Labor & Delivery

I am so thankful to document that my labor and delivery with Savannah was really fast and easy as it was with Brantley. Actually it was better than with Brantley! I'm writing this post for my benefit but feel free to read if you would like.

Tuesday (May 15th): I had contractions a lot during the day and they became more consistent as the day went on until they were about 6 minutes apart and mildly painful. I spent the whole night having those same contractions. They weren't getting closer together but they were hurting a bit more than earlier Tuesday afternoon but I still wasn't sure that I was in true labor.

Wednesday (May 16th): Early that morning I finally got some good sleep from 4:00-6:30ish. When I woke up my contractions had spaced out and had almost stopped so I figured I had been experiencing pre/false-labor all night again (just like Mother's day).
8:30am: I called my doctor's office to see about getting an appointment to come in and get checked. My doctor had plans to be out of town Thursday and Friday so I really wanted to know if I had made any progress before she went out of town. I was able to make an appointment for 11:30am.
9:00am: I decided to go for a walk to see if my contractions would get stronger/closer together or if they would stop all together. They came back at every 6 minutes during my walk and were again mildly painful. After about 30 minutes I went back home to take a shower and get ready to go to the doctor. My contractions continued.
11:30am: I got to my doctors office a few minutes early so I walked in the hall for about 20 minutes. During that time my contractions were more like every 5 minutes and I had to slow down my walking during them. I tried not to get my hopes up of actually being in labor. I kept telling myself that it wasn't real and my contractions would stop as soon as I got in her office.
Once I was finally called back and my doctor came in to check me I was totally amazed to hear her say that I was 4cm dilated and almost completely thinned out. What?! Really!! I was actually in labor. She then said, "How would be feel about having this baby today?" I quickly answered her with, "That would be wonderful! Let's do it!!" During the next 30 minutes I called Chase and told him the news so that he could get Brantley together and taken care of so he could get to the hospital quickly and I was admitted to labor and delivery.
12:00pm: My doctor came down to check on me and decided to go ahead and break my water so that my contractions would begin to progress faster. Wow! It's amazing how much fluid is inside. Savannah had a lot to swim around in and that's all I'll say about that. After having my water broken my contractions picked up and became A LOT more painful. Chase finally got to the hospital around 12:15pm and at that point I wasn't able to talk through the contractions anymore. By 12:30, I was in excruciating pain and I asked for the epidural.
12:58pm: My epidural was placed in my back. At this point the pain was unbearable and I was crying uncontrollably which just made the pain worse. Chase couldn't be in the room for about 15 minutes while the anesthesiologist finished putting in my epidural and that was torture. I had a wonderful nurse but I really just wanted Chase to be in there holding my hand.
1:30pm: The epidural was beginning to take effect. My nurse checked me and I was 5/6cm dilated.
2:00pm: I was finally feeling comfortable after getting the epidural. I could feel the pressure from the contractions but no pain.
2:26pm: My nurse checked me and I was fully dilated and Savannah's head was right there so it was time to get pushing. I was shocked at how quickly I had dilated. In 3 hours I had dilated from 4 to 10cm.
2:40pm: I pushed once for about 5 seconds and the nurse told me to stop because Savannah was so low in my pelvis. She crowned right away. The nurse went to call my doctor back down to the room. She came back to tell me that Dr. S was in a c-section so I would have to wait until she was done but she was coming to me as soon as she was finished.

3:15pm: Dr. S was there and it was time to start pushing. During that wait time, during every contraction I could feel Savannah's head about to pop out. I kept saying that if I sneezed I was going to have the baby. haha

3:20pm: I began to have a contraction and I started to push. During that contraction, I pushed 3 times and Savannah was born at 3:21pm. It was amazing!! I watched her be born and held her on my tummy right away. I noticed right away that she was smaller than BR was at birth.
After the nurse cleaned her off a bit she gave her back to me for some skin-to-skin time. I nursed her right away as well after getting a good look at her. She nursed like a champ! 20 minutes on each side. I was impressed! Savannah weighed 6 pounds 10.5 ounces and was 20 inches long.

4:30pm: We were moved upstairs to our postpartum room. Our parents and Brantley got there around 5 to meet our new bundle of joy.

