the campbell carrier: Brynlee's Birth

Brynlee Sue Campbell is here! She is just perfect! She was born on November 20, 2012 at 5:08 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. We didn't decide her name until the morning she was born. Her middle name is my middle name, which is my mother's name. The morning after she was born, her pediatrician came in to exam her and said, "It's not that often I can call a newborn baby, 'Perfect,' but I can today!" She is healthy, her coloring was perfect, her size, and he even said the shape of her head is perfect. We are so grateful to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl. However, at one point during delivery we feared the worse....

First off, my due date was November 24th, but I was progessing far on my appointment the 19th, and the doctor suggested inducing her the next morning. Richard and I originally were not for inducing, and said we would hold out until she was ready to come. That's when the doctor gave us more to think about,that changed our mind. We wanted to make the decision based on what was best for Brynlee. We took the decision seriously, prayed about it, and both felt strongly November 20th was her day.

It was Thanksgiving week, thankfully, because we had plenty of distraction that night to help us with anxiety, excitement, and fear. My whole family drove down here that night (the 19th) to have a replacement Thanksgiving Dinner: Pizza! The next morning Richard and I checked into the hospital at 5:00 in the morning. They gave me Pitocin at 8:00. Contractions were strong, but nothing I couldn't deal with. I really wanted to go as long as possible without having an epidural. I knew I didn't want any IV medicines (narcotics) that could impact the baby.

The turning point came around 11:30 when the doctor came in to break my water. That's when we found out the water had meconium in it. Fortunately, my doctor didn't seem to concerned about it, and said that just means he will have to suction out her mouth and nose real well before she takes her first breath. I trust my doctor so much, I knew he would handle it just fine! The downfall: I had to have a cathetar put in the uterus to keep a heart rate monitor on the baby...which means no birthing ball, no walking, squatting, or sitting. :(

After he broke my water, the contractions came on strong, hard, and fast! They got up to about a 90 on the machine, and the doctor said at that point, they really won't get much harder than that. At that point, I was just talking to him regularly, and trying to stay calm and tough. He said that I should have no problem doing it natural if that was the way I was handling it. (But that was just the first one.) The first hour was pretty hard, but I just continued to breath. To be honest, it was kind of fun, (heavy on the kind of)...I think it was just exciting to finally be in labor and could now understand what a "contraction" felt like! :) I waited my whole life, and especially the last 9 months. The next hour was a lot harder, and by the third hour (now at 7 cm), I was so worn out! I couldn't walk around, or move, and it was getting harder and harder just laying there. At 2:30 I got an epidural.

Around 4:00 p.m, the nurses told me that the baby's heart rate was dropping lower than they would like, and they had to move my position. That went on for about 45 minutes! They either had a hard time finding it, or it would drop a little low during a contraction. The nurses gave us the idea that it could be the umbilical cord was wrapped around her, or maybe she was squeezing it. Either way, we were fearful, and asked what now?! The nurses told us hesitantly that it could mean C-Section. I started to cry. I did not want a C-Section. Once you have one, you always have one (typically), and I really wanted to avoid them if possible. The doctor came in around 5:00 p.m, and corrected the nurses. He told me the baby seemed to be just fine, and said the numbers weren't accurate. He wanted to check the cathedar to see if it was a positioning issue. That's when he just looked at me and said one word: PUSH.

That fast! He said the heart rate was dropping because she was in the birth canal! PUSH! It was such a rush. Richard and I just looked at each other in shock. I started shaking, we both got tears in our eyes, we were laughing, crying, everything. From going to the baby isn't doing well, C-Section, the unknown, to YOUR HAVING THE BABY NOW was such an endrinalyn rush. After about 10 minutes of pushing, little Brynlee joined the world.

Richard and I are truly blessed to have Brynlee. We would just stare at her instead of sleep for the first week! We loved our hospital. They have something called "Family First Hour." Before the baby is washed, weighed, and measured, they put the baby on my chest for one hour. It's time for Richard and I to be with her, for her to feel comfort, listen to my heartbeat, and rest from the labor. What a great bonding experience. They also never took her to a nursery, which meant she was by our side the whole time! Rich got to give her a bath right there next to me. She is just precious!

Richard and I are definitely first time parents. :) We are becoming more relaxed as we get to know Brynlee, but to hear her cry the first time at a cold wipe, or being tired, or gassy, has been so hard! I couldn't have asked for a better husband though. Richard is up with me every time! He helps change her diaper, clean up, and while I'm feeding her he will bring me some water. He is so sweet, and is the best husband and dad ever! He truly tries to do anything he can to help all of us transition into a new lifestyle.

At Brynlee's one week appointment she was back to her birth weight. At her two week appointment she weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces. She put on 12 ounces in a week. The doctor was extremely happy to see that, and said that she is a terrific eater. Haha! No doubt about that, you can hear her gulp from across the room. The only downfall to that is she also gulps a little too much air...causing painful gas. :( Brynlee has kept us up a few nights, as her little body figures out how to digest properly. I have had a few crying episodes myself, hearing her cry in pain. But the doctor reassured me that a baby that puts on 12 ounces in a week, can not have something majorly wrong with her. He said it probably hurts me more than it hurts her. Knowing this, and using Mylicon, has made this week much easier!

We love her so much, and we are so glad to have her here with us right before the Holidays! Merry Christmas to us!