All About Ava

Where has the time gone? Ava was born two months ago, and I’m just now sitting down to write about it. Everyone tells you that time flies, especially once you have kids, and they are right!

Ava’s due date was July 27th, but she was late. I guess she’s just like her momma when it comes to being on time! My doctor scheduled me to be induced a week later on August 3^rd.  I thought that knowing exactly when she would arrive would help calm my nerves, but it actually made it worse. My anxiety was at an all time high, especially since I was warned that the odds of having a cesarian increased with scheduled inductions. I did NOT want a c-section!

The induction started with the doctor inserting a foley bulb into my certix to help it dilate. It took about ten minutes or so for the doctor to put it in, and it HURT! Soon after that I began to feel contractions. The contractions were mild at first, then they rapidly became more painful. It was awful! It was the worst pain I’ve ever felt.

Before the foley bulb was inserted I was only dilated one centimeter. Several hours later I was dilated to four centimeters, so the doctor removed the foley bulb. As soon as that happened I asked for my epidural!

Getting the epidural was not nearly as bad as I imagined it would be. The anesthesiologist numbed the area on my back where the epidural was going, which felt like a small pinch. I didn’t feel him inserting the epidural at all! All I could feel was pressure in my lower back, but thankfully, there was no pain.

After that, my doctor started me on Pitocin to help ramp up my contractions and get things going. I labored all night, and by the following morning I was only dilated to five centimeters. I couldn’t believe it! I thought for sure I was progressing and would be ready to start pushing anytime.

Early that morning, my doctor came in and explained to us that the baby was in distress. Her heart rate kept dropping with each contraction, and it wasn’t coming back up the way that it should. I was told that if things didn’t improve very soon I would have to have a c-section. I was put on oxygen and the doctor left the room.

I immediately began panicking. I was scared and so worried about the baby, and I couldn’t stop crying. My mom had left the room at some point during all of that, and I found out later that she left to call my dad. Jim stayed by my side and held my hand. He seemed calm, but he told me later that he was scared, too.

It seemed like only minutes passed before the doctor came back and said it was time. I was immediately wheeled out of the room and taken into the operating room. Only Jim was allowed to be there with me at that point, so my mom stayed in the waiting room while she waited for my dad to arrive.

The surgery took about an hour, but Ava was born within the first ten minutes. I started sobbing as soon as I heard her cry for the first time. I was so relieved that she was okay and that she was finally here!

After the surgery I was taken into recovery and I finally got to hold my baby for the first time. It was truly the greatest moment of my entire life. I’ve never loved anyone or anything as much as I love my baby girl. I didn’t know I was capable of that much love! It sounds so cheesy, but it’s true.

Jim and I are truly the luckiest people in the world. Ava is such a happy baby. She smiles all the time and sleeps through the night for us. I’m so happy that I get to be Ava’s mommy and I can’t wait to watch her grow up!

♥ Katie

Photography by: Lauren Grayson Photography