and having the story to go with the day of her birth. While I was very glad to be delivering her, I would have preferred that she come on her own, even if it meant a few more days of discomfort! So...since I was contracting that morning, we're sticking with the thought that I would have gone into labor that day anyway, even if it's just to humor me and make me happy! :)
After the I got all prepped, there was some down time where we were able to sit in the waiting room with my family. My mom, Eli, Ashley and Jenny were there the entire time. It meant to the world to me that they were there with us! We got to hang for about 20 minutes before I had to head back. Corey's mom Rhonda, Mark, Sydney and Blair came just after I went back for surgery and were there to meet Laynie when Corey got to come out with her.
We headed to the operating room around 10:15. When I went back to the operating room, Corey waiting in the c-section waiting area while they did my epidural. That was much more painful than I remember with Rex. I told the anesthesiologist about the epidural going bad on my left side when I had Rex. He took a look at my spine and noticed that I have a slight scoliosis which would likely explain why that I happened. I thought it was very interesting! My ob-gyn, Dr. Ohlemacher and the other attending nurses and staff thought it was too and everyone was going back there to check out the slight curve in my spine! The doctor directed the epidural more to my left side because of this to make sure it didn't happen again. I was quite nervous when they were putting it in so the doctor had to give me some "liquid courage" as he said so that I could relax. It was the quickest drunk feeling I have ever felt!! Once I was relaxed, he finished up and all was well. By this point, I was feeling pretty woozy! I wanted to be as coherent as possible so that I that I was conscious and alert after wards to get a better start with skin to skin and nursing than I did with Rex. I tend to get very nauseous when I have surgery. This time proved no different and I got sick a few times once they started rolling with things. They gave me zofran for the nausea but it still got me. I can definitely see why they say no eating after midnight! By the time Corey came in, they had already gotten started with the surgery. I have to say it was pretty strange being awake as they were pulling and tugging on me. I was awake when Rex was born but I was extremely exhausted and drugged by that point so my memories are vague and sort of sporadic. Corey and I were talking here and there and before we knew it, we heart her beautiful cry!! It was wonderful!! I'm not much of a crier but I did cry a little bit when she was born. Corey did too :)
After she was born, the finished sewing me up and Corey got to do a "drive by" with the family as they moved from the O.R to recovery. While they were finishing me, the medicine was getting to me quite a bit and I fell asleep. I don't remember going to recovery, I just remember waking up in there. Corey, Laynie and I were the only ones in there which I really appreciated. When I had Rex, I was completely unconscious immediately after having him because I was so exhausted. Everyone held my baby before I did. I was and still am so thankful that he got lots of loving and holding immediately but I really wanted to make sure that I got that initial experience with Laynie. To be completely honest, being in the recovery room made it easier for me to hog her and not have to worry about letting anyone hold her just yet. I honestly don't remember how long I was asleep from the time we got to recovery to when I held Laynie. I know it wasn't long and I remember waking up and wanting her right away. Once I had her, I got the enjoy that precious skin to skin time. I loved it! We were in recovery for about 2 hours before they moved us to our room. Our visitors followed us in then and visited with us. I still was not ready to give Laynie up quite yet so I held her for about another hour before I shared her! Then she got all of her loving from everyone!
I started nursing after about an hour. Laynie latched on like a pro from the get go! I was so excited about it because this was a challenge with Rex. Ashley stayed to help coach me and stayed with me for the rest of the day. I will forever be eternally grateful for being blessed with the most amazing best friends in the world. I would be so lost without my Jenny and my Ashley. Just thinking about the unconditional love and support those two have always shown me, especially through this pregnancy make me tear up. I love them both so much.
That afternoon my mom brought Rex to meet his little sister along with my aunt Mary Lynne and my Momo. Just as I predicted, Rex insisted that she was baby Lucy!! We kept telling him that it was Laynie and he would say "No! Baby Lucy!!" Nonetheless, he was very sweet with her from the get go. He wasn't too concerned with seeing me nor leaving me. He was with his Nini and Grandpa and that's all that mattered!
The rest of our stay at the hospital was great with lots of visitors! We only had to eat hospital food a couple of times thanks to our visitors who brought us meals! Laynie was a champion nurser! Sometimes she would stay on the breast for 2-3 hours straight with a 10-15 minute break or two in between. Her pediatrician, Dr. Gray and the nurses said this was pretty normal so I toughed it out! She slept decently well at night for a newborn so I was very thankful for that!
We headed home on Sunday. My mom and Eli met us at the house with Rex. My dad came into town that day too so that he could meet his newest grand baby. Jerry and Lucinda, came soon after to meet her too. Rhonda and Mark brought us dinner and some groceries that evening as well. We had a very warm welcoming by all of our parents and are so thankful for them!
All in all, Laynie's birth was wonderful and went very smoothly! Although I don't have a crazy or exciting story to tell like I hoped, I am very thankful to have had a smooth delivery and perfectly healthy baby. We feel incredibly blessed to have our two babies home with us!
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