The Giddings: April 2012

She is here! Our baby girl #3, Miss Lyla Belle Giddings, arrived on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 at 1:30 pm exactly! She surprised us all weighing in at 8 lbs 9 oz and measuring at 19.5 inches long! She was one chunky monkey when she came out- I almost didn't recognize her as mine.

Third baby comes with a third labor and delivery experience. Nothing like the other two. It really all started last weekend- the first weekend in April. I was really hoping to go into labor because it was a "convenient time" for SO many of our family that we were planning on being involved with our labor and delivery experience. We were already planning on spending the weekend in Murrieta (since we just recently moved to San Diego) and our birth plan was to still keep the same Dr. in Murrieta and deliver at the same hospital. So after much contemplation, I decided to take some Castor Oil once I got into town. About 2 hours after taking it, I started to have some contractions. They became a little stronger as the night went on and stayed consistent but by 11:30 I decided just to go to bed and hoped that maybe something would happen during the night. No such luck! So the next morning I took another tablespoon of the oil. I had a few more contractions in the afternoon but nothing exciting. Luckily, I also had no side effects that usually come along with taking the Castor Oil. By the end of the weekend, I was headed back to San Diego still pregnant.

On Wednesday the 4th, we headed back to Murrieta again for my 38 week Dr. appointment. I was still about the same I had been the week before- 3 cm and 70% effaced. Baby had dropped a little bit more but other than that, no other progression. The Dr. asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes. I said if it will help move this thing along let's do it! She said if it will help, it should help pretty quick. It was just before 5 pm when she did that and the plan was to go have dinner at my parent's house and then head back to San Diego. About 6 pm, just as we were starting to eat dinner, I had my first contraction. I thought I would feel a little crampy, but I held off any excitement that something would happen that night. BUT as the hour went on and contractions stayed consistent and fairly intense, I told Paul we should hold off going back to San Diego just for a bit in case something happened. He agreed. So I walked up and down my parents hallway bringing the contractions on. They got stronger and as close as 1 minute apart at times. By 8:30 pm I was convinced I was in labor but didn't want to go to the hospital until I was in painful, active labor. So for the next several hours I walked around and endured the early stage of labor. I was exhausted! I would sit on my mom's large exercise ball and I can't even begin to tell you how comfortable that felt. My body was tired. Labor was progressing but not enough to go to the hospital. So before midnight, I decided to go to bed and I sent all my family to bed too. We all got a great nights sleep. About 7 am I woke up a little disappointed that nothing progressed during the night and my water was still in tact. I visited with my mom for a bit and she made me a breakfast smoothie and I felt my first contraction at 7:24. It took my breath away. At 7:30 another came. Then 7:34. It looked like I was picking up right where I had left off the night before. After about 30 minutes of these consistent contractions, I decided to take a shower and get things together to head to the hospital. Of course as I was getting myself ready and the girls stuff together (with my mom's help) the contractions got more and more painful.

We finally arrived at the hospital about 9:15 am. A HUGE shout out to the Hoyt's for taking Brooklynn and Maylee for us with such short notice! By the time I got admitted and to the LDR it was about 9:30. I had already decided I wanted an epidural so I made sure they knew that was the plan so I could get some relief as soon as possible! The nurses- Barbara and Nida- were AMAZING! They checked me first thing and I was 4 cm. I was breathing through the contractions while they did all the usual...get an IV in, ask me a million medical history questions, hook me up to the heart and contraction machines, the works. I got the epidural and relief about 11:00 am. I was a happy camper by that point, excited for the day ahead and that we would soon meet and hold our baby girl.

After my epidural, the nurse checked me again and I was at a 6 so things were progressing nicely and quickly. At 12:15 she checked me again and I was at a 9 and my water bag was bulging! That news threw all of us off a little bit as we just weren't expecting it to be happening that quickly. She came back a half hour later and I was at a 10 and as she checked me, we all heard my water POP! It was so crazy to actually hear it :) It was time. I was at a 10 but SO numb. I wasn't even feeling the urge to push, which I had with both my other girls, even with an epidural. The nurse wanted me to do a practice push before she called the Dr, but when she looked down and literally could see Lyla's head coming out she said, "Don't push". She went ahead and just called the Dr, who took about 15 minutes to get to my room and then another 10-15 to get ready. The time had finally come to push her out and I barely got my feet in the stir-ups and tightened my stomach muscles to bear down and push and she was out! Seriously, like a half a push and her 8 lb body came right out with a full head of dark hair!

I was anticipating a 7 lb baby and COULD NOT believe my eyes when I saw the scale say 8 8.6 (rounded up to 8 lbs 9 oz)! Nor could I believe that it took less than a full push to get her out. I had to ask my Dr, for an episiotomy- which I had had with both Brookylnn and Maylee. She was just going to let me tear where I had been cut before but I asked for a straight cut instead :)

Lyla's body temperature took awhile to get warm so after skin to skin they put her under the heat lamp for some time. Everything was healthy and good. And the experience was wonderful and easy, all things considered.

Since this was my first baby in California, with my family around, I really wanted anyone who wanted to be involved and apart of the experience to be, so we had quite the party in my labor and delivery room. Paul and my mom were of course in the room, and so was my sister, Shayna, my brother, Ryan and his wife, Brooke, and Paul's Grandma Giddings. I'm sure that seems a little crazy and uncomfortable to some, but I enjoyed having so much love and support around and to share the moment with so many!

I had previously asked my sister-in-law, Brooke, if she would take pictures during the delivery to capture all those precious moments. I LOVE how they turned out! She did such a great job- I just feel bad that she is not in any of them because she was always the one behind the camera! Here are some of the best ones... it was so hard to choose:

Those bars are my best friend during a contraction :)

Pre-epidural. My mom helping me breathe through the contractions. Gently reminding me to breathe slowly...

Paul just hanging out, waiting. Such a tough job!

Oh the anticipation...

It's time to push and just about time to meet our baby girl- always the most emotional moment for me.

Always count on Paul to make me laugh. He just thinks its so cute that I cry when I get all happy and excited!

uh-oh, that's what got us here in the first place :)

Love him.

Capturing a natural smile of Paul's is rare.

Grandma Giddings, anticipating too..

My sister's first birth experience. She wants to be a labor and delivery nurse so she was interested in everything! I was SO glad she was there. We had tried this with Brooklynn and Maylee too but timing never worked out in our favor and she wasn't there :( This time was finally a success!