Welcome home Ava Mae
I woke up at 3:30am on Tuesday, April 27th with contractions that were very crampy. I didn't think much about it since I had been having false alarms for a few days, and thought I was just having stomach cramps along with the contractions. The pains were getting stronger and closer together, but I still had my doubts that this was "it." lol Jason heard me pacing and groaning and got up to see if I was okay. I was irritated because I was in pain but wasn't sure if it was the laxative I took earlier or labor. We were sitting on the couch after I had a major pain and I heard and felt a pop. I sat there and nothing happened, then I remembered this is what is felt like when my water broke with Noah. I stood up to go to the bathroom and sure enough my water had broke. Welcome panic!!
I told Jason to call the hospital and my Mom to come over and stay with the boys. Even though I had so many early signs of labor, I wasn't prepared. My bag was barely packed and I grabbed my toothbrush, deodorant, and thyroid medicine to add to it. Why I chose those items I don't know, I was in major freak out mode. Then the pain was getting super intense. I had a contraction that made me literally raise the kitchen table off the ground and started telling Jason that we needed to leave NOW! So he called our neighbor, Billy, and told me to get into the car. He backed out and started to leave so I began freaking out and crying because I thought he was leaving the boys alone. I was in so much pain that I couldn't think straight, everything was magnified. Billy waited with the boys until my Mom arrived.
The ride to the hospital was crazy! I was having contractions every 3 minutes and I felt so much pressure. It takes about 45 minutes for us to get to the hospital and I was scared that she was coming in the car. Jason was driving like a husband with a wife having a baby in the car. There was a bit of cussing at cars who wouldn't get over, begging baby to wait, and "go faster unless you want to meet her now!"
We get to the hospital at about 5 a.m. and NO ONE was at the front window, it was a ghost town. Jason was banging on the windows and I just sat down. It seemed like forever, but was only a few minutes. I could barely walk through the contractions but I just got up and started walking towards the Women's Center. The registration clerk came slowly strolling down the hall and told me I needed to come back up front to register. Think again sister, I am NOT walking back up there. So she goes to get me a wheelchair and they roll me back to a room and Jason goes back to register me.
The ultra-calm nurse (this annoyed me at the time, lol) got me changed into my gown and checked me. I was dialated to a 3, so we had some time. Even though the contractions were still coming every 3-4 minutes, knowing this relaxed me a bit and I calmed down, which made the contractions calm down too.
So for the next two hours, I am having contractions and trying to work through them. I was praying alot and as the contractions came, I naturally began praying in the spirit. Even though the pain didn't disappear it calmed me and helped me get through them. Jason was praying with me and rubbing my back, I was more comfortable sitting up at this point. Then I started having some back labor and my pelvic bone (which is tilted) began hurting really bad. About this time my OB arrived and checked my cervix, and I was at 4 cm. and still having 3 minute apart contractions that were getting really intense. I prayed about whether or not to have the epidural and felt peace about it, so I told her to go ahead and send anesthesia on over.
The anesthesiologist did a great job and soon I was relaxed and free from pain. I could still feel the tightening and pressure from the contractions but I was finally able to rest. I kept progressing and at about 9:30 a.m. I was at 5 cm. About this time I had Jason to turn on some praise and worship music, this helped me relax even more and I was able to rest a little. There was a wonderful spirit-filled feeling in the room and when the nurse came in to check me, she said "you guys must love the Lord." :) We had been blessed with a wonderful Christian nurse, FAVOR again!
When I got to about 7 cm, my blood pressure began to drop and the baby's heart rate was dropping a little too with contractions. The nurse came in and had me lay on my side and gave me oxygen. I was feeling a little strange and began to worry a bit, but she was keeping a close eye on the monitors and calling my doctor often. When I got to an 8, things weren't improving so they decided they needed to monitor the baby internally. They use a device that attaches to the baby's scalp, so of course I was upset about this, but I knew it was the best thing to do in this situation. The monitor showed that the baby's heart rate was okay and they continued to watch my BP rate closely.
At about 11:30 a.m. I was fully dialated, my OB was about to arrive, and the nurse got me ready to start pushing. My contractions were farther apart now, so it took me about an hour to get to the point of pushing her completely out. I was really relaxed and the music inspired some dialogue about God, church, etc. between my nurse, OB, and I. I just started sharing the love of God. Jason later laughed about it and said, "you were ministering between contractions!"
She was kind of stuck under my pelvic bone (this has happened with all three deliveries) so the doctor mentioned the possibility of using a vacuum to assist. I DID NOT want this to happen again, since we had to have it twice with Noah and it wasn't a pleasant experience. So I got super motivated, pushed as hard as I could, and at 12:27 p.m. on April 27, 2010, Ava Mae Seyer was born. And to confirm the presence of the holy spirit, the song "My Beloved" by Kari Jobe was playing as she was born. This is a song that has meant a lot to me during this pregnancy and I often sang it to her.
We are so in love with our beautiful baby girl.
