Taylor's Story

Has it already been 3 1/2 weeks?  It is hard to believe that Taylor is that old.  She is doing well staying awake in the evening so night time is pretty good for us.  She sleeps usually from 10 until 3:30 and then gets up at 6:30ish again.  I really can't complain about that!  Well as for Taylor's story that I said I would write about some other time I will share now.

I will skip through most of the false labor part as that went on for 11 days.  Not fun!  The Tuesday before she was born I was getting intense contractions that were 5 minutes apart lasting for a minute so we went into the hospital.  While I was there the contractions got to be 2 minutes apart, more intense and lasting the same amount of time.  Unfortunately I was only at a 2 (later I found out I was a 1 but they didn't want to tell me that) so I was sent home as I was not in 'active' labor.  Upon our return home the contractions stopped.

I had a few restless nights and days with contractions going for 24 hours.  I didn't want to go back into the hospital with out my water breaking because I didn't want to be sent home again so I gritted my teeth and bore through it.  By Saturday I was determined to have Taylor and couldn't stand the on and off contractions.  Daniel and I went into the hospital that night and nothing had changed so they couldn't keep me but the same Dr was there that had checked me on Tuesday and she scheduled a cervidel induction for the following Monday.  Thank you!!  They gave me some morphine and graval and sent me home.  I had the best nights sleep that night!  I really enjoy morphine as a pain killer, especially when it lets me sleep!

Monday came and oh, was I ever ready to get going!  I had a great nurse working with me and she made sure to get me admitted so that I wouldn't have to leave the hospital again after having the cervidel put in.  8:20 I had the cervidel in and then I layed around for a couple of hours to let it get to work.  In that time they kept monitoring Taylor's heartbeat on and off but she was being tricky so Daniel had to hold the monitor on my tummy.  We walked the halls for a bit and then got moved into our Labor/Delivery room.

I got some morphine for pain a little while after being in my room.  The nurse was trying to convince me to use laughing gas while the morphine kicked in or instead of.  I knew I didn't like it from when I had my wisdom teeth taken out but tried it anyways,  I was told to try it for 5 contractions but after one I was hyperventilating!  So I stuck with my favorite labor buddy of morphine!

My MIL had come after we got into our LD room and spent the afternoon with us.  She had a bit of a time crunch though as she was hosting an engagement party for my SIL at 4:00.  Around 3:30 I got checked out and was at a 4, so yea for progress!  They broke my water and I was sleepy and in some pain but not much was happening so my MIL left to get the party going and make an appearance before coming back to the hospital.  Around 4:30 I told Daniel I needed him to call his Mom and let her know I was progressing (6 cm) and would be having the baby soon.  About 15 mintues later I told him to call again and tell her it was happening!  She had just left to come back to the hospital.

I told the nurse (at this point it was a new nurse) that I needed to push.  She kept putting me off but finally checked and said it was ok to push.  The Dr came quickly and 5 pushes later Taylor was born at 4:52.  Once everything started Taylor came really quickly.  She didn't have any time to get misshapen or anything.  She came out at a nice 21" long and 8 lbs 9oz.  Not my biggest or smallest baby so she fits right in with the rest of the kidlets!

My MIL got back to the hospital about 20 minutes after Taylor was born.  Unfortunately she missed the whole birth but it was great to have her there through the afternoon and then helping out afterwards.  My SIL Rachel and her fiance Spencer came over and met Taylor.

All was well with us until about midnight.  A nurse came in and told us we needed to have Taylor tested for HIV since I hadn't been tested during my pregnancy.  I had declined to be tested as I am not in a high risk situation for getting it.  The on call pediatrician was insisting that Taylor needed to be tested and that I needed to stop nursing her until the test came back.  I was willing to let Taylor get tested but I refused to stop nursing for a number of reasons.  To be completely honest the main reason I needed to nurse her was to really bond with her.  Between the surprise of the pregnancy and frustration of false labor and the difficulty of the pregnancy in between those I needed to bond with her!  After going back and forth and Daniel eventually  talking to the Dr we had Taylor tested and we signed a waiver saying we were going to nurse her against the Dr's advice.  By the time they took her to the NICU and drew her blood it was after 1 AM.  A little while later the nurse came in again and said that "Babies blood was too thick and clotted" so they needed to draw blood again.  AKA they used the wrong topper on the tube and it had caused the blood to clot.  Taylor was taken back to the NICU and they drew her blood again.  It was after 2 by the time she got back.  I had stayed up until she came back the first time but I couldn't do it the second time around.

We were released the next day after more fiasco from the pediatrician.  She wanted to keep us there until the test results came back.  She also asked for permission to test my blood for HIV.  Daniel said yes as long as she released us.  The Dr called us later that day and told me that Taylor's blood came back negative.  I felt like telling her 'Ya think!' but bit my tongue and said thank you.  When she had come to check Taylor out Daniel asked her about Taylor's tongue being tongue tied.  She said it wasn't an issue but last week when we went to our appointment she said it was a grade 3 tie and needed to be snipped.  We are finally figuring out how to nurse again!  Needless to say we will not be going back to this Dr again!

Well that is how our Taylor came to us and all the surrounding story.  We are so in love with her and can't get enough.  At her Dr's appointment last Thursday she had already gained 1/2 lbs from her birth weight.  She is a strong little girl and loves to look around.  Well this momma needs to go feed a little girl who thinks she is starving!