- h a l l e ' s b i r t h s t o r y -
Halle Kay Carroll | April 17, 2013 | 4:15 AM | 7lb 4oz
* * * Disclosure: I give some medical details that some of you may find to be too much information.
I think these are important to include to accurately tell the story of Halle's birth. * * *
Monday, April 15.
The possession day for our new house.
We were told we would get the keys sometime after 12, as soon as our realtor heard from the lawyer.
Matthew and his dad went to pick up the U-haul truck for noon while I stayed home trying to relax and pack some last minute things. I was feeling tired and probably doing too much around the house. I decided to take a break and rest but first went to the washroom and discovered I had some light bleeding... and it was bright red.
The weeks leading up to this I had some similar symptoms but not like this. When you saw bright red you were supposed to contact your health care provider. I was nervous, but not panicky. I decided to lie down and check again in about an hour to observe the bleeding. The next time I checked there was more than I expected and it was red.
Matthew and his dad still weren't home. Matthew had to stop at the lawyers office on the way back from picking up the truck to do some last minute signing. This meant he was already a bit on edge hoping the deal would close on time. I decided to call the Maternity and Child ward at the hospital first before freaking him out. They wanted me to come in to do a non-stress test on baby. Matthew still wasn't home so I called him and he said he was just pulling on to our road. I started to cry as I spoke which didn't help the freak out situation. I could hear the nerves in his voice as I told him we had to go to the hospital. He pulled in the driveway a minute later and his dad soon after. When they came in I explained to them what was happening. I took my hospital bag, which I had thankfully packed the week before, just in case.
On our drive, Matthew was worried. I was surprisingly calm. I knew this wasn't "good" or "right" but at the same time had a feeling nothing was wrong. I didn't think then that in a couple days we would meet our baby girl.
I checked in at emergency and headed up to the maternity ward. Other than the bleeding, I was feeling fine. They gave me a bed in the assessment room where they hooked me up to a machine to monitor baby's heart and movement. Everything was looking great and she seemed healthy. Luckily my OB GYN
was on call, although I had to a wait a while to see him because two deliveries happened since I checked in. Matthew was starting to fade as we waited, poor
daddy-to-be just got off night shift and was faced with all this! When Dr. Phiri made it to see me and do my exam they determined the bleeding was not coming from baby/the placenta but I had an unsettling rush of bright, red blood during the procedure. This time my nerves rose a little but I was still surprisingly at ease considering. To be honest, I was more stressed about getting the keys, packing and moving.
The nurse told me I was to stay over night so that they could monitor my bleeding and I could have an ultrasound in the morning. This was my first time being admitted to a hospital. So, here I was, supposed to be spending the night at my new house but instead I was in the hospital hooked up to a machine monitoring my baby at 37 weeks and 2 days.
Matthew slept on the pull out chair in the room. The bleeding seemed to change and slow down overnight but still hadn't stopped.
The next morning we were told I would have an ultrasound but were unsure what time. The doctor also started talking about delivery.
Whoa!
Wait a minute.
What did he say?
And on top of it all, he said c-section. This was a lot to take in. I wanted a natural delivery and I thought I had at least 2 more weeks. He explained they couldn't just send me home bleeding. We agreed. And baby was close enough to delivery and appeared healthy. We would just have to wait for the ultrasound to confirm details and decide how to proceed.
Matthew stayed until I went for the ultrasound mid morning. They wouldn't let him in the room. And the technician told me nothing about what she saw on screen. I returned to my room and had to wait for my doctor to review the results.
We didn't know how long that would take so Matthew left to help his dad with some of the moving. Thank God Walter was here. He did all our last minute packing and loaded up the moving truck. I was happy for Matthew to go help him because I worried the two of us might end up in hospital yet if his dad didn't take a break!
It wasn't until mid afternoon that my doctor returned to see me. He explained that everything was looking good, baby appeared healthy and weighed about 7 pounds. More than she should at this point. He started to talk about delivery and how I would be induced.
Wait. Induced? So now he was talking about natural delivery? I asked, just to clarify. Yup! This was happening. No turning back now.
I called Matthew to let him know. I was given "the gel" about 5 minutes later. Matthew said he would come back. I told him there was no rush because it would take time to come in to effect, that's if it worked...
