Introducing Miss Hannah

Introducing... 

Hannah Ayelen Dobbins

Born March 12, 2015

6lbs 3oz

18.5 inches

My original due date was March 21^st but we were set to be induced on the 16^th!  I was so excited and the week was going by so slowly.  I really wanted to do one last big fun thing just me and Audrey sometime during the week, but kept putting it off because of all the other things I felt needed to get done before Monday.  I had been SO super on top of EVERYTHING for the past week that finally on Thursday I decided to forget those other things for a day (dishes, laundry, organizing baby things) and Audrey and I went to the Provo Rec Center for some swimming!  We hung out in the kiddie pool area doing the mini water slides, the lazy river, and just walking around in the water.  She LOVED it and I loved being able to spend that time with her of just straight fun before our life was about to change.  

After about an hour we got ready to go and as I stood up out of the water I felt a warm gush of fluid come out of me!  It was surprising, but I somehow convinced myself that it was just a lot of discharge and so Audrey and I just went about getting dried off and changed to go home.  All the while I was feeling the warm fluid coming out little by little.  I had gone back and forth about what to do as we drove home, not wanting to jump the gun and think my water had broken if it hadn’t (remember, I had no experience with this part of labor), but also not wanting to risk anything by doing nothing if it had.  I tried to continue with our day, but was going to the bathroom to change my soaked panty-liner every few minutes it seemed.  (Writing about this now I feel pretty dumb for still being convinced it was just discharge!  Seems pretty obvious that it’s not, right?)  I had thought about calling my doctor to see what they thought but I just kept putting it off because I wasn't in any pain at all.  Then out of the blue the doctor’s office called me!  They were calling to reschedule an appointment I had for the next day (to strip my membranes in preparation for labor), so I took it as a sign and after changing the appointment I asked if I could speak to the nurse.  I explained to her what was going on and she kind of just said, “Uh yeah…go to the hospital!” 

After hearing that, I was suddenly a ball of emotion.  It was like all my excitement over the last few weeks had turned to fear.  I was scared, and panicked, and overwhelmed.  We didn’t even have our hospital bag packed!  The doctor had just recently told me that without being induced I could still probably expect to go PAST my due date.  So naturally we thought we had plenty of time and were planning to just do everything the night before the induction.  I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get a hold of Andrew to tell him to come home or Mariah to come watch Audrey.  I had wanted to pack a little overnight bag for Audrey, but as I scrambled around the house (which was a huge mess because it was the one day I had decided I could let things go as I mentioned before) gathering things for the hospital I knew it just wasn’t going to happen.

Turns out most of my fears were completely unfounded.  Andrew was able to come home lightening fast, Mariah was just walking out of a presentation she had finished when I called.  We got everything as ready as we could, hugged and kissed Audrey (leaving her was the hardest part) and then left for the hospital.  I started to be convinced that they were going to send me home, so when we got there and they admitted me after some testing proved that my water had broken, I was surprised and excited…and of course still nervous as well.  We waited two hours or so to see if my body would progress at all on it’s own and after it didn’t they started me on Pitocin to get it going.  My plan was to get an epidural but only after I had been able to feel a few painful contractions.  I had no desire to feel the worst of child labor- didn’t want to feel transition labor, or a tear, or the pushing or anything.  I just wanted to feel a little more of the experience than i had before, even if just a very little.  After a little while I felt that had met my goal, even though I was only dilated to a 3 (I thought I would be able to go longer…labor pain is no joke!) so I asked for the epidural.  Getting it this time was more painful than I remember with Audrey.  But the anesthesiologist was a very cheerful guy and was obviously a master of distraction- a good quality in his profession I’ve decided.  He chatted with me about books and movies as he administered the epidural and though I was still clenching Andrew’s hand as hard as I could from the pain of the needle, I still found myself somehow comfortable, like I knew I was in good hands here at the hospital.  The nurses had been great and all the staff were very encouraging, like this guy (who whistled and hummed songs as went about his work). 

After I started feeling all good from the epidural Andrew and I passed the time reading aloud from our book to each other.  Those few hours are kind of a blur…in fact I’m not even sure it was a FEW hours because it didn’t really feel like we had all kinds of time to fill.  With Audrey’s birth we had read, slept, talked, had visitors, watched TV, and still found ourselves bored with a few more hours to kill by the end.  This time it seemed like we read a chapter or two and when Dr. Wolsey came in to check me things were pretty close to getting going.  He checked my cervix and said I was dilated to a 4 and was 80% effaced.  I was always hoping for more than it ended up being every time.  So we settled back in thinking it would be another 3 to 5 hours or something, and Dr. Wolsey even left to a whole other hospital to deliver someone else.