That day was a world wind and I couldn't believe it had happened so fast and I was actually holding my baby girl. I thought for sure she was going to stay put in my belly until we kicked her out on Saturday the 19th. I am so thankful that she came on her own and was/is healthy and happy. 

So that is my labor and delivery story to end my pregnancy with Savannah Claire. I'm not sure that I'll ever experience any of this again because Chase and I are thinking we are done so I'm glad I'm ending on a good note. haha

Savannah Claire Williamson

This past Wednesday Savannah Claire was welcomed into the world with open arms by Chase and I. She is perfect and totally adorable! Here are a few pictures from the 3 hours and 51 minutes spent in Labor & Delivery. Yes, my labor went really fast,  but I'll post about that in a different post.

 This was right before I started to push.

 Chase and I were so amazed at how fast I had dilated and that it was finally time to meet our sweet baby girl.

 Savannah Claire was born Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 3:21pm.

 Beautiful!! She's perfect!!

 6lbs 10.5oz and 20in long.

 Pure joy!! and the greatest feeling in the world!!

 Proud Daddy and his new baby girl!!

 More photos to come!

It's Delivery Week!!

Yay!! This week is finally here and I'm so super excited about meeting our sweet Savannah sometime between now and Saturday afternoon!! For those of you who may have missed it, I've decided to be induced this coming Saturday because I'll be 39 weeks, 1 day and I'm just plan tired of being pregnant. I'm almost certain she will decide to come before then based on the early labor I've been experiencing but then again only she and God know if that will happen. I know she is still growing and getting stronger with every day she is in my belly but I'm am pretty confident that she will be perfectly healthy enough come Saturday if we end up having to kick her out. I know not everyone agrees that being induced is a good decision but it's the best one for me and we (Chase, my doctor and I) are comfortable with it. 

I will have baby Savannah in my arms by Sunday morning!!!

Early Labor update: So Saturday I started having a few contractions throughout the day but they weren't close together at all and weren't consistent either so I knew it wasn't the real thing. Then yesterday morning, I started having contractions again. These were a little more painful and came more often. During our lunch at Outback with our parents I had 6-7 contractions so I was beginning to wonder what was going on. They were hurting too! My dad was sitting next to me at lunch and he could tell when I was having one because I would stop lean back a little and breathe slowly. He just looked at me each time like "Another one? Is it time?"

After lunch we went home and hung around the house and I began to monitor the contractions. The were coming every 15 minutes or so and lasting about 30-45 seconds. I decided to go for a walk during BR's nap to see if they would get closer and stronger. To my surprise they did! By last night before bed, I was having pretty painful contractions every 10-11 minutes and they were lasting 50-60 seconds. I was really beginning to think that the time had come and that maybe this afternoon I would be having a baby. BUT, nope! During the night things changed. I continued having contractions but they started to space back out again. I was able to get a few hours of sleep thankfully, but then by the time I got up and out of the bed they had almost completely stopped. Darn it!! I tried walking in our circle, swaying and doing some squats before Brantley woke up but unfortunately, no matter what I did the contractions were not coming back like they had been yesterday.

After feeding Brantley breakfast I decided to take her to her JiJi's house so that I could go walk at the mall for a little while and give that a try. I wasn't totally ready to give up yet at that point. I dropped BR off and headed to Brookwood Mall. I knew the stores wouldn't be open at 9am but I thought at least the building would have been open for walkers. Nope! The mall doesn't open until 10am. I was there at 9:15 and I wasn't going to sit there and wait. I began to feel tired and worn out from not getting much sleep last night so I finally owned up to the reality that today is not delivery day and I should just go home and take a nap while BR was having fun with JiJi. And that's exactly what I did. It was SO nice!

After my nap I went and picked up BR and we came home. She ate a little lunch and watched an episode of Calliou before going down for her nap. I decided that now is the time to just relax and wait for the real labor to kick in. I know God is trying to teach me patience (it's an on-going lesson for me that I tend to never stick with- I really need to try!) and right now I'm just trying to listen.

I know that Savannah will be here very soon and if every thing will work out perfectly whether she comes Saturday with some encouragement or before on her own. I know God is in control and I just have to keep reminding myself that his was is best.

