Leyla Kae Valdez
Born September 21, 2007
Born September 21, 20077:01 pm
6 lbs. 2 oz.
19.5 inches long
I'll post better pictures later (she's asleep and I don't want to wake her with the flash)
Proud parents
6 lbs. 2 oz.
19.5 inches long
I'll post better pictures later (she's asleep and I don't want to wake her with the flash)
Proud parents
Summary:
Lost mucus plug at 3:00 pm.
Drove myself to hospital, arrived at 4:15 pm.
Received epidural 6:40 pm.
Leyla arrived 7:01 pm (rendering the epidural essentially useless).
Now for the whole story:
I didn't finish choosing the colors for my blog yesterday because I went into labor. I was talking on the phone with Tyson and messing with my blog. Like I stated in my post yesterday, I was all crampy and it got the point where I had to go lie back on the couch. As I was lying there I noticed I had a lot of discharge, so I went to the bathroom to check it out, and I saw that it had some blood in it. So I hung up with Tyson and called my doctor to find out if I should go see him or go to the hospital. They told me to go to the hospital. But of course I couldn't just up and go because I had Chloe with me. After an hour, I managed to get something worked out with Katherine (the primary president who I took over playing piano for in church). She came and picked up Chloe, and I drove to the hospital. I was pretty sure that I'd just lost my mucus plug, so it was possible that I wasn't actually in labor yet.
When I got to the hospital, the labor unit was very busy. They put me in the room with curtains where you wait out the early labor stuff until it's time for delivery. Someone hooked me up to a machine and told me the nurse would be in shortly to check on me. I arrived at 4:15, and it wasn't until close to 5:00 that the nurse showed up. By then, I had started to have some painful contractions, but they still weren't very regular. When she checked me, she said I was dilated 4 cm, so I would be having a baby. But they didn't move me to the delivery room because they didn't have any available yet. So I hung out in the curtain room and someone put in my IV, and right after that, the guy came to draw my blood so they could do the lab work so that I could get my epidural. At this point, my contractions were really starting to hurt. After the people with needles left, the contractions got worse and I couldn't keep quiet anymore. A girl from the curtain across the room called the nurses for me since I couldn't reach my button and asked them to bring me some ice. That's when all hell broke loose.
Right before the nurse arrived with the ice cubes, I had an extremely painful contraction coupled with a really weird feeling in my cervix (I think it may have been my water breaking). I lost my composure at this point. I never felt anything like that when I had Chloe. Right after that, I could actually feel the pressure of Leyla's head starting to come through. That's when the epidural guy showed up and asked me to sit up. It was really hard sitting up when I could feel the baby coming out. I was squeezing the nurse's hand and yelling and trying my best to hold still for the epidural. He finally got it done, and I had to lay back down. I was screaming in pain, and they called all the nurses to whisk me away to the delivery room since one had just opened up. It was just like the movies with the screaming and a team of nurses pushing my bed down the hall and nearly taking out a couple of people who were standing around in the hall. They kept telling me not to push and I kept yelling back that I couldn't not push. I had no control over what was going on down there.
As soon as they wheeled me into the delivery room, they transfered me to the delivery bed and continued to tell me not to push. Everyone was a little frantic because the doctor wasn't there yet and Leyla wasn't waiting. Luckily the doctor arrived just in time and they finally told me to start pushing. After three pushes and lots of screaming (by me), Leyla arrived at 7:01 pm. I didn't feel a thing after that. Either the epidural finally kicked in or any pain that ensued while I was being stitched up was so minimal compared to the pain I just experienced that I couldn't even feel it. I watched the nurse clean up Leyla. She was so tiny and scrawny, but she had such a delicate, perfect facial structure. She reminded me of a miniature Chloe. After they got Leyla all suctioned out, I finally got to hold her. Everyone congratulated me and made their way out of the room.
After the staff left, my friend from my old job was allowed in my room. I had talked to her less than an hour earlier and she was getting ready to come visit me and keep me company during labor. But everything went so quick that I was already in active labor when she arrived. But it was nice to have her there afterwards. She brought a camera, which was good because I accidentally left my hospital bag at home. She kept me company during the two hours that Leyla spent in the nursery. My legs were numb the whole time thanks to the epidural. Then they brought Leyla back and Rebecca headed home about an hour later.
I spent the next 20 hours recovering and waiting anxiously for my re-uniting with Miguel. I called him in tears while I was trying to find someone to watch Chloe. I wasn't in pain at that point, I just had an emotional breakdown because I was afraid I may have to have a home birth since I couldn't find anyone to watch Chloe. When I talked to him, he told me he was going to leave work and get ready to drive down (a 20 hour drive). So that's what he did. He arrived last night at about 6:30 pm. I was ready to get out of the hospital at that point. I couldn't sleep because every time I started to drift off, someone would come in to check my blood pressure or ask me to fill out paperwork or something stupid. It was nice to get home last night. Katherine kept Chloe last night for me so Miguel and I could have a little time with just us and Leyla.
Leyla is doing really well. She's very healthy and she's doing a great job with nursing. She hardly ever cries (we'll see how long that lasts), and she's so very cute. Speaking of nursing, it's getting close to time for feeding, so I'll go ahead and wrap this up.
Lost mucus plug at 3:00 pm.
Drove myself to hospital, arrived at 4:15 pm.
Received epidural 6:40 pm.
Leyla arrived 7:01 pm (rendering the epidural essentially useless).
Now for the whole story:
I didn't finish choosing the colors for my blog yesterday because I went into labor. I was talking on the phone with Tyson and messing with my blog. Like I stated in my post yesterday, I was all crampy and it got the point where I had to go lie back on the couch. As I was lying there I noticed I had a lot of discharge, so I went to the bathroom to check it out, and I saw that it had some blood in it. So I hung up with Tyson and called my doctor to find out if I should go see him or go to the hospital. They told me to go to the hospital. But of course I couldn't just up and go because I had Chloe with me. After an hour, I managed to get something worked out with Katherine (the primary president who I took over playing piano for in church). She came and picked up Chloe, and I drove to the hospital. I was pretty sure that I'd just lost my mucus plug, so it was possible that I wasn't actually in labor yet.
When I got to the hospital, the labor unit was very busy. They put me in the room with curtains where you wait out the early labor stuff until it's time for delivery. Someone hooked me up to a machine and told me the nurse would be in shortly to check on me. I arrived at 4:15, and it wasn't until close to 5:00 that the nurse showed up. By then, I had started to have some painful contractions, but they still weren't very regular. When she checked me, she said I was dilated 4 cm, so I would be having a baby. But they didn't move me to the delivery room because they didn't have any available yet. So I hung out in the curtain room and someone put in my IV, and right after that, the guy came to draw my blood so they could do the lab work so that I could get my epidural. At this point, my contractions were really starting to hurt. After the people with needles left, the contractions got worse and I couldn't keep quiet anymore. A girl from the curtain across the room called the nurses for me since I couldn't reach my button and asked them to bring me some ice. That's when all hell broke loose.
Right before the nurse arrived with the ice cubes, I had an extremely painful contraction coupled with a really weird feeling in my cervix (I think it may have been my water breaking). I lost my composure at this point. I never felt anything like that when I had Chloe. Right after that, I could actually feel the pressure of Leyla's head starting to come through. That's when the epidural guy showed up and asked me to sit up. It was really hard sitting up when I could feel the baby coming out. I was squeezing the nurse's hand and yelling and trying my best to hold still for the epidural. He finally got it done, and I had to lay back down. I was screaming in pain, and they called all the nurses to whisk me away to the delivery room since one had just opened up. It was just like the movies with the screaming and a team of nurses pushing my bed down the hall and nearly taking out a couple of people who were standing around in the hall. They kept telling me not to push and I kept yelling back that I couldn't not push. I had no control over what was going on down there.
