Ella Katherine Reese

Ella Katherine Reese decided to join our family a little earlier than expected.  She arrived on Monday May 21, 2012 at 4:51 pm (36 weeks and 4 days).

7 lbs 12 oz 51.5 cm 

Ella's Birth Story

Just to warn all those people that read my blog, this is going to be a LONG post.  I want to write down all the little details for my own personal record so that I don't forget anything. I also know that our families are anxious to hear Ella's full birth story....  So be prepared for a novel!

My Last pregnancy photo... yes, I look huge!!!! Thank goodness Ella decided to come early.

I'll start from the very beginning...... On Friday  Brandon and I decided to go on a little walk around the park near our house.  I was heavily pregnant, but was strangely ambitious enough to think I could make it around the entire park and back home, which is approximately 3 miles.  We didn't even make it half way before I started feeling some cramping and lots of pressure in my pelvis.  I wasn't too worried about it because I assumed the cramping was braxton hicks contractions, which I had been having off and on since I was around 25 weeks pregnant... these contractions however were slightly painful in comparison to the regular "tightenings" I had been feeling for a few months.   On Saturday I still had some cramping off and on, but for the most part felt fine.  I had a sudden burst of energy and was in full "nesting mode."  I cleaned the house, went shopping for a few last minute baby items and packed my over night hospital bag (thank goodness).  Brandon even put in the car seat... apparently subconsciously we knew Ella's arrival wasn't far away.
I had been asked to give a talk on Sunday at the church Brandon and I attend. Sunday morning I woke up and did some last minute preperation for my talk.  I was able to pick the subject, so I had based my talk on eternal families and the plan of salvation.  Funny enough, a good portion of the talk had to do with Ella joining our family.  As I was getting ready for church the cramping started up again and I noticed I had some bleeding.  This came as a bit of a shock, so we rang the hospital and they told us to come in.  Brandon called our Bishop to let me him know that I wouldn't be able to speak in sacrament (Lucky me, I got out of giving a talk!!!!)  When we got into the hospital they hooked me up to a machine to measure my contractions and listen to Ella's heart beat.  They monitored me for a good 5 hours and then decided to send me home.  My contractions weren't regular and the bleeding was most likely my mucus plug coming out (also called the "bloody show".... a horrible name I know).  They nurse said that this didn't indicate I would go into labor any time soon, in fact  it could be a few days, a week, or even a couple weeks.  They told us to call the hopsital if the cramping got worse and/or the bleeding increased.  So we headed back home, both slightly disappointed...  We had started to get our hopes up that Ella was coming.  Later that evening the cramping started getting worse and the bleeding also increased, so at 11:00 pm we called the hopsital and they told us to come in again.    They told us to bring our over night bag because they wanted to monitor me over night since technically I wasn't full term yet.  Brandon and I were both hesitant to go back to the hospital and were assuming it was yet another false alarm.
Yet again they hooked me up to a machine to monitor my contractions and Ella's heart beat, and they checked on my bleeding.  To our surprise I was having regular contractions, and apparently my water had broken and I didn't even know it.  I always assumed it would be a huge gush...  If anyone has seen the movie "Cone Heads," there is a scene where the mother's water breaks and it floods the room... this is what I had pictured happening when my water broke. haha but my water broke higher up so the fluid was leaking out slowly (sorry for all the gory details).  The nurse told us that I was in the very early stages of labor and that I would be having the baby tomorrow.  We were both slightly in shock... It was really happening.  Ella was on her way!!!!  They gave me a sleeping pill that night, so that I could get some rest and gather my strength for the long day ahead. Feelings of excitement, anxiety and anticipation were at an all time high... and I found it really challenging to catch those much needed z's.  
That morning the nurses came in around 7:00 to check my contractions, and see how much I had dilated.  Unfortunately my contractions weren't strong enough, so I wasn't dilating despite already being in hospital for 8 hours. At his point I started to get a little concerned with the realisation that it could be a really LONG day.  My doctor came in at 10:30 to check on me.  My cervix was still closed at that point.  She broke my front waters (the front of the sack), which was followed by what felt like a never ending waterfall... My doctor told the nurses to start me on pitocin (which is given through an IV drip) to increase my contractions, and speed up my labor.  Because my water had already broken sometime the day before, they were worried about Ella getting an infection if she was left too long inside unprotected.  
The pitocin worked like a charm, and I started having stronger contractions right away.  Brandon and I had discussed the option of having an epidural.  I was open to the idea, but also wanted to make an attempt at going natural (I know... what was I thinking?!?!?).  I wanted to know what true labor felt like, and I wanted to feel like I gave it a shot.  The contractions continued to rapidly increase and by the time two hours had passed I was at my breaking point...  I literally thought I might die.  Because I was on pitocin the contractions came much faster and stronger than they would if my labor had progressed naturally.  I definitely wanted the epidural!!!!!  Unfortunately it took the anesthesiologist a good 30 min or more to come put the epidural in.  Poor Brandon probably thought he was going to lose his hand from how tightly I kept squeezing it.  My contractions were 2 minutes apart and seemed to last forever.  Finally the anethesiologist came in and put the epidural in.  I'm not going to lie... it did hurt, but it was a welcome pain in comparison to the contractions.  The epidural was suppose to kick in after 20 min.... however this was not the case, so after 20 minutes I had another top up which numbed the right side of my body, but not the left.  They had me wait another 20 minutes before they gave me another top up.  Words cannot explain the amount of pain I was in at this point.  Finally after the second top up the epidural took full affect.  I was still able to feel my legs, they just felt tingly and warm and the pain was finally gone.  I went from the most extreme pain I have ever experienced in my life, to falling fast asleep for a good hour or so.  haha Yes, I actually fell asleep in the middle of my labor.  Brandon even managed to fall asleep on the couch. The nurse woke me up because she was trying to adjust the belt they had strapped to my belly, which picked up Ella's heart beat.  They were having a hard time getting a strong heart beat and thought she might have changed positions... they decided to do another examination to see where her head was.  To our surprise I was already dilated to a 10 and they could see Ella's head.  They hadn't expected me to dilate so quickly... I had gone from a 0 to a 10 in less than 5 hours (hence the extreme pain).  I think during natural labor, they expect you to dilate a cm per hour or something like that.  
Luckily my doctor just happened to be in the building at the time, so they got me preped, and within 30 minutes I was pushing.  At his point the epidural had worn off.  The anethesiologist had come in to give me another top up, but because I was in the final stages of labor they didn't let me have it.  It made it easier to feel the contractions and know when to push, but wow did it hurt.  Ella came out 30-40 minutes later.  :)  