So that's my labor update for today. I'm having very random contractions today that are a bit painful but I'm not concerned with them at all right now. My plan is to labor at home as long as possible if my contractions do start back sometime this week (unless my water breaks) so that I don't have to be in Labor and Delivery for a super long time. We'll see how it goes! Prayers are appreciated! Thanks!!

My Big Fat Belly - 38 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 38 weeks: Anxious. Nervous. Tired. Ready. Really pregnant. Annoyed. Excited. Happy. Anxious!! Every feeling under the sun that can be associated with being 38 weeks pregnant really!! I'm so ready to have this baby in my arms and I'm trying really hard to be patient. Unfortunately, if you know me at all, you know that patience is not one of my greatest virtues. So, I'm taking it one day at a time and reminding myself over and over again that the longer she is inside my belly, the healthier she will be.
I've started having more BH contractions each day and they are longer and stronger, just not in any consistent pattern and they stop when I go to bed or rest. I've been trying to get out and walk a little every day but that isn't always possible with BR because she doesn't like to ride in the stroller for longer than 20 minutes. The pressure down there is so crazy painful sometimes, especially during a contraction. I feel like I spend the majority of my day in the bathroom because I'm constantly having to pee. It will be so nice when that sensation is gone after delivery.
So, really overall I'm still doing great. At my appointment on Thursday, I was still 1.5cm, almost 2cm. My belly is measuring 37.5 weeks so Savannah's growth has started to slow down which I'm hoping translates into, she'll be here very soon. My blood pressure is still wonderfully low and I haven't gained any weight in over 3 weeks now.

Baby Movements: Savannah is actually still very active at times. I thought by now she would have run out of room to do much moving. BUT for the past 3 mornings and sometimes during the day, she gets really ralled up and kicks, punches, squirms for a good 15 minutes which hurts and keeps me awake for a while. Chances are she is going to be an early riser once she's born. Oh Joy!

Baby's Size: Dr. S and I discussed Savannah's size on Thursday and we're both thinking she might be a little smaller than Brantley when she is born. I feel like I was bigger with BR and since SC's growth has slowed down I'm not sure she'll make it to 7lbs 10oz by next Saturday, but really we don't know.

Belly Pic of the week:

I'll be back Friday for my 39 weeks belly post or sooner if Savannah decides to make her arrival before then. I hope everyone has a good week! Please keep us in your prayers! Thanks!!

My Big Fat Belly - 37 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 37 weeks: Thankfully, I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm sleeping decent for being over 9 months pregnant, so that's a plus. I haven't been feeling very many Braxton Hick's contractions over the past week or so. My only complaint/pain that I'm experiencing now is menstral-like cramping and groin pains. They are like really bad period cramps that don't stop for an hour or so (sometimes they just come and go). The groin pain just about brings me to my knees sometimes. It's like I get a cramp in my groin muscles when I walk so it just takes me out all of a sudden. I asked the doctor about it and she told me that it's just from hormones causing my pelvis to open up so that Savannah can drop down more. The pains led to me going in to my doctor's office to be checked on Tuesday afternoon but I wasn't in labor and I was still at 1.5 cm.

Doctors Appointment/Progress: I went to my 37 weeks appointment yesterday. Savannah and I are still doing really well. All the little measurements and tests they do looked great so there are no worries. Dr. S checked my cervix again just to see if anything had changed since Tuesday and I was still at a solid 1.5cm. I was totally expecting that since I haven't been feeling very many BH contractions. So that was that.

Kinda big news....There is an end in sight! Dr. S and I decided yesterday that if I haven't had Savannah on my own by 39 weeks, I will be induced on Saturday, May 19th!!!!! I'm so excited to say that in 2 weeks or less we will be holding our baby girl in our arms!!! So if I don't go into labor sometime in the next 2 weeks on my own Chase and I will be heading to the hospital bright and early that Saturday morning to be induced. EEEK! I'm so excited!!!

Baby's Size at 37 weeks:

Savannah is now about the size of a Watermelon and considered FULL TERM!! Yay!!

