The past two months...
I've decided to write about Ainsley's birth and the complications that followed, resulting me spending 16 days in the hospital during the first month of her life in three separate hospital admits. I want to write about it to (1) document the journey our family has been on in the past two months and (2) to give thanks to everyone who has helped us over the past two months--God, family, friends, countless nurses and doctors. It is a LONG story--so I'm going to take it a day at a time. I want to say at the beginning of this story that we are so thankful to God that we have a beautiful, healthy daughter--Ainsley Allison Cohenour. All of these complications have been worth enduring for her. Here is a picture of me and Ainsley (at the doctor's office--our second home)!
I had a VERY healthy pregnancy with Ainsley--I was super tired the first trimester, but the second and third trimesters were great, despite the fact that it was summer and I was hot all of the time! Ryan and I went to childbirth classes in the summer--although they could not have prepared us for all of the complications that we would face.
Our due date was October 1st and we were so excited to welcome a new addition to our family after 9 years of marriage.
I had planned on working up until the time that Ainsley was born, but I ended up taking off four days before I was induced because I was staring to have high blood pressure and not feeling well the week before she was born. Ryan and I took this picture the week before Ainsley arrived--we went to a town close by and had lunch and then took some outdoor photos.
I had a doctor's apt on Monday, October 4th and at that time I was experiencing high blood pressure (for the first time in my pregnancy). The doctor said we would keep an eye on it, and proceed with the plans to induce on Thursday, October 7th. This was a picture Ryan took--notice how BIG my feet are. I had major swelling in my feet the week before Ainsley was born--a sign of high blood pressure.
Our doctor told us to check in at 6 am on Thursday, October 7th at Labor & Delivery for our induction. I woke up at 2:30 am that morning to prepare, even though our bags had been packed for weeks! I was so excited. We left the house at 5:30 am (it was a 5 min drive!). We didn't want to be too early, so we stopped by McDonald's for a breakfast burrito! We arrived at Labor & Delivery at 5:50 am and got checked in.
Ryan in the hospital lobby before we headed up to Labor & Delivery.
I learned from the nurses that morning that many couples are late for their induction time--they do last minute shopping, packing, etc and some times arrive hours late....I couldn't imagine! Our doctor called the labor and delivery staff the night before I was induced and assured them that we were a couple that was prepared and would be on time! She knows us all too well--we were excited to meet our baby girl!
Me in the hospital lobby before we got checked-in!
Here I am all checked in and ready to go. They gave me Cytotec to help get my cervix ready. I will write about this drug later as they gave this to me during my third hospital stay as well--it has multiple uses apparently! Around late afternoon, I had progressed enough for them to start piticon to help jump start my labor. That first night in the hospital I barely slept, I was so excited to meet our baby girl...but I realized labor was not progressing as fast as I had thought.
I had a VERY healthy pregnancy with Ainsley--I was super tired the first trimester, but the second and third trimesters were great, despite the fact that it was summer and I was hot all of the time! Ryan and I went to childbirth classes in the summer--although they could not have prepared us for all of the complications that we would face.
Our due date was October 1st and we were so excited to welcome a new addition to our family after 9 years of marriage.
I had planned on working up until the time that Ainsley was born, but I ended up taking off four days before I was induced because I was staring to have high blood pressure and not feeling well the week before she was born. Ryan and I took this picture the week before Ainsley arrived--we went to a town close by and had lunch and then took some outdoor photos.
I had a doctor's apt on Monday, October 4th and at that time I was experiencing high blood pressure (for the first time in my pregnancy). The doctor said we would keep an eye on it, and proceed with the plans to induce on Thursday, October 7th. This was a picture Ryan took--notice how BIG my feet are. I had major swelling in my feet the week before Ainsley was born--a sign of high blood pressure.
Our doctor told us to check in at 6 am on Thursday, October 7th at Labor & Delivery for our induction. I woke up at 2:30 am that morning to prepare, even though our bags had been packed for weeks! I was so excited. We left the house at 5:30 am (it was a 5 min drive!). We didn't want to be too early, so we stopped by McDonald's for a breakfast burrito! We arrived at Labor & Delivery at 5:50 am and got checked in.
Ryan in the hospital lobby before we headed up to Labor & Delivery.
I learned from the nurses that morning that many couples are late for their induction time--they do last minute shopping, packing, etc and some times arrive hours late....I couldn't imagine! Our doctor called the labor and delivery staff the night before I was induced and assured them that we were a couple that was prepared and would be on time! She knows us all too well--we were excited to meet our baby girl!
Me in the hospital lobby before we got checked-in!
Here I am all checked in and ready to go. They gave me Cytotec to help get my cervix ready. I will write about this drug later as they gave this to me during my third hospital stay as well--it has multiple uses apparently! Around late afternoon, I had progressed enough for them to start piticon to help jump start my labor. That first night in the hospital I barely slept, I was so excited to meet our baby girl...but I realized labor was not progressing as fast as I had thought.
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