Meeting my baby girl for the first time

 Seeing Ella for the first time brought on so many emotions.  I couldn't believe she was here, my little bean, who I had carried for nine months, that I had shared every one of her kicks and hiccups with.  She was so precious to me, and I felt an overwhelming amount of love and gratitude for her.

Brandon cutting the cord

 Unfortunately when Ella came out she had some gurgling/grunting when she would cry... which meant that she likely had a little fluid in her lungs.  Because they were still concerned about Ella getting an infection since my water had been broken for somewhere around 17 hours, they decided to take her to the neonatal unit and give her some antibiotics.  They said that if she did well she would be able to come up to our room that evening.

First family photo in the neonatal unit

I had my first attempt at breast feeding, but Ella was too sleepy to really be interested in eating.  They decided to monitor Ella over night because she was still grunting quite a bit.  It was really hard leaving Ella in the neonatal unit and going to our hospital room without her.... but we stayed hopeful that she would be in our room the next day.  We woke up early the next morning to go visit her.  The grunting had gone away, but Ella was still quite fatigued and not interested in eating, which is a common problem with premature babies.  They decided to put a feeding tube in to ensure that she was getting enough to eat.  After that I  alternated breast feeding, with having her fed through the tube every three hours.    

Daddy loves his little girl

They decided to keep her in the neonatal unit for 3 days until her feeding improved and they could take the feeding tube out.  This was really hard on Brandon and I.  We hated having her away from us, and I spent a good majority of my time in the neonatal unit by her side.
Finally, on Thursday afternoon we got to give her a bath and take her up to our room.  I was so happy!

She loved her bath.... we have a little water baby! 

Leaving the neonatal unit and going up to our room

 We ended up staying at the hospital for a full week.  Once Ella came up to our room she continued to have some trouble feeding.  We had a rough couple of nights with Ella... where she went through a phase of "breast refusal."  She basically would scream bloody murder any time I tried to feed her.  It would be a constant battle, lasting 30 min or more of me desperately  trying to get her to latch on.  It was so stressful and heartbreaking having her scream and cry, and not being able to help her no matter how hard I tried.  It ended up being a combination of problems... for one Ella was use to being fed through a tube, which required zero effort and would instantly satisfy her.  Breast feeding took more of an effort and Ella was extremely impatient.  Also, her sucking reflex wasn't as strong as it should have been because she was a little early.  Once my milk officially came in (which was around day 4 after giving birth) she finally got the hang of it.  Thank goodness!  Ella had her poor mama on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
On Sunday we finally headed home, ready to start our new life together as a family.  :)

love my little family

First ride in her car seat... she looks so tiny

We have now been home for 5 days.  :)  Things are going really well and I absolutely love being a mom.  There are times where I want to pull my hair out.. especially when she decides to stay up all night long, but overall being a mother has been the most gratifying, special experience I could ever hope for.  I love holding my beautiful little girl and knowing that she is a part of Brandon and I.  She is so precious to us... and has given us a whole new meaning to life.

We are still having a hard time picking out who she looks most like.  It seems like she changes so much every day.  She definitely gets her long fingers and long skinny feet from me.... poor girl.  haha I'm sure she is going to love me for that when she is older.  We call her the little velociraptor.  

           Unfortunately because of Ella's early début my mom was unable to make it out for the birth, but I am grateful that I will have her out in a couple weeks to help me, and I know Ella is looking forward to meeting her grandma.  :)  I am also really looking forward to having my mother and father in-law visit in July.  I am hoping to come home for a visit in September.  I know there are lots of people dying to meet Ella, and I can't wait to show off my little munchkin.

We have had so much support since Ella's arrival.  We have had lots of visitors and meals brought over.  We are so grateful for all the love and support we have been given from our friends out here... they have been like family to us.  Above all I am so eternally grateful to have such a wonderful husband, who is now a wonderful father.  He took such good care of me while I was in the hospital, and was there for me every step of the way.  At a time when I felt scared, vulnerable and helpless... I have never felt more comforted and taken care of.  He was there to hold my hand, to calm my fears and give me words of comfort, to provide a listening ear and loving embrace when I was worried or upset, and a compassionate care giver when I was unable to help myself. I don't know what I would have done without him. I have a whole new appreciation for my husband.  I'm so grateful to have such an amazing partner in life, and Ella is lucky to have such a loving father. Life is good! :)