Lexi girl's due date was orginally June 22nd.
Induction date was set for June 30th.
As you can imagine, we counted down the days to June 22nd. Even though due dates are estimates, you can't help it!
Due to insurance purposes my doctor is in St. George. My mother-in-law lives there so we decided that I would go up a few weeks early just to be safe. Of course this meant that Logan would have to be in Vegas during the week for work and then come on the weekends. This was especially hard on my emotional, pregnant self... (But who am I kidding, I'm always a baby when it comes to being apart from him!!!)
So the waiting began. I spent my days bouncing on the exercise ball, walking, eating pineapple, swimming, and watching crime shows with grandpa!!
When my due date came and went, we really started getting desperate! On Monday, my due date, I was still only dilated to a stretchy 3. My Dr. was able to strip my membranes. On Thursday night, Logan so sweetly surprised me a day early! He planned to stay all the way until my induction date the next Tuesday. We went in for another appointment on Friday and I had progressed to a 4. She tried again to strip my membranes but baby girl's head was soooo dang low she couldn't reach (TMI I know). Haha!!!
I had Braxton Hicks contractions starting like week 28 and they continued to get more and more uncomfortable as the weeks progressed. I had a few real contractions in the weeks leading up to her birth but nothing close together!
On Sunday night, June 28, we went to sleep at about 11:30pm. An hour later I had a good contraction that woke me up! Then 5 minutes later... Another!!! So I woke Logan up and we timed them. After an hour they were still really regular!! What! It was happening!! We decided to shower and go to the hospital. We got ready, woke up Momma Shellee, ate some food, called my family, and went on our way!
We were so nervous that we would be sent home, especially since I was scheduled to be induced pretty much the next day.
When we arrived at 4:00am, they checked us in and set me up to be monitored. I was still at a 4 so she said if I dilated to a 5 in the next hour they would admit me and get things going! Longest hour! I still had regular contractions and Logan and Shellee had fun watching the contractions come up on the monitor. It seemed so surreal to be there, things finally happening.
By 5:00am they came and checked me.. YES! I had progressed to a 5+! They took me to the delivery room, stuck my IV in, and asked when I wanted the epidural.. I said I could wait for a while until I was dilated to a 6. The contractions hurt but I felt like I could handle them. I didn't want the epidural to slow things down too much.
By this time my family was on their way from Orem, Utah!
By 7:00am they checked me again and I was at a 6! So they sent in the anesthesiologist a few minutes later. I planned on having an epidural from the beginning, but I didn't look too much into what it looks like going in because I didn't want to freak myself out. Honestly, for me getting it put in HURT! A lot of pressure going on.... He had to redirect it a few times so it took longer than I had hoped. It was the worst part so far for me. But I knew I just had to get through this and it would get easier. Seriously like a minute after it took effect, the BIG contractions came. They were so high up on the monitor I was so glad I didn't feel them!!! I felt pretty good with the epidural at this point- happy as a clam! Haha!
At 7:45am one of the doctors from my health center came in and broke my water. Such a weird feeling NOT feeling it but knowing what was happening. And so weird how hard and small my belly felt once the water was all out.
Things did start to slow down a bit at this point. My mom, dad, and sister showed up at 8:30am! We were so happy they arrived. I asked Logan and my dad for a priesthood blessing which calmed us all down.
Then came the waiting. We slept, talked, my family got food, and we waited some more.
My doctor was unavailable from 10-2 so I really didn't feel any pressure to get any pitocin to speed things up. We were just fine waiting for her to become available again.
Fast forward to 4:00pm.. I started feeling pressure down there. The nurses (AMAZING NURSES P.S.) came in and we started some pushing to get Lexi's head under my pelvic bone.
We did this for about 50 minutes before my nurse said, "STOP pushing, it's time to get Dr. Winward, you are crowning!!" 10 minutes later she walked in. We started pushing again.
8 minutes later at 5:08pm our beautiful daughter was born. Lexi Klaire Reynolds. She was finally here!!! All 8lbs 4oz and 20 inches of perfection. The moment they laid her on my chest I started bawling... Then I looked up at my amazing husband and the emotions became over-powering. Our family had grown by one perfect little human! We had a daughter! We had been waiting for her for more than 2 years and finally there she was. Nothing can prepare you for the love you feel in that moment.
