Welcoming Baby Ally

Ally was due Monday, August 16th, but apparently wasn't quite through baking by that time. Although I was having contractions throughout the month they didn't ever get consistently long or close enough to warrant going to the hospital. For the last few appointments with Dr. Streble he kept offering to induce me. I was wanting to go into labor naturally as I was hoping to have a medication-free labor (natural birth). Rich and I kept holding off. For our last appt on August 18th Streble offered again to induce me that day. We decided to hold off until the following Monday. If she hadn't come by then, she would be a week overdue and we would induce then. Rich and I had decided if all my contractions had dilated me to a 5 we would be induced as I was strep B positive meaning I needed medication 4 hours before giving birth. At this point I was dilated to 3 cm's (which is what I had been at the week before) and 75% effaced (5% increase from last week). I was very discouraged. Rich and I went home and before he left for work I had a contraction and the feeling of "that was different." I continued having steady contractions throughout the day starting at about 30 minutes apart and continually growing closer until the evening when they were anywhere from 4-8 minutes apart.

We stayed up late that night visiting over at mom/dad Arnells as Jeff was up from Vegas. He, Dallas and Doug with their families (excepting Maren and Landon) were heading to Joe's Valley the next morning for a few days for some fishing. We didn't get home and in bed until midnight. I had contractions throughout the night but luckily I was able to sleep through most of them. I woke up pretty alert around 4, got up and started timing contractions at 3-4 minutes apart. I started getting ready and woke Rich up around 4:20 telling him we should get going. He got ready, gave me a blessing and we were out the door. Jane was sleeping over at mom/dads. We put her down there the night before in order to visit longer and let her sleep their overnight. Good thing! We had forgotten to leave the car seat so we dropped that off on the front porch and made it to the hospital by 5:10.

When getting into our Labor/Delivery room there was about an hour or so of questions, paperwork and such before they finally left us alone to labor in peace. Contractions were getting to the point where I needed to concentrate on breathing and relaxing through each one. Rich and the nurse were helpful in reminding me to do both. I was able to use the jacuzzi-tub which was nice and warm and helped with the relaxation. We were only in there for about a half hour before I felt it was time to get back to the room. Just as I felt this Rich asked if I was ready to get out. We hurried back to the room in between contractions which felt to be within a minute of each other now and quite intense. At the time I thought there were no let down between contractions, but what I was feeling was the pressure of baby Ally's head as she was getting ready to come! We made it back to the room and our nurse came in to check dilation. When coming in to the hospital she said I was a five, now she said I was only at a six. I was devastated. Only a six!? Rich tried to comfort me but I felt if the contractions got any more intense, I wouldn't be able to handle it. Within minutes I was feeling the urge to push. I have never been much of a yeller, but in order to push and relieve some pressure that's all I could do. The nurse checked me again and said I was at an 8. The baby was coming, ready or not! The nurses started scurrying about trying to get things ready for birth. To make an already too long story short, within... probably a half hour baby Ally made her appearance (8:11am) without giving Dr. Streble time to arrive (he had to put his tractor in the barn as it was raining out:). As they laid her on the table in front of me I cried, she was so beautiful. Rich couldn't help but smile and get teary-eyed too. We had done it.

baby came in at 6.9 lbs 18 inches with dark hair