I forgot to have Dr. S guess how much she weighs at this appointment but I'm still going to guess that she is somewhere around 6-7lbs. I was looking back at my belly pictures from my pregnancy with BR and I think I may have been a little bigger at 37 weeks with her than I am at 37 weeks with Savannah. BR was born 7lb10oz at 39 weeks, so that's why I'm guessing that Savannah is more like 6lbs right now.

What I'm looking forward to: Going into labor sometime soon or at least being induced in 2 weeks. I'm so happy to know that there is a for sure end (I mean I know the date) that I will no longer be pregnant and I will get to see our sweet baby girls face. These next 2 weeks are going to test my patience so please pray with me that I can relax and just enjoy myself while we wait for Savannah's big debut. Thanks!

Belly pic at 37 weeks:

You can visit HERE to see my 37 week belly post during my pregnancy with Brantley Rae and compare my size if you'd like.

Okay I'll be back next week with 38 weeks belly post unless by some chance I deliver before then. Stay tuned!!

Baby Sprinkle #2

Last Monday morning, our playgroup bunch got together and threw up a little baby shower for Savannah. My friend, Casey, was kind enough to host the shower at her house in T-town. The set up outside was so great and the kiddos had a wonderful time in the sun!

Brantley and Kayleigh

Brantley and AnnaBelle were making cupcakes.

Casey had cooked a really yummy lunch and some delicious cupcakes. Every thing was great and I'm so thankful for the gifts we received. 

I'm more thankful to be in this group of sweet Mommies and their kiddos. Brantley is making some really sweet friends and I love watching them play and interact with each other.

We received diapers, wipes, outfits and hair bows as gifts. I look forward to seeing little Savannah wearing them all very soon. 

My 37 week post is coming up next!

Maternity Pictures

This morning we went over to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to take some maternity photos of me (and Savannah) and 2 year-old photos of BR. These are the best ones that we were able to get of me. The lighting was really too bright in a lot of places this morning and we were trying to keep up with BR while taking my pictures. A task that could only be handled with Smarties. haha

I am 36 weeks and 1 day pregnant with Savannah Claire Williamson. We CAN NOT wait to meet her!!!

My Big Fat Belly - 36 Weeks (Photo Update)

How I'm feeling at 36 weeks: Still very pregnant but super excited after today's doctors appointment. I'll get to that in just a minute. Savannah has dropped so I'm breathing a little easier these days. Sleeping has gotten a little more difficult because my hips fall asleep around 2:30am, so I have to sit awake for an hour or so before I can get back in the bed. Dr. S suggested that I start taking Tylenol PM so that I can sleep better for the rest of this pregnancy.

Progress: I got really good news today! Are you ready.... I'm 1 1/2centimeters dilated and 50% effaced!! Yay!! I'm further along at 36 weeks with Savannah than I was at 36 weeks with BR. I'm so pumped and encouraged that maybe I won't be pregnant for another 4 more weeks. I'm really hoping that I will have her in the next 2 weeks but I guess that's really all up to Savannah. Savannah is for sure head down and pretty far down into my pelvis. Dr. S didn't say what station she was but she did say she was really far down so that's good. Also, that explains the pressure I've been feeling down there. I didn't have an ultrasound today since we are certain that Savannah is head down. She may guess her weight next week if I'm still preggo at that point.
Dr. S did say that she thinks I will deliver before 39 weeks because I've progressed sooner with SC than I did with BR and I had BR at 39 weeks. We'll See!!

Baby's Size at 36 Weeks:

I'm not sure where in those ranges she is on length and weight but I'm still measuring right on track so I guess she might be somewhere in the middle.

Belly Pic:

Let me explain the middle picture... I'm pushing down on my stomach to show how much she has dropped.

Please pray with us that sometime within the next few weeks I deliver a healthy baby girl. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Also, if you haven't already done so make sure to cast your vote for when you think Savannah will be born. Just for fun!!

Baby Sprinkle #1

 Tonight, some of my really good girlfriends threw Savannah and I a baby shower. I am so thankful for each one of these ladies and I feel so blessed to call them all friends. Since Savannah is our second baby girl we didn't need a ton of new stuff but since she is born in a different season than BR was, some new clothes were needed.

