Welcoming Our Baby Girl

Ivy Grace Plessman

Born October 7, 2019 at 7:08 am

7 lbs 13 oz

20.5 in

Two weeks ago today, our little family was made complete with the arrival of our third child and our one and only baby girl. At nine days overdue, Ivy Grace Plessman was in no rush to make her grand entrance, but once the process was initiated, she came fast and furious. And thank goodness it went quickly, because it was not the painless experience I had been expecting.

I hoped that I would go into labor naturally, as I did with both my boys, but this little girl was determined to make sure the way she came into the world would be different, just as the entire pregnancy had been. I was more sick and uncomfortable this time around than I was with either of her brothers,  and she made sure she marched into our lives to the beat of her own drum, as well.

I was scheduled to be induced Saturday, October 5th, at eight days overdue, but I really wanted to give my body just one more day to go into labor on my own and (after speaking with my doctor's nurse) ended up rescheduling the induction for the following evening, Sunday October 6th. We bundled up the boys on Saturday afternoon and went for a walk around Lake Tye, then out for our last meal at Red Robin (YUM!) as a family of four.  Although I was having tons of Braxton Hicks, and had been for weeks, baby girl remained snug as a bug and showed no other signs of imminent arrival. I spent a lot of week 41 on Google wondering if this twinge or that pain was a sign of labor, but alas, I remained very, very pregnant. I was a little discouraged, but also at peace with the fact that however this little lady got here would be exactly how she was supposed to get here. And I also recognized that once she was born, it wouldn't matter very much to me whether the process happened on it's own or labor was induced, as long as the baby was healthy and strong. So on Sunday evening, after a weekend spent watching General Conference with Colt, my mom, and the boys, C and I finished packing our hospital bag, kissed our boys (Jace was really excited that I was finally going to go to the hospital and have his baby sister), and climbed in the truck to head to Everett.  It was a beautiful night. The sun was setting over the Sound as we made our way to the Pavilion, and we even saw some sky divers with their bright-colored parachutes drifting slowly across the skyline. I remember telling Colton this was the most peaceful drive to the hospital we've ever had...in the past, it's always been in the middle of the night and I've been in too much pain to really notice much else besides getting through the next contraction.

After we checked in at Triage at 7:00 pm, our nurse, Jessica, escorted us to our labor and delivery room, and we got settled in as she explained what to expect. Even though I was 9 days over due, I was still dilated to no more than a 1 and about 60% effaced, so the plan was to give me a series of six pills (one pill administered every four hours, though they said it could be less since this was not my first baby) to soften the cervix, and then start Pitocin afterwards. As the nurse set up the monitors, she explained that she would be watching the baby's heart for accelerations and decelerations, and happened to remark that decels, although not uncommon, can be kind of intense, because she has to call in the doctor and other nurses and they don't always get a chance to explain to the mother everything that's going on as they try to get baby's heart rate up. She gave me the first pill and then left, and Colt and I chatted and tried to relax a bit. I had slept only a couple of hours the night before (thank you pregnancy) and we wanted to make sure I got some rest before I had to labor the next day. We hoped it would go quickly but we were also aware that inductions can last a long time. I continued to have lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but they weren't painful.

Twenty minutes after I took the pill, baby girl's heart rate dropped dramatically, from consistently in the 120's to the 80's, and then down into the 50's/60's. Just like Jessica had mentioned casually just a few minutes prior, our room was quickly filled with nurses and doctors as the monitors began beeping loudly. Colt was told to stand back and a doctor stood next to him, trying to quietly explain what was happening and what the nurses and other doctors were doing. They put me on oxygen, helped me roll over onto all fours, and had me taking deep breaths as they watched the monitor. After what seemed like forever but was likely only a few minutes, Little Miss's heart rate rose and remained stable, but the doctor's were still worried because they could not figure out why the deceleration happened in the first place. They were worried she wouldn't be able to tolerate contractions. Because it happened so quickly after I took the pill, my doctor (Dr. Allwine), said we would not be continuing with those and instead they would be placing a Foley Bulb. I felt pretty calm during the actual experience, but after everything calmed down I began to shake...my nurse piled warm blankets on top of me but I couldn't stop; I was so grateful the baby seemed to be fine, but it was as if the fear of what could have gone wrong hit me after the fact. Colt kept reassuring me everything was going to be ok, and I believed him.