About an hour later I started feeling some contractions again.  The anesthesiologist had said to push the epidural button for some relief if that should happen and if it got too bad he could come and give me a higher dose.  So I kept pushing the button, but finally did ask for that higher dosage.  They told me he would come as soon as he could, but that he was administering another epidural at the moment.  The contractions kept coming, more painful every time, till I was clenching the bed handle with white knuckles, closed eyes, and gritted teeth.  It was so surprising how painful the contractions were and I felt like such a pansy because I assumed I was only at like a 5 or 6.  The main thing that helped me get through each contraction was Andrew applying counter pressure on my arm and hand as I squeezed the bed handle.  If he stopped even for a second I was almost yelling at him to stop stopping.  Our nurse kept making sure the anesthesiologist knew to come straight to our room asap and at that point she also called the doctor to let him know that things could start happening soon and that he needed to come back as soon as he could.  It was the longest half hour of my ENTIRE LIFE till the anesthesiologist was finally able to come give me the higher dose.  Andrew had called Mariah to come because we had talked about her being in the room for the birth and I was starting to feel better when she showed up.  I guess the first thing I said to her when she walked in was, “Mariah.  Epidural is where it’s at.” 

The nurse was finally able to check me and I was at 9 ¾!  Turns out I had felt transition labor, which I've heard is the worst of the worst, so I was pretty proud of myself!  Andrew and I realized that this was exactly what happened with Audrey's birth- in less than an hour I had gone from a 4 to a 9.  This time though Dr. Wolsey was still finishing up a delivery over at the other hospital!  The nurse had everything set up for the birth and apparently all we could do was wait for the doctor.  I was getting scared, feeling the need to push, and Mariah and Andrew and the nurse were all just having to stand around waiting, getting things ready, and trying to distract me. 

When Dr. Wolsey finally rushed in he got straight to business.  He said jokingly to make sure we never judge someone flying down the freeway between the two hospitals- because chances are it’s a doctor rushing back and forth to a delivery.  My legs in the stir-ups, he told me to push as he got all his gear on and everything ready for the baby.  For the first push he was right there at the end of the bed, but then rolled away on his stool to get something and told me to go ahead and push again.  When I did Mariah and Andrew seemed to be panicking a little and I heard the doctor say “Whoa wait!” when he looked over.  Apparently her head had already come out and the rest of her was on it’s way pretty quickly!  He hurried back and directed me in pushing and soon she was here, he had caught her just in time!

However many times I end up giving birth I think I will always be amazed at the instant happiness that fills up the entire room at this part.  I was crying, Mariah was crying and gave me a hug.  Andrew was standing over by the baby as the nurses wiped her off, just beaming down at her.  I remember just laying there and feeling happy, so so happy.  When they brought her to me and I put her skin to skin she amazingly stopped crying and just laid there on me calm as could be and I felt so in love.  My hands were shaking terribly so I felt like I couldn’t hug her or stroke her or cuddle her very well, which was kind of frustrating.  I was trying so hard to just will myself to stop shaking, but the nurse said it could last up to an hour or so.  While Dr. Wolsey was stitching me up (only a first degree tear) I noticed that a nurse was holding a phone up to his ear and he seemed to be directing another delivery!  I am extremely grateful for the doctors in this world.  That guy was doing so much at once, had so much responsibility for so many people, and was able to do it all.  Understandably he didn’t have a lot of time to chat with us after he finished, so he said a very kind congratulations and left to attend to his next responsibility. 

She was 6 lbs 3 oz, 18 ½ inches long.  She has a lot of beautiful soft dark hair and the same slight tan to her skin that Audrey has.  She immediately had the most calming presence about her and we love to hold her and snuggle her all day long.

The rest of the hospital stay was mostly good.  I had a vertigo episode while feeding Hannah one of the days.  It was the first time I was completely alone with her and it was very scary.  We're trying to figure out how to manage that aspect of life again but we're hoping it will calm down a lot the further I get postpartum.  Audrey and Mariah and Ross were able to come visit us in the hospital two or three times and it was so fun to have Audrey there!  So many things lined up so perfectly with Hannah's birth and her coming when she did- the hospital had JUST lifted the 'no visitors under 14' policy THAT MONDAY, just 3 days before, so Audrey was able to come meet her baby sister earlier than expected!  She seemed a little indifferent to her for the most part, except for a few little moments where she would want to hug her or tickle her.

she asked if she could give a hug :)

We've been home for about a week now and things have been going great!  Hannah's personality has already come through in so many ways and I'm so amazed at how every different she is from her sister right from the very beginning.  I expected this time to be so hard...so so so hard, but truthfully it's been really wonderful.  Hannah's timing was perfect- she considerately let Audrey and I have our little outing and then came immediately after.  I love having two kids, it's been so very fulfilling.  The pain was so worth it to have this little face here with us now and forever.

Life just keeps getting better and better.  

Oh how I love this baby.