Savannah was given some really cute clothes, diapers, wipes and a cool car caddy/organizer thing that I had registered for. The girls also went in together and got us a gift card that will be used to buy some of the bigger things we still need/want to have for when SC is born. I'm so thankful for all of the gifts we received!

All of us girls minus Erin, who wasn't able to come to the shower. We missed you, Erin!

We had a wonderful time laughing and catching up with each other. I always love getting together with these girls!!

And look who joined the party...baby Easton!! This is my friend, Lauren's little boy. He is such a cutie and was a perfect angel the who time. I can't wait to have a tiny one to hold all the time again. 

I'm fully aware that life is about to get exponentially crazier, but I've preparing myself as best I can and I think I'm ready for the challenge. God is so good! I feel so privileged that He has given Chase and I another one of His children to care for and raise. I'm so excited about this journey and I look forward to all of it's ups and downs. 

I'll be back Friday to post my 36 weeks belly post. Hopefully,  it will be filled with good news from my doctors appointment on Thursday afternoon.

My Big Fat Belly - 35 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 35 weeks: I'm feeling pretty good considering how pregnant I am. I'm really looking forward to my appointment this week because Dr. S is going to check Savannah's size and position via ultrasound. I think she's head down but possibly sunny-side up (facing out).
I've been having some interesting symptoms this week of my body gearing up for labor. Wednesday I was very nauseated pretty much all day and then by that afternoon my back and thighs started aching pretty bad and made me worried about preterm labor, but since I wasn't having any contractions, I figured we were okay. I have also feeling little one pushing on my bladder/cervix so maybe she's getting things thinned out. I'll find that out on Thursday at my doctors appointment as well.
Oh and I've been feeling more Braxton Hick's contractions this week. My body is getting ready for baby girls big arrival finally.

Baby's Size at 35 Weeks:

Savannah is now about the size of a butternut squash!!

- Savannah's hearing is now fully developed. She can respond to sound now and mostly, to high-pitched noises.

- She is almost full term and ready for her bid debut!! 2 more weeks!!

Belly Pic at 35 Weeks:

Doctors Appointment: I go to the doctor on Thursday afternoon so I'll update again on Friday. Thanks for thoughts and prayers as my pregnancy with Savannah starts nearing the end.

My Big Fat Belly - 34 Weeks

How I'm feeling at 34 weeks: VERY pregnant!! I'm not having any major pains but I'm pretty uncomfortable every moment of the day at this point. I know it's only going to get worse and that's probably the worst part. I'm SO ready to not be pregnant any longer and to hold Savannah in my arms instead of her being inside my belly. My hope and prayers are for her to make her arrival in about 4 weeks. I have heard from numerous people that second babies often come sooner than the first so that's what I'm hoping for. Savannah's birth would be a great Mother's Day gift this year. I would be 38w, 2d by then. I'll be ready!!

Savannah's position: Dr. S is pretty sure she is head down because she always hears her heartbeat on the Doppler below my belly button. I think she is still pivoting around though because sometimes I feel her back in front but then other times I feel arms and legs. At my next appointment in 2 weeks, Dr. S is going to make sure she is head down and whether she is sunny side up or not. I'm hoping she isn't because that would mean I'll be having a longer/harder delivery this time.

Movements: Savannah still moves around a good bit. She is mostly giving me kicks and punches these days because she has gotten too big to turn flips.

Baby's Size at 34 weeks:

-My guess is that she's probably is the middle of that range at about 5 pounds.
-At 34 weeks, the Savannah is now able to recognize simple songs that are sung over and over. I guess Savannah will be calmed by Brantley and I singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and  The Wheels on the Bus because we sing those a lot.
-She is also urinating about a pint a day. This one isn't so cute but my hope is that her bladder is working just as it should be.

Doctor's appointment: I had my 34 week check up with Dr. S on Thursday afternoon and we got a good report from her. My blood pressure was 126/68 which is really good and about where it is always. (In the past weeks it's been more like 120/60, but this weeks is still really good). My weight gain still looks good but the number is getting higher and higher and it's starting to freak me out, but I'll live. I'm measuring exactly 34cm/weeks so even though I look really huge and like I'm about ready to pop, Savannah's growth is right on track. 

