Welcome Eve!

We have been waiting patiently for your arrival...

She did this

While Kelly did this

watching baby Einstein together

Grandma brought lots of fun toys

We did this with Daphne

Her belly button is her "pacifier". Just like it was for her Aunt Meesa

Eve Kelly Wood

Here is my detailed birth story. I hope it isn't TMI or too long. I tried to condense it! :)

Birth Story: Thursday, August 9, 2012:

So, this story really begins three weeks ago. On Saturday, July 21^st, Kelly and I were joking it was almost the exact day in this pregnancy in which I started labor with Daphne. Kelly decided to wear the same shirt. Surprisingly, we saw Magnificent 7 on TV, which is the movie we were watching when my water broke with Daphne. Starting around 2pm, I started feeling lots of backache and cramping. I worked I through it and by the time I sat down that night after Daphne went to bed, I realized I was having regular contractions. They were spaced, about 8-10 minutes apart, but no matter what I did they wouldn’t stop. So, unbelieving, I called the doctor and he suggested I come in because of my history. Great, I thought. Not only do we have to drive to Macon, but its after 10pm and I have to find someone to come stay with Daphne. Well, we did and all the while I was having contractions. Kelly was getting very excited I could tell. He was excited to meet Eve. I was going with full intention to stop this labor because I was not ready to deliver another pre-term baby.

We arrived at the hospital and they checked me out: dilated 3cm and 70% effaced and contractions coming regularly, although still spread out. They were the contractions that were just uncomfortable, not painful.  They moved me to a labor and delivery room and put me on continuous monitoring. They began steroid shots for the baby’s lungs and Procardia to stop contractions. By Monday morning, it was obvious my labor had stopped and they moved me to another room to be on bed rest till Thursday, when I would be 34 weeks. Great! Poor Daphne had just gotten over her craziness from the potty training experience and now her mom left her again. She gets affected easily. But, there was an upside. Kelly was able to take off work and spend a few days with her at home, something he has never been able to do because of work. While it wasn’t easy work for Kelly, I can tell the two of them bonded. In fact, Daphne even began to let him take her potty and she did so well with all of that for him. She also started “snuggling” with him in the morning, even if it was brief.

I was discharged with orders to be on strict bed rest (as strict as you can be with a 2 year old). We flew my sister Carrie in for 4 days to help out. It was so fun! We got to bond and watch gymnastics together. She was a huge help and she and Daphne had lots of fun together.

Fast forward to Wednesday, August 8^th. The day before I began having more contractions than usual. I went to bed and awoke with some regular, spread out contractions. I also had the same pain I had when my labor began with Daphne: menstrual like cramping and backache. Kelly was scheduled to fly Wednesday. He and I talked and prayed about what we should do. I finally decided he should go ahead and fly, and I felt good about the decision. To ensure no further labor progression, I arraigned for Daphne to go to her friends’ house for the morning. Lying down all morning helped me feel better, but when I got up to pick up Daphne, I began to have horrible back labor. I began to panic. Kelly was thousands of feet in the air and I was all alone with a 2 year old. Just as I was about to call someone else to help with Daphne, my back pain eased off. It was the strangest thing. I then took some Tylenol to help to so I could time my contractions. Everything seemed to slow down. I made it to my doctor’s appointment that afternoon where I discovered my labor really hadn’t progressed as I was still at 3cm, although now 80% effaced. The nurse midwife said it as likely I’d go soon and gave me her cell to call her when I was coming in, if I was coming in. She said to come in when contractions were 5-7 minutes apart. I was also off bed rest!

I went home and the first thing I did was sweep the front porch and vacuum and mop. If this baby was coming I was going to finally clean some house. I enjoyed a nice night with Daphne while thinking to myself, her life is about to change. Kelly and I had a nice evening and I went to bed exhausted at 9:30pm. I awoke in the middle of the night a few times with the same menstrual pain and contractions. By 4am I could no longer sleep since they were uncomfortable and coming very regularly, 8 minutes apart. I made myself wait to get up and shower until 6am so I wouldn’t progress my labor too much. By 6:30 am, I was getting ready and my contractions had intensified and progressed. They were now coming 5-7 minutes apart. Kelly was still skeptical the baby was coming. We decided to time them for another hour to make sure it was real. All the while I was trying to find someone for Daphne. That was getting tricky. It was morning and moms were busy. We continued to pack our bags and get ready to leave.

We made it to the hospital at 9am and my nurse midwife walked in OB assessment right away since I had called her. She is amazing, BTW. They checked me out and I was at 6cm. At this point I was VERY uncomfortable and having contractions 4-6 min apart. I was having back labor AGAIN. It was so painful. Because I had gone so fast with Daphne, they hurried me to L&D to begin administering antibiotics just in case I had Strep B. I went through about 3 hours of good labor and pain with no water breaking. It was soo painful because I had back labor. Kelly was helpful as I tried some movements and positions to ease some pain. Then, around 1230, I sat down Indian Style and decided to watch Gymanstics on the iPAD to forget the pain. My back labor really subsided. And eventually it was gone and my contractions spread out a little bit. So strange. The midwife, Jeri, returned at 2pm and said “I think we should break your water.” She said she was going to be back in one hour because she had a few new appointments.

Yikes, 3 hours passed and she finally returned. Those three hours were boring and unproductive as far as labor is concerned. She checked me first and I was maybe 7cm. She apologized and proceeded to break my water. Yep, I remember that feeling. Then she encouraged me to use the breast pump to see if that would also stimulate labor. While we waited for that to show up, Kelly and I walked some laps and the really painful labor began. I only used the breast pump for a minute because I didn’t need it. Labor progressed VERY quickly at this point. Jeri came in to see how I was doing and I was “singing the labor song” as she put it. I was rocking back and forth and moaning a lot. Each contraction was coming stronger and stronger and oh so painful. I found myself unable to stand because I was getting so tired. I lay on my side and rocked my hips to help labor progression. At one point I laid on my back because I needed to change positions and I got very lightheaded so Jeri made me return to my side. She put up the side rail so I could grab something during contractions. Kelly stood right behind it offering words of comfort. Jeri stood behind my back and rubbed it. I don’t remember exactly how long I was in this kind of pain. I know my contractions would come two together and then have about 2-3 minutes in between. That was strange I thought. Right before she came I remember saying “I can’t do this!” Once I felt the urge to bear down and push I did. Even though I was so exhausted pushing does bring some mental relief. I only pushed through maybe four contractions…maybe more? I remember the relief I felt when the head came out. I didn’t watch, but I felt it. And then when the shoulders and rest of her body came out it felt so great! What an emotional and physical relief! One hour and 30 minutes or so after she ruptured my membranes little Eve Kelly Wood came into the world.  August 9, 2012 6:02 pm.

Because eve was technically a preemie, the NICU team was supposed to be in the room when she was born and whisk her away to check for any problems. Well, Jeri being awesome as she is didn’t let them know right away and they weren’t ready to take her when she was born. Plus, the fact that she was crying was a good sign. Jeri did the most wonderful thing for me. She put Eve right on my chest after she came out. I felt so much relief and emotion when she did that. I actually cried. I didn’t get that with Daphne and the whole experience felt surreal. This felt real. So real. I loved her right away.