As soon as they wheeled me into the delivery room, they transfered me to the delivery bed and continued to tell me not to push. Everyone was a little frantic because the doctor wasn't there yet and Leyla wasn't waiting. Luckily the doctor arrived just in time and they finally told me to start pushing. After three pushes and lots of screaming (by me), Leyla arrived at 7:01 pm. I didn't feel a thing after that. Either the epidural finally kicked in or any pain that ensued while I was being stitched up was so minimal compared to the pain I just experienced that I couldn't even feel it. I watched the nurse clean up Leyla. She was so tiny and scrawny, but she had such a delicate, perfect facial structure. She reminded me of a miniature Chloe. After they got Leyla all suctioned out, I finally got to hold her. Everyone congratulated me and made their way out of the room.
After the staff left, my friend from my old job was allowed in my room. I had talked to her less than an hour earlier and she was getting ready to come visit me and keep me company during labor. But everything went so quick that I was already in active labor when she arrived. But it was nice to have her there afterwards. She brought a camera, which was good because I accidentally left my hospital bag at home. She kept me company during the two hours that Leyla spent in the nursery. My legs were numb the whole time thanks to the epidural. Then they brought Leyla back and Rebecca headed home about an hour later.
I spent the next 20 hours recovering and waiting anxiously for my re-uniting with Miguel. I called him in tears while I was trying to find someone to watch Chloe. I wasn't in pain at that point, I just had an emotional breakdown because I was afraid I may have to have a home birth since I couldn't find anyone to watch Chloe. When I talked to him, he told me he was going to leave work and get ready to drive down (a 20 hour drive). So that's what he did. He arrived last night at about 6:30 pm. I was ready to get out of the hospital at that point. I couldn't sleep because every time I started to drift off, someone would come in to check my blood pressure or ask me to fill out paperwork or something stupid. It was nice to get home last night. Katherine kept Chloe last night for me so Miguel and I could have a little time with just us and Leyla.
Leyla is doing really well. She's very healthy and she's doing a great job with nursing. She hardly ever cries (we'll see how long that lasts), and she's so very cute. Speaking of nursing, it's getting close to time for feeding, so I'll go ahead and wrap this up.
8 comments:
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Such a sweet little thing.
It all does sound like something out of a movie. I hope you have a hollywood ending to match the preceding drama.
Hooray!! Thanks for not telling me the details while you were talking to me on the phone. And thanks for letting me know first that you were going into labor, even if it wasn't deliberate.
congrats! she is super cute! i was so excited when I saw on your mom's blog that you had your little baby. i'm excited for more pics so keep them comin! good luck!
Congratulations!!! I am so excited to see that post. Glad everything went alright. I give you lots of credit delivery her with no meds.. I never had that yet.. She is so preious!!! Keep the pictures coming.
Wow what an amazing delivery story. I'm not sure in if I was in your labor condition I could have driven myself to the hospital. You rock having a baby without an epidural. Spencer was pretty much the same in terms of when the epidural kicked in. What a little cutie though. Perfect shaped little face. Can't wait for Chloe and Leyla together pix. Sure to be cute!
Congrats!! I am so glad everything went okay and you have another healthy baby. I am also glad Miguel is here with you! I love you and look forward to more pictures of Leyla.
Hey Sweet Pea! Thanks for posting some pics! You can tell they are sisters, but she definitely has her own look. She is very sweet and so tiny! You look fabulous by the way! Even on the pic that you said looks creepy. What a girl to go through all that and to come through it so well! See you Soon! :)
Congratulations Kelsey, Leyla is beautiful. And girl you are brave. It does sound like something out of a movie and also something that makes a great story now that it's over but stunk while you were doing it. I admire you. I had four babies, all with an epidural.
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