They explained the gel would hopefully begin to dilate my cervix and commence contractions. They would check in with me for the next 6 hours. If nothing changed they would try a second gel insert.
Nothing happened.
Matthew got there around the middle of the 6 hours I believe. Then at about 9:00 pm I was given my second gel. This one started to work soon after. It helped that Matthew was there and accompanied me for walks around the ward and up and down the stairs. I was getting crampy from being in that bed so long! But soon I was getting cramps from contractions - here we go! Honestly, not that bad though. I kept waiting for the pain to get worse. And boy did they ever...
I signed early on for an epidural (just in case) but my goal was to go med free as I stated in my birth plan. I wanted to try a variety of pain management and
relaxation techniques we had learned in our prenatal class. And that's just what we did.
For the next 7 hours I spent my time lying down, sitting in bed, bending over a chair, on my hands and knees, squatting, stroking my stuffed husky toy, sitting on the toilet, sitting on the toilet being sprayed by the shower with IV pole wrapped in the shower curtain (thank you hunny), legs propped up on a stool...
All the while with two amazing nurses massaging my back, coaching my breathing, holding my hands, etc. I thanked them throughout. (Which Matthew found hilarious and they seemed to find odd. Maybe because they are used to being cursed on? ha)
And Matthew. He blew me away. He was there every second through the pain encouraging me and taking care of me. Held my water and straw for me to drink, let me squeeze his hand, stood in the shower to spray me, the list goes on... But mainly he was there for me and excited, helpful, so supportive and what seemed like just full of love for me (the best part.)
Just when I thought I couldn't handle the pain anymore the nurse did a check. I was fully dilated and they could see her head (yep, Matthew looked! Go daddy!)
No turning back now!
I survived the pain without drugs.
...
It was about 4:00 AM.
Time to push.
Time to call the doctor.
I was so close. We thought the nurses would be the ones to deliver. But my doctor made it just in time for her to come out and be placed on my chest.
Matthew cut the cord.
She was here.
Our beautiful baby girl.
Born April 17 at 4:15 AM
We announced her as Halle Kay Carroll.
She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
I did it!
We did it!
I think these are important to include to accurately tell the story of Halle's birth. * * *
Monday, April 15.
The possession day for our new house.
We were told we would get the keys sometime after 12, as soon as our realtor heard from the lawyer.
Matthew and his dad went to pick up the U-haul truck for noon while I stayed home trying to relax and pack some last minute things. I was feeling tired and probably doing too much around the house. I decided to take a break and rest but first went to the washroom and discovered I had some light bleeding... and it was bright red.
The weeks leading up to this I had some similar symptoms but not like this. When you saw bright red you were supposed to contact your health care provider. I was nervous, but not panicky. I decided to lie down and check again in about an hour to observe the bleeding. The next time I checked there was more than I expected and it was red.
Matthew and his dad still weren't home. Matthew had to stop at the lawyers office on the way back from picking up the truck to do some last minute signing. This meant he was already a bit on edge hoping the deal would close on time. I decided to call the Maternity and Child ward at the hospital first before freaking him out. They wanted me to come in to do a non-stress test on baby. Matthew still wasn't home so I called him and he said he was just pulling on to our road. I started to cry as I spoke which didn't help the freak out situation. I could hear the nerves in his voice as I told him we had to go to the hospital. He pulled in the driveway a minute later and his dad soon after. When they came in I explained to them what was happening. I took my hospital bag, which I had thankfully packed the week before, just in case.
On our drive, Matthew was worried. I was surprisingly calm. I knew this wasn't "good" or "right" but at the same time had a feeling nothing was wrong. I didn't think then that in a couple days we would meet our baby girl.
I checked in at emergency and headed up to the maternity ward. Other than the bleeding, I was feeling fine. They gave me a bed in the assessment room where they hooked me up to a machine to monitor baby's heart and movement. Everything was looking great and she seemed healthy. Luckily my OB GYN
was on call, although I had to a wait a while to see him because two deliveries happened since I checked in. Matthew was starting to fade as we waited, poor
daddy-to-be just got off night shift and was faced with all this! When Dr. Phiri made it to see me and do my exam they determined the bleeding was not coming from baby/the placenta but I had an unsettling rush of bright, red blood during the procedure. This time my nerves rose a little but I was still surprisingly at ease considering. To be honest, I was more stressed about getting the keys, packing and moving.
