I didn't want a girl.
I was positive I was going to be baseball momma to a group of boys.
When I got pregnant, every old wives tale indicated boy.
I was so ready to meet my Momma's Boy.
When the ultrasound tech said, "It's a girl",
I made her check twice.
Then I returned to the Dr office to get a second opinion thinking maybe,
just maybe, some parts were hiding.
All it took was a trip to the mall.
I bought my little girl her first dress and started falling in love all over again.
Over the next several months this little girl and I got to know one another even more.
We worked as a team and she always did what I asked.
If I didn't feel her move all I would have to do is ask her to and she would.
If she was hurting me, I would ask her to stop and she would.
I begged her to not give me stretch marks...God, I love this obedient girl!!
She and I became so in sync it was easy to figure out something was wrong.
I woke up one Sunday morning in March and placed my hand on my belly waiting for her morning acrobatics.
Nothing. I guessed she was sleeping in. Lazy Sunday.
I ate breakfast and had some O.J.
I knew I was in for some serious tumbles...
Nothing.
I started to get nervous.
I had several friends suffer horrible loss during pregnancy this year and I began to worry that I was joining them.
My husband wanted to take our dog to the park.
I refused to leave the house until I felt her.
I didn't want to scare him but I let him know what was going on.
I laid down on the floor of our closet as he shook my belly trying to wake our sleepy girl.
Nothing.
We headed strait to the hospital.
I kept telling myself we would be home in an hour.
We would hear her heartbeat, pass the Non-stress Test, and go.
Thank you God for letting us hear that beautiful sound of our baby's heart beating.
Her heart rate was in the 140s (exactly where we wanted it).
During a Non-stress Test, the baby's heart rate is constantly monitored.
They look for little peaks in the heart rate to show baby is alert and getting little bursts of extra oxygen. They want to see two peaks every 20 minutes.
20 minutes went by. Then 40. Then 2 hours.
No peaks.
My Dr. ordered an ultrasound to be sure she still had plenty of fluid.
She did.
So what was the problem???
They decided to admit me, it was time to get her out.
At 6:30 pm I was given Cervidil to begin the labor process.
It worked like a charm.
Within 2 hours I was having steady contractions.
I was loving it!
Every contraction meant I was one step closer to meeting my little girl.
Still no "peaks" but at least she was on her way to safety.
The plan had been to give me pitocin at 6 am Monday morning but the nurses decided I wouldn't need it and I could have the natural labor I had hoped for.
No Drugs. No Epidural. Nothing but a birthing ball and H2O.
Definitely not a C-Section.
By 3 am, I gave up on any hope of sleep.
My husband, on the other hand, had been dead to the world for hours.
I asked to sit on my exercise ball to have gravity help the process along.
So bounce I did.
Within minutes my nurse, Shannon, came flying into the room.
I had to get back in bed, get on my left side, put on an oxygen mask, and have a heart attack.
I was informed that the baby's heart rate had dropped during my contractions while on my ball.
I was ticked (and terrified).
I really wanted to be on my ball because I hardly felt my contractions while on it.
We concluded that my little one was not a fan of the pressure.
The wheels started turning in my head and my Dr and nurse were on the same page:
If she can't handle the pressure of bouncing on a ball, how will she handle pushing?
We didn't have much time to think about it.
A few minutes later, my water broke.
Partially anyway.
Shannon called my Dr and she came back with her arms full.
The Doctor, who had been a huge support of my "natural labor" decided it was time to have a baby- via C-Section.
I was 100% on board.
It's amazing how quickly your plans go out the window when your baby's safety is in question.
30 minutes later I walked into the O.R.
They made Andrew wait outside as they prepped me for surgery.
I could see him the entire time and he could see me.
Let me take a moment to say Dr. Timothy Sauter is an amazing person.
I can't say enough good things about him.
Instead of holding a pillow as my spinal block was placed, he had me hold onto him.
He massaged my shoulders to keep me relaxed.
He showed me how to curl over my belly.
He laughed when the rest of my water broke all over his shoes.
He gave me 2 fingers on his left hand to hold and told me if anything hurt I was free to break those two fingers.
He promised me a healthy baby girl.
A few minutes later he delivered.
Literally.
He immediately solved our heart problem.
Someone had decided to give herself a necklace.
Actually, a choker.
She had her cord wrapped tightly around her neck, twice.
It was a huge relief to have an answer to her "heart problem",
especially since it had nothing to do with her heart.
As soon as she was out she was fine!
She scored 8-9 on her Apgar test and her little lungs worked great.
She was born at 6:41 am, 6lbs 15 oz, 18.5 inches, 10 fingers, and 10 adorable little toes.
She never would have made it through my birth plan.
She had other plans.
I should have posted this long ago.
I apologize for getting so far behind.
So I won't make anyone wait any longer.
I introduce to you:
Baby Maddie Meyerott
5 Days Old:
6 Days Old: (Maddie and her Daddy)
12 Days Old:
26 Days Old:
One Month:
Check out the hat her Nana made for her!
Well thats it for now!
I am sure you will be seeing much more of her.
Thank you all for all of your thoughts and prayers throughout my pregnancy!
I will be posting our first family photos soon!
