Baby Girl!

As I did with my announcing of the birth of Jacob, I have taken a LONG time to proudly announce the birth of the most beautiful and charming baby girl,

Joanna Mae!

Joanna, nicked named Josie, was born on Friday the13th (muhuha ha) of January at 7:45 pm, 7 pounds
11 ounces. Pictures to come once I can get some onto this computer (iPhone snafu's recently).

Josie is named after my mother, Joanne and her other grannie, Mary.  My mom passed away in 2009 from ovarian/peritoneal cancer, so I'm so glad to be able to honor her memory by naming her newest granddaughter after her.  

The birth of Josie was MUCH easier this time around.  I hear that's typically the case, but I'm so thankful it was!  I went in for an induction 1.5 weeks early because of the gestational diabetes.  Apparently I was the LAST on the list for prostin that night as I received mine at 3am!  At 8am the doctor came in to check me internally and said that I'd need a second dose.  But this doctor, who I'd been seeing at the diabetes clinic often, is rather rough-handed, and by 9am, I was feeling the love.  When she came back for my second dose, she had a look and sure enough, her internal exam had got me going and I was 2 cm dilated.  

Up I went to the delivery ward around 10am.  I got to sit on a pilates ball for a while as the contractions got a little stronger... but not strong enough.  So unfortunately I needed to start oxytocin.  UGH!  Luckily I was allowed an epidural pretty soon after the oxytocin started.

Now, because of my size, the anaesthetist had to use an ultra sound to guide the epi into my spine. He also added what he called a 'block' (I'm guessing spinal block, but I forgot to ask) which allowed me to push a button to top up if the pain was coming back.  Hurray!

Well, the pain DID start coming back on my left side, to the point where the button was doing jack, especially as I could only push it every 20 minutes.   So in again came Dr. Make-the-pain-go-away who topped up the epi.  Of course, it was with the provision that if it didn't kick in in about 20 minutes, he'd have to take out the line and reinstert. And if THAT didn't work, than the epi was a no go and I'd just have to deal with other pain meds. So apparently I'm a huge wimp.  The idea of more than 20 minutes of labor pain was terrifying.  I did talk to mom and ask for her to help get those drugs going. And bar that, just knock me out and take the baby!  Luckily, all it took was the top up and for me to lie on my left side, and the meds kicked in.  BLISS!

From then on it really was smooth sailing.  This time I could move a bit... with Jacob I was paralysed from the waist down the entire time.  But I needed to stay on my left side to let gravity help the epi work.  So there I lay.  To monitor Josie, the midwife insterted a heartbeat monitor to her scalp.  This was actually a blessing as the CTG monitor has never liked me and would keep on losing baby's heartbeat.

So a few hours later (could have been sooner, I really wasn't paying attention), my doctor came in to check on me and I was 9cm dilated!  MUCH faster than Jacob.  And I basically had to just lay on my side until I was 10 cm.  Then after that I lay around again for about 2 hours to allow the contractions to do their work getting Josie's head into the birth canal.  

Eventually I was allowed to push. An hour later Josie Mae was born.  I was allowed to hold her as soon as the midwife did her checks, which was wonderful (especially as I wasn't allowed to hold Jacob who was sent up to baby ICU for a checkup and some oxygen). She came out with a LOT of vernix all over her... apparently babies born after 38 weeks have less vernix. But she was beautiful and mucky and all mine (and Rob's too I suppose).

Love at first sight.