My next appointment will be in 2 weeks (36 weeks). Dr. S will do my first pelvic exam to see if I have started to dilate or thin out. I will also have blood work done and such to gear but for delivery. 

I'm not really sure if I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions yet or not. If I have, I can't really feel them or I'm just not sure what I'm feeling. I'm hoping I start having them (and feeling them) in the next two weeks so my body can start practicing for delivery. We'll see!

Belly Pic of the week:

We finally hung Savannah's vinyl name decal a few weeks ago. The plan is to hang a canvas print of one of her newborn photos above it after she's born. I can't wait!

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting Savannah in a few weeks and not being pregnant anymore!!

My Big Fat Belly - 31 Weeks

I've decided that I'm just going to wait until Friday to do a 32 week post and then I might not post again until 34 weeks since BR and I will be at the beach next week. Although, I will say that I'm feeling pretty good this week. Savannah and my belly are growing like crazy. I've had multiple people over the past few days tell me that I look like I could have her any day, but that I look great. haha I wish we could flash forward to 8 weeks from now so Savannah would be here but we can't so I'm praying that she stays in there for at least 6 more weeks. She still has a lot of growing to do and I'm just going to look like a bus AGAIN, just like I did with Brantley. Haha! At least I can laugh about it! I'm expecting any day to get the "are you having twins comment" I got a few times when I was preggo with BR. My belly gets so big that I guess it's a valid question.

Anyways, I'll be back Friday or Saturday to post about 32 weeks.

My Big Fat Belly - 30 Weeks

How I'm feeling at 30 weeks: I thankfully don't have anything terrible to complain about this week. haha My hip/buttocks pain has mysteriously stopped for the most part over the past few days. Hallelujah! I'm guessing that this means my hips have stopped opening for now so the muscle in my behind isn't bothered right now. Other than that great news I'm feeling pretty good. It's getting increasingly harder to take deep breaths but that's just because munchkin is getting so big. I've had multiple people already tell me that I look like I'm about to pop and they don't see how I can go much longer. ha! Not what I really want to hear but I know it's true. My belly is getting pretty big but thankfully, I'm still all baby belly.

Baby's Size at 30 weeks:

 

Savannah is the length of a cucumber and weighs as much as a large head of cabbage!

• -She is probably closes to 3 pounds. I would love to have an ultrasound and find out her actual weight. I'm going to ask my Dr. if she will do another u/s around 36 weeks or so to check Savannah's position and size.
  -Her skin is getting smoother, but her brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue.
  -She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!
  -A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus.
•  
• This is a picture of what it probably looks like inside my belly at 30 weeks. Savannah is quickly running out or wiggle room in there. I'm hoping that she is in this head-down position but I really am not sure. I have this scary feeling that she is breach. 

Belly Pic of the week:

What I'm looking forward to: We really need to get working on finishing the nursery while I still feel like it. Also, some of my girlfriends are going to throw me a little baby sprinkle dinner next month so I'm excited about that as well. We haven't nailed down a date yet but I'm working on that part. 

Brantley and I also got invited back down to the beach with some of our sweet friends, so I can't wait to go back down there with Brantley and let the girls play for a few days in the sunshine and on the beach.

Savannah's 4D Ultrasound Pictures

This afternoon we had our 4D ultrasound done of Savannah at 4D Mommies. She looks so much like Brantley! I can't wait to see what she looks like in person now. Chase is figuring that she will look just like Brantley and it will be like starting over with Brantley even though she's a new baby. haha

Here are some of the best pictures we got. Savannah didn't cooperate as well as Brantley did when we had this done the first time. The umbilical cord, hands and feet were all in her face most of the time. We were able to get these photos and see just how much she already looks like her big sister. I think it's so special!!

 The umbilical cord was in her face the whole time. Bummer!

 Almost a smile in the one above.

-Click HERE to go back to Brantley's 4D ultrasound posting.-

Brantley's 4D US turned out MUCH better than Savannah's unfortunately. I'm not exactly sure why but I'm still glad we were able to see her sweet face today!