Ellie Belle's Story

Bebe Ellie - Ready to go Home

40 weeks - Monday night, April 20, K checked into the local hospital at 6 pm to be induced. At 6:40 they gave her the first dose of Cytotek. She was having regular contractions, but didn't know it unless she looked at the monitor. At 8:32 K's water broke naturally. Afterwards, she elected to have an epidural. At 10:15 she was dilated to 8 cm and 75% effaced.

An hour later, at 11:15 K was 10 cm and 100% effaced - ready to go. They called in the doctor, who didn't want to be bothered until the baby was crowning. K was scratching badly at her skin; she was allergic to the epidural. They gave her a dose of Benedryl through the IV. She became sleepy, just as it was time to push. She didn't want to hang on to the push or breathe through contractions. But at 1:17 am on April 21, a beautiful baby girl was born into this world.

Those first minutes were scary. The baby didn't scream or cry. Bebe Ellie was tired from the Benedryl as well and refused to breathe on her own. She would take one breath and then stop. It was very quiet in the room. Two nurses were at the warmer, pumping her chest and suctioning out her airways. They sent my mom from the room to go get another nurse. They paged Respiratory and the Pediatrician. Twenty-some scary minutes later, Ellie regained her color and exercised her lungs. It was glorious!

She nursed and then was passed around the room. I was first to hold her, then Auntie A, then Poppy and Gigi. I left just after four in the morning, as I had to be up in less than two hours to teach. I returned in the afternoon and held her for hours. She was so sweet, so tiny, so loved.

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