The  Foley Bulb was placed at 11:30 pm, and I was told it would stay in for up to twelve hours, although it could possibly fall out before then. After that, they would begin the Pitocin. Three hours later, I was a 3 and 90%, and after four hours (3:30 am), the bulb fell out on its own. Things got real pretty quick. They started Pitocin and the contractions began to feel pretty uncomfortable, but I was able to breathe through them. After a couple hours, I decided to ask for the epidural even though I was only at a 4 and was still managing fine, just because I could...I mean, why suffer? We did go back and forth, though, because we weren't sure if my labor would progress quickly or take awhile, and it was possible that if I got the epidural early, it wouldn't be as effective at the end if labor lasted a long time. However, we decided to go for it. The anesthesiologist administered the epidural at 5:50 am, and for some reason, I was really nervous I'd end up getting a spinal headache. He made sure to let me know everything looked good and that there was no reason to think I'd get a headache or have any other negative side effects. With that reassurance, I relaxed and settled in, enjoying the fact that although the pain was gone, I could still move my legs pretty well. The anesthesiologist came back in and was going to up my epidural, but since I was feeling fine we decided to leave it where it was and I would call

 At 6:00 am, I felt something that made me jump, followed by a rush of liquid...my water had broken. The nurse checked me and I was at a 4, still numb, and feeling good. Jessica and Dr. Allwine's shifts were just ending, so they introduced me to the new doctor and nurse, then left. And then, about thirty minutes later,  I suddenly felt a painful contraction in my left hip. It was such a weird sensation, feeling a strong contraction so localized while the rest of my lower body was numb. Then, all of a sudden, it was like the power went out on the epidural.  I could feel everything, everywhere. And I felt a strong urge to push. The nurse called the anesthesiologist who came quickly and tried to administer a bolus dosing to control the pain, but to no avail...this baby was coming too fast for the anesthesia to take effect. The doctor told me excitedly that if I was feeling the urge to push, it was probably time to have this baby, and sure enough, I was fully dilated and baby's head was right there. I pushed for a couple of minutes at most, and although the pain was a bit scary, I tried to remember that this is what my body was made to do, and I tried to keep breathing...and it was all worth it, because at 7:08, my daughter was born.

They put her directly on my chest. My little girl. It was such a joyful feeling to have her in my arms at last, to have been strong enough to get her here despite the painful last few minutes of her delivery. She had perfect little seashell ears, a thin layer of dark blonde hair, and beautiful dark blue eyes. She was perfect.

Unfortunately, four hours later, I started to get a pretty bad headache that left me squinting in pain while sitting up but that resolved almost entirely when I laid back down...the spinal headache I'd been inexplicably afraid of getting after the epidural did indeed come to pass. Luckily, it was a more mild/moderate form and I was able to receive some relief from painkillers, but it was not fun spending my first week at home in bed and unable to do much. The only thing that made me feel better was snuggling my sleeping baby while watching You've Got Mail and Runaway Bride. I'm feeling so much better now, and I thank Heavenly Father every day for that. I also am so glad I finally have a little bestie who will watch chick flicks with me.

After she was born, Colt and I were still debating as to what her name should be. We knew we wanted her middle name to be Grace (a choice that was cemented by the unexpected surprise that the doctor who delivered her was named Grace), but were unsure if her first name should be Lydia or Ivy. Although we each liked both names, I leaned more towards Ivy, and Colt preferred Lydia.  We decided to take a few hours and call her by each name and see which fit best (it worked with Jace!)...but after a few hours of calling her Ivy, Colt agreed that this girl was just not a Lydia. We love that ivy symbolizes faithfulness and eternity. And as the pediatrician stated a few hours later when we told her the final decision: " I'm so glad you picked Ivy! Lydia is a beautiful name, but I think of someone with dramatic, dark features, and this little girl isn't dark or dramatic...she's a flower." I completely agree.  My little flower.

I can't believe it has already been two weeks with our Ivy Grace. We love this little girl. The boys are enamored with her, especially Jace. Ivy doesn't yet know how lucky she is to have two amazing big brothers, but she'll find out soon enough. They love to pick out her bows, give her kisses, and are always wondering when they go out if "baby sister is coming?" And they are already SUPER great at sharing with their sister, as Ivy has already caught the cold they both had when we brought her home.

Ivy girl, you are so loved. We are so glad you are here. Our family feels complete, and whenever I stop for a second I am filled with joy and contentment. We are all here. Our whole family is here together, beginning our journey through this life. I look at my husband and my babies and I feel overwhelmed with love and gratitude to my God for these people. I can't wait to get to know my baby girl. I know my job first and foremost is to be her mother...but I can't wait to be best friends, too.