Dear Emma,
I wanted to tell you how you got here, and so I don’t forget every detail, I decided to write your birth story for you.
You were due on September 17th, a Thursday.
I had been going to the doctor every day and she kept telling me that I was only 1cm dilated!
I knew you would be late.
I talked to the doctor about what would happen if you were really late and she suggested Mommy get induced since Mommy is small and you were getting big!
I saw Doctor H for the last time on a Wednesday, 9/9 and she told me she had a family emergency and would only be back in town on Saturday 9/19!
I was really sad because I really really really wanted Doctor H to deliver you, and the only days she could have delivered you for sure were Mondays and Fridays because those were the days that she worked at the hospital you were being born in.
She told me that she was going to schedule an induction for Saturday, 9/19 in case you didn’t come before then, because she was on call that weekend, and that way, she could deliver you herself like Mommy wanted.
Mommy and Daddy kept it a secret.
We wanted to see if you were going to come at your own time first.
On your due date, 9/17, Mommy was hanging out at home with Uncle JP and Lindsay bouncing on an exercise ball when I had to go to the bathroom. I felt really wet, so I thought my water broke! I called Daddy and he was on his way home from work.
Mommy, Uncle JP and Lindsay went to Coldstone to get some ice cream while we waited for Daddy to get home.
When Daddy got home we went to the hospital!
We packed up the car and went to triage where Nurse Denise checked Mommy.
They kept Mommy for a few hours and did some tests.
Turns out my water didn’t break, but I swear a lot of liquid came out!
Mommy and Daddy went home.
The next day, 9/18, we were told to call the hospital to see if there was room so Mommy could go in to get induced, and there was!
Mommy and Daddy said bye to Zoey and Cooper, (they stayed at Vovó and Vovô’s house), and Dexter and went to the hospital.
I cried a lot because the whole time our pets were my only babies, and I felt so guilty because I knew that once you got here a lot of the attention would be on you, and I didn’t want them to be sad and feel like I didn’t love them anymore.
We got to the hospital at 5:30PM, and Mommy was put in Room 2065.
Right when I got there they started poking me with an IV, they put it on my wrist and I was not happy! It hurt and I felt like I couldn’t move my hand!
Then guess who walks in? Nurse Denise! The same nurse that saw Mommy the night before. 🙂
She was so pretty and so sweet, and I was happy to have her!
Mommy was just hanging out with Daddy, then Uncle JP and Lindsay brought Mommy McDonald’s Fries and Chick fil A nuggets as my last meal!
A little after 11PM Nurse Denise put medicine in Mommy to help soften her cervix.
It had to stay in for 12 hours and it hurt! 🙁 It was very uncomfortable.
At around 3:30AM Mommy started having contractions and took some pain medicine to help with the pain. The rest of the night was uneventful, it was a waiting game…
The next morning, a little after 11AM Nurse Joelle started Mommy on Pitocin, then the “fun” began!
Nurse Joelle was so sweet! I really liked her and hoped that she would be there to deliver you. Unfortunately she was just the morning nurse, and she would have to leave, and another nurse would be coming in.
Dr. H made it! She came all the way from the airport, straight to the hospital to work! I was so excited to see her because I really really really wanted her to deliver you!
By 1:30PM Pitocin was in, epidural was in and Mommy’s water was broken!
After I got the epidural I felt so much better! I was so scared at first, and I really freaked myself out, but it didn’t even hurt!!! After the epidural went in, I got alllllll itchy, but then the feeling went away, and the pain went away, and all was good! During the whole time I could still move my legs and wiggle my toes, but they just felt much heavier.
Throughout the day, as the epidural kept wearing off, I would get more, and I had to lay on my back for the epidural to evenly spread, but you did not like that! I had to keep an oxygen mask on and lay on my side.
Mommy FaceTimed Bisa and Delourdes, Camila and João Mario all the way in Brasil.
By 4ish Mommy was 4cm dilated.
Then by 6ish I was 6/7cm.
Then at around 7:30ish I was finally 10cm dilated!!!!
It was time to push so everyone said bye!
Nurse Joelle left, but to Mommy’s surprise Nurse Denise was her nurse again! I was very happy that she would be there to help Doctor H deliver you.
Mommy is forever thankful for the best two nurses in the world! ♥
Mommy and Daddy were so excited! This was it! In just minutes our whole world was about to change! You were really really coming! Finally!
Nurse Denise was holding my right leg, Vovó was holding my left leg, Daddy was on my right holding my hand, and Doctor H was helping me down there.
I would say labor wasn’t too bad.
Mommy had to get used to breathing and pushing, but once I did, I had this in the bag!!!
Daddy said that he was not going to look and see you coming out, but as soon as Nurse Denise said that she could see your head full of hair, curiosity got the best of him and he totally looked!
I was jealous that I couldn’t see for myself so I asked for a mirror haha, and Nurse Denise brought one in the room! After a while I started getting distracted so I asked Nurse Denise to put it away. Even though I wish I had asked for it back towards the end so I could really see you coming out!
After pushing and pushing, there you were! I told Dr. H that I wanted to pull you out myself, instead of having her do it, so as soon as your shoulders were our Dr. H said, “she’s here, grab your daughter!” so I leaned and grabbed you and brought you to my chest!
After you came out, that’s when the scary part began. You were not breathing! And it freaked me out! I bent to pull you out, and you were limp in my hands, no crying, no movement, and you had no color. You just laid there on my chest motionless. I was freaking out and I kept asking Dr. H why you weren’t crying. Daddy cut the cord and the pediatric nurse took you away, and they started working on you.
The whole time I kept praying, and asking Dr. H if you would be ok, if you had oxygen, if there was a possibility of brain damage, I was SO SCARED! Daddy tried to keep me calm, he told me how much of a great job I had done, and that you were beautiful and everything was going to be ok, even though I wasn’t having it. I was so so sad and so worried.
I couldn’t see it, but they gave you oxygen, and kept working on you until I FINALLY heard the faintest little cry. When you were finally ok and breathing on your own, they cleaned you up while Dr. H worked on Mommy. Daddy got to be with you, and he even helped put your first diaper on! You had to stay under the warmer for a little while, and Mommy had to get cleaned up too!
FINALLY! Daddy brought you over and I was so happy! Your big eyes were looking right at me. You were so awake and so aware for just being born!
Right away I was instructed to start nursing you, and you latched so quickly, like a pro! The nurse put you on my belly and you crawled up and latched on Mommy. Crazy how human nature just knows what to do!
I made sure to enjoy you for a while, feed you, and cuddle with you, then we called the family to come in and meet you.
The first person to hold you was Uncle JP! He had a shirt that said I ♥ Princess Emma and he got you a onesie that said I ♥ Uncle JP, it was so funny and cute.
Lots of happy tears were shed as people saw you and held you, you were so loved already!
After a little while everyone left so Mommy, Daddy and you could be alone and get some rest. Unfortunately you had other plans, and you didn’t really want to sleep. Mommy was exhausted from the whole day and from pushing, that Daddy was on Daddy Duty that night!
My whole life became better on September 19th, 2015 at 9:16PM because of you little one! ♥
