Our Baby Girl

Lucy Rose Traynor

9lbs 7oz

20 in

Born September 12, 2012

at 3:34pm

After weeks of false labor, high blood pressure, and passing by my due date (yet again), my midwife decided that it was time to help our baby out.

We arrived at the hospital early Wednesday morning. I started out at 3cm. Lucy looked as happy as ever, so Eve (my midwife) came in and broke my water. She was hoping that would be enough to send me into labor. I didn't feel the normal "gush" instead, only blood came out. Thinking it was a little weird, we decided baby still looked great so she sent me walking. About 15min later, I felt a bubble. I lost an apple-sized blood clot. I rushed back to my room and she wasn't sure why that had happened. While the nurse went to grab Eve, I felt the "darkness" coming and I knew I was about to pass out. They laid me down, put me on oxygen, and put cold towels on my head and I felt better. She then spent another 15 min trying to break my water- again. This time I felt the typical "gush" but I also had much more blood and clots than normal. Still Lucy looked great on the monitors, so they let me walk around again. An hour later, no regular contractions had started so we decided it was time to start the Pitocin. It was about 11:30am.
The contractions started coming, and I remember thinking "Ok this is totally doable." They hurt, but they were over quickly and I had about 5 min to rest in between. About an hour later, they were coming faster and harder. I tried the birthing ball, rocking chair, standing, sitting, etc... and nothing seemed to help. I started grabbing onto Matt while Eve pushed hard into my back. She was amazing, stayed with me the entire time, and kept trying different ways to help relieve the pain. It was getting so intense and I was no longer talking at all. Eve checked me and I was already dilated to 6cm. That felt good to hear, but I was getting so tired. The contractions would hit me hard, then slowly decline, and once they stopped I had a very short 30-60 second window before another one would start. I felt them coming, and I kept saying "It's coming..." and I would whimper a bit. Matt would tell me to keep breathing, keep breathing. And even though my instinct was to hold my breath and tense up my body from the pain, I tried my hardest to breath and relax. Matt, Eve, and my nurse Andrea would talk me thru each contraction. They chanted "Breath in, breath out" and "You did it, it's coming down" and "You are so amazing." I can't tell you how much that helped me. Each time the hard part hit, I thought I couldn't make it, but then I heard them say, "You did it." I was feeling crazy pressure between my thighs, and Eve checked me again. I had gone from 6 to an 8 in an hour! Again, that felt so good but I wasn't sure how much more I could take. They really started to hurt and I just held onto Matt as hard as I could. I was sobbing and pleading for them to help me. I remember saying "Eve I just can't do it anymore!" She told me I could, and I would do it! I said please, please the pressure! She checked again, I was 9.5cm this time. SO CLOSE! Just a couple more contractions and I could push. A COUPLE MORE?! I couldn't do it. I was so tired and it hurt so much.
Then, the contraction to beat all contractions hit. I yelled out in pain, I was sobbing, and I felt like I was going to tear into two pieces. I said I HAVE TO PUSH!!!! SHE IS COMING! She told me, OK let's see if you are ready, and I was! Finally! The nurse told me that it was going to feel so good to push, and the next contraction hit and I push as hard as I could. Instantly I felt the absolute WORST pain that I had ever felt in my entire life. Everything I ever knew about pain was thrown out the window. I screamed and I thought that there is no way that I can handle this! I stared up at the mirror over my head and I could see my baby's head already crowning. Every muscle in my body was tense and I couldn't bend my legs. My nurse tried to help, but she couldn't control me (she later told me that I was the strongest patient she's ever had, ha ha). Eve told me not to push until the next contraction, and I tried my hardest even though I had never felt a stronger urge to do anything! Another contraction came and I pushed, I pushed so hard, and I watched my baby girl's head come out! Instantly I felt the best and most wonderful relief! I pushed a bit more and out came her shoulders, then her legs. They placed my BIG girl on my chest and all I could think of was "HER HAIR!" She was so beautiful!

Instantly, the pain of labor was pushed aside, but I was very shaken up, and just so relieved it was over. Afterwards, being stitched up, catheter placed, and uterine massages are also not fun without an epidural. You don't really think about that stuff, but it was awful, and I was so done being in pain. My poor placenta was old and not functioning properly. And, my uterus didn't seem to be able to handle my giant babies, so I ended up losing over 2000ml of blood. (normal is 500ml) That is 35% of my blood supply! I was weak and dizzy. My hematocrit kept decreasing (from 38 to 23) so I ended up doing a blood transfusion. That was freaky and it ached the entire 6 hours. But I feel so much better today and I know that's why.

Would I do it again? YES. The entire time, Lucy was never in distress. Her heart rate stayed the same, as if she didn't even know what was happening. She peacefully came into this world just like I wanted her to. Though I am not sure I would be able to do that again, I am 100% for sure that I would not change anything about her birth. She was perfect. She IS perfect.
I feel so lucky to be her Momma.

And I can't tell her Daddy and my sweet midwife enough times how amazing they were. I could never have done it without them. Eve stayed by my side the ENTIRE time. She is my hero!

I just wanted to share what Matty had to say about his experience:
"I just want to tell you all about my amazing experince at 3:34pm yesterday. We brought a little precious girl in this world named Lucy Rose. She was 9lbs 7oz and 20" long. I cant tell you how proud of her momma I am. She delivered naturally and although it was emotional and painful for Ashlee and myself, she pulled through like the strong momma she is! Ashlee- you were so brave and that little girl was just perfect through the entire process, it's like she was just patiently waiting to meet her momma finally. WE FINALLY GOT OUR LITTLER GIRL AND I AM HOOKED!! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen!"

Welcome to the family, Lucy Rose!

Here are a few more pictures of our beautiful girl during her first week on this Earth: