Raelinn's Birth

Be preprared for a very long post....

Thursday, March 28th we drove down to Vegas. I was supposed to be admitted at the Summerlin hospital at 2pm to get a medicine called cervadil (softens your cervix). We stopped at Cafe Rio to get a salad, then headed towards the hospital. On our way there, I got a call from the hospital...their beds were full and there was absolutely no room for me until somebody delivered. The nurse said it could be anywhere from an hour, to numerous hours...there was no way to tell. Since I hadn't registered yet, we decided to head over anyways, get that out of the way, and go from there. After I registered, I opened my salad, took a few bites and discovered a FLY in it!!! :( I was so super upset! That's all I wanted before I got admitted....so we headed back down the freeway so that I could get a new salad! Pathetic, I know, but that took up some time that we had to spare! By about 4:00, there was still no call from the hospital saying that there was a bed open, so we went to my moms hotel and checked in. After a few more hours of waiting, and a few calls to the hospital STILL no bed...!! I called Mountain View, and Centennial Hills hospital to see if I could just switch and deliver at one of those....guess what?! Nobody had a bed open!! One of the nurses said "It is so crazy, women keep coming in in full blown labor...we're all wondering what was going on 9 months ago?!!" By this point I was about in tears. I had myself prepared and ready emotionally and this was throwing my whole plan off! My dad and little brothers got to the hotel and we decided to go down to the movies and watch The Croods. The baby was kicking around and making me soooo uncomfortable! I was so ready to just get her out, and the hospital was holding us up! I went to the bathroom for like the 3rd time in an hour, and snapped this miserable picture haha



By the time the movie got over, it was 9pm....and still no call from the hospital! 7 hours had gone by, my anxiety was sky rocketing and I was just starting to get teary eyed with frustration when my Dr. Martin called me. (seriously the best Dr. ever!!) "Shaunna....I'm so sorry" Even though it wasn't his fault, he was so concerned about me. He told me that Centennial Hills had a bed open, if I could head that way right then, and knowing that we live in Tonopah, he told us the quickest way to the hospital. Tj, my mom and I headed outside and it really hit us, we are heading to the hospital....to have a baby. This was my last car ride, not being a mom. 

We were obviously excited! A little nervous on my part, but excited!

We got to the hospital and they knew exactly who I was haha We headed into the room, filled out paperwork and it was time to put my adorable hospital gown that Carrie gave to me at my baby shower. 

My nurse, Jackie, checked me (I was a one) and at midnight put the cervadil in. The cervadil had to stay in for 12 hours so we waited and waited.... Dad and the boys stopped in to visit before heading back to Tonopah and Tj and dad gave me a blessing. 

Noon the next day the day shift nurse (which we weren't too fond of) took out the cervadil and by 1:30 she started the pitocin.

Raelinn's hear rate wasn't low, but not very strong, so it wasn't picking up too well on the monitor strapped to my stomach. At around 4 they broke my water and put a monitor on her head to keep better track of her heart beat...which got things going! At around 5 that evening I got my epidural, I was at a 4 and about 80% effaced. Contractions were bearable at that point, but I didn't want them to get worse and then the anesthesiologist be in surgery or something. (smart on my part!) Unfortunately the epidural totally numbed my right side...but on my left side I still felt mostly everything. They came in and gave me a shot of narcotics in my IV which really helped take the edge off of the pain. Unfortunately that wore off....my poor body was shaking uncontrollably! They had me put on oxygen because Raelinn's heartbeat still wasn't the best.  At some point that night, while I was having a horrible contraction, Tj was sprawled out on the recliner flipping through channels and yells "oh the Andy Griffith show!!" I looked at my sister with big crocodile tears and she looked at him and said "Shhh!" hahaha after that he realized the contractions were pretty intense and eventually made it to the bed side to be there for me :) During contractions, I didn't want to hold anybody's hand, I just squeezed the sheet, and breathed in and out. During one awful contraction...Tj started counting! 1-2-3....4- haha I yelled "shut up!!!!" Then once it was over, had to explain that you don't count during a contraction, you count when I push! Not to mention I didn't want anybody to count while I pushed. I think it's super annoying and distracting! I made it to 5cm and was not progressing....like at all! My contractions were so bad and the nurse was thinking that Raelinn was a "star gazer" meaning she was face up, rather than down. Her head might not have been positioned right to be putting pressure on my cervix to dialate...and we were afraid we were going to have to have a c-section. By that point in time, I was SO over it, and wanted her out, even if that meant a c-section. A few hours later the nurse came in to check me....and what do you know I was a 7! We were SO relieved! Shortly after that she came in and checked me again...I was complete! I was so overwhelmed and scared, but in so much pain I was ready to push the baby out! She had Tj hold my right leg, mom hold my left leg and told me to bare down and push...I was SOOOO scared of going number 2 right there on the bed, and I kept telling them that (haha I'm about ready to push out a baby and THAT was my main concern) Jackie (who thank heavens was back on night shift!) yelled at me for thinking that and told me to push even harder....I was pretty nervous pushing without having a Dr. in the room...but Jackie had been an OB nurse for 17 years or something crazy...that's over half of my life...I'm sure she could have delivered Raelinn on her own if she had to. She told us that I had been complete for a while....but didn't want me pushing for hours, so she let the baby come down on her own. (thank goodness, pushing was exhausting!)

I know this picture shows a lot...but I love his face! haha! At about the time I started pushing he said "man I didn't think it was THIS hard...." 

At about 12:50 (I know because my sweet sister was updating facebook for everybody who couldn't be there) They could see her hair. I could not believe- A. there was a real baby in side of me and B. that I literally was pushing her out...and that they could see her! Jackie went and called Dr. Martin and told me if I wanted to push with each contraction, I could. There was so much pressure I pretty much HAD to push, not to mention I figured I had no choice....it was either push now and get the show on the road, or wait for the Dr. I chose then! The Dr. showed up about 15 minutes later and had me push a couple of times. I seriously felt like I was never going to get her out. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that a real baby was coming out of me...and figured I was going to be there for hours pushing....because it just wasn't possible for ME to have a baby. Dr. Martin looked at me and said "I didn't promise that I wouldn't do an episiotomy on you did I?? Because we need to do one....and it will get her out faster" I can't remember what my exact words were, but something to the degree of "I don't care what you do just get her out!" The next contraction he numbed me, and then cut me. He said one more push and she'd be out. I couldn't believe I wasn't going to have to wait any longer.....the thought of at least an hour of pushing was totally wrong on my part. I had pushed maybe a total of about 10 times before the Dr had showed up and only a couple times with him. I have to honestly admit, it wasn't as bad as I intended it to be. By the next push she was out. At 1:18am, I had this little miracle laying on my chest. This sweet girl who I scorned for always having her feet in my ribs, or pushing on my bladder....she was finally here. I told her I was her mom right away and that she was pretty :)

Look at my sweet husband....so happy and proud already!

 She was a little blue and had the cord wrapped around her neck one time, but quickly started crying. They clamped her cord and Tj cut it while she was still laying on me. It was all such a blur...I was concentrating on pushing that I didn't even realize Tj had pulled her out! After her head was out, the Dr. told him "ok pull her out" he looked at my mom scared to death, and she said "just like the cow!" haha he grabbed her and delivered our little girl! They took her and set her in the warmer to clean her up and give her a bath, I looked over, and saw her little legs stretch straight out...that explains the constant pain I had in my ribs. haha

Raelinn Ann Ladner

5lbs 15oz

19" long

1:18am

March 30th (on her daddy's birthday) :) 

 While the Dr. was stitching me up, mom said "Tj she looks just like you!" (which she does!!!) The Dr. said "No no no Stephanie that is not allowed to be said in the delivery room. The mom did all the work, and in here we are only allowed to say she is beautiful just like her mom!" We all laughed so hard and visited with the Dr for a few minutes. He asked how TJ and I met...with him being from Mississippi. Tj didn't hesitate a bit and told him "Mail order" hahaha After Raelinn was all cleaned up, Tj held his daughter for the first time. It was so sweet!

.....and I FINALLY got to have water!!

Tj brought our little miracle over and we took our first family picture

Right about then, the anesthesiologist (who was also from the south) poked his head in and said "I hear a little southern belle in there"

I wanted to nurse her right away....and it was harder than I thought! Tj tried to help, just like he helped Maybelle nurse Anabelle. It really was so sweet.

Aunt Jessica held Raelinn for the first time that night...so cute!

After everything settled down, mom and Jessica left for the night and we were wheeled to postpartum with our little bundle of joy :)