The nurse told me I was to stay over night so that they could monitor my bleeding and I could have an ultrasound in the morning. This was my first time being admitted to a hospital. So, here I was, supposed to be spending the night at my new house but instead I was in the hospital hooked up to a machine monitoring my baby at 37 weeks and 2 days.
Matthew slept on the pull out chair in the room. The bleeding seemed to change and slow down overnight but still hadn't stopped.
The next morning we were told I would have an ultrasound but were unsure what time. The doctor also started talking about delivery.
Whoa!
Wait a minute.
What did he say?
And on top of it all, he said c-section. This was a lot to take in. I wanted a natural delivery and I thought I had at least 2 more weeks. He explained they couldn't just send me home bleeding. We agreed. And baby was close enough to delivery and appeared healthy. We would just have to wait for the ultrasound to confirm details and decide how to proceed.
Matthew stayed until I went for the ultrasound mid morning. They wouldn't let him in the room. And the technician told me nothing about what she saw on screen. I returned to my room and had to wait for my doctor to review the results.
We didn't know how long that would take so Matthew left to help his dad with some of the moving. Thank God Walter was here. He did all our last minute packing and loaded up the moving truck. I was happy for Matthew to go help him because I worried the two of us might end up in hospital yet if his dad didn't take a break!
It wasn't until mid afternoon that my doctor returned to see me. He explained that everything was looking good, baby appeared healthy and weighed about 7 pounds. More than she should at this point. He started to talk about delivery and how I would be induced.
Wait. Induced? So now he was talking about natural delivery? I asked, just to clarify. Yup! This was happening. No turning back now.
I called Matthew to let him know. I was given "the gel" about 5 minutes later. Matthew said he would come back. I told him there was no rush because it would take time to come in to effect, that's if it worked...
They explained the gel would hopefully begin to dilate my cervix and commence contractions. They would check in with me for the next 6 hours. If nothing changed they would try a second gel insert.
Nothing happened.
Matthew got there around the middle of the 6 hours I believe. Then at about 9:00 pm I was given my second gel. This one started to work soon after. It helped that Matthew was there and accompanied me for walks around the ward and up and down the stairs. I was getting crampy from being in that bed so long! But soon I was getting cramps from contractions - here we go! Honestly, not that bad though. I kept waiting for the pain to get worse. And boy did they ever...
I signed early on for an epidural (just in case) but my goal was to go med free as I stated in my birth plan. I wanted to try a variety of pain management and
relaxation techniques we had learned in our prenatal class. And that's just what we did.
For the next 7 hours I spent my time lying down, sitting in bed, bending over a chair, on my hands and knees, squatting, stroking my stuffed husky toy, sitting on the toilet, sitting on the toilet being sprayed by the shower with IV pole wrapped in the shower curtain (thank you hunny), legs propped up on a stool...
All the while with two amazing nurses massaging my back, coaching my breathing, holding my hands, etc. I thanked them throughout. (Which Matthew found hilarious and they seemed to find odd. Maybe because they are used to being cursed on? ha)
And Matthew. He blew me away. He was there every second through the pain encouraging me and taking care of me. Held my water and straw for me to drink, let me squeeze his hand, stood in the shower to spray me, the list goes on... But mainly he was there for me and excited, helpful, so supportive and what seemed like just full of love for me (the best part.)
Just when I thought I couldn't handle the pain anymore the nurse did a check. I was fully dilated and they could see her head (yep, Matthew looked! Go daddy!)
No turning back now!
I survived the pain without drugs.
...
It was about 4:00 AM.
Time to push.
Time to call the doctor.
I was so close. We thought the nurses would be the ones to deliver. But my doctor made it just in time for her to come out and be placed on my chest.
Matthew cut the cord.
She was here.
Our beautiful baby girl.
Born April 17 at 4:15 AM
We announced her as Halle Kay Carroll.
She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
I did it!
We did it!
