Gammie and Potts: My Baby Girl has a Baby Girl

Sunday, September 9, 2012

My Baby Girl has a Baby Girl

Audrey was overdue by nearly a week - quite a surprise for her little body. She was way more calm and patient than I would ever have been. She wanted her little babe to come when she was good and ready rather than having to be induced.

She went into labor on her own Tuesday PM. She and Matthew spent the evening walking from store to store and visiting friends. By the time she ventured to the hospital, her contractions were only a minute a part. I thought, “This won’t take long at all.” -- but by morning, she had dilated only to a 5.5. They gave her a little pitocin to help her along and by 11:00 Wednesday morning, she was dilated fully and would begin to push.

I waited and waited to hear word.... nothing. Want to know how to make a mother crazy? I jumped in the car and headed to Provo, figuring that I would receive word on the way. I sent a text to Matthew, “Is everything okay?” and awaited his reply.

Finally, from Matthew, “Audrey pushed at a 10 for over three hours. The baby’s head wouldn’t go through the pelvic area. They resorted to trying to turn the baby and then use forceps. That didn’t work. We are now going into a C Section.”

That was after 2:00. Again I waited and waited, trying to occupy my time and and my mind in various ways. Certainly it won’t be long.....

At 4:00 (that’s two whole hours later! What C-section has ever taken 2 whole hours?!) I couldn’t bear it and did some sleuthing on my own. I went up the elevator to the mother/baby floor. I couldn’t enter without a code, but I asked the attending nurse, “Has Audrey Collier been assigned a room?”

“Yes,” was the reply, “But I can’t let you in without a code.”

I knew that. But at least I now knew that Audrey was ALIVE. So I sent Matthew another text, “May I come see you?”

He answered, “Audrey said in just a bit. I just got back with her and she is breastfeeding right now.” That meant the baby was ALIVE too! I let out a sigh of relief and called Potts.

I had SO many unanswered questions:

“Is the baby okay?”

“What does she look like?”

“How much did she weigh?”

“Can she open her eyes?” (If you will remember, Audrey was born with a chromosome disorder called blepharophimosis which effected her eye openings. There is a 50/50 chance that her own children will have this condition also) Of course after having been through three plastic surgeries with Audrey, my heart would wonder.

At 4:35, “In 15 minutes, you can come to room 431 on the 4th floor” and he gave me the code. Little did he know that I had already been up to the fourth floor. :o)

I had held my breath since 5:00 am, yet this fifteen minutes were the SLOWEST I had ever experienced!

FINALLY it was time. I went up the elevator, gave the code, walked down the hallway, and knocked lightly on door 431. Audrey said sweetly, “Come in.”

Audrey and Matthew greeted me with smiles on their faces. And their beautiful baby girl was sleeping contentedly in her bassinet. She is healthy and whole and beautiful!

I held her, cuddled her, and smelled her newborn sweetness. Such a miracle!