Introducing Miss Jocelyn

As most of you know, I had my baby last week - September 6, 2006 - Miss Jocelyn Paige was born at 4:17 p.m.

Birth Story:

Husband has been out of town on business from Monday until Thursday evening for the past 2+ months and was going to stop in 2 weeks. So he was in San Antonio. I woke at 5 a.m., per usual, went downstairs to work out in the basement while Son slept. I ran my very slow 4 miles and was cooling down with a 1/2 mile walk. At about 1/4 mile, I doubled over in pain. Thinking Braxton Hicks, I stopped, went upstairs, grabbed a tall glass of water, then went to lay down on my left side to see if they stopped. They did not. In fact, it was worse and it started in my back. This was real.

While trying to decide what to do, I realized I was icky sweaty, Son was not yet awake, I had to take him to school, I had not packed a bag yet, there was a lot to be done. So I got in the shower. Son awakened and I explained to him that he had to listen and follow directions especially well today. I doubled over a few times and he took me seriously.

So, I managed to shower, get dressed, feed Son, put a few items on my bureau in the event someone had to come home and get a bag for me. The overnight bags were in the basement and there was no way I wasting energy going up and down two flights of stairs.

As I was walking out the door with Son to take him to school, I called my best friend, Anne, and asked her what to do. I had started timing the contractions and they were 3 min apart. She wanted to come get Son and take him to school and that way I could go directly to L&D, but by the time she arrived, I could have taken him myself, so we decided that we would meet in L&D.

I took Son to school. Fortunately, it was 7:30, so little traffic and school is a 7 min drive. From school to hospital, which is within 1.5 mi of my house, it is roughly 5-7 min. I left Son at school with the message that his Papa (my FIL) would be picking him up and that I was going to the hospital.

I had called Hubby and told him I was headed to the hospital but that I was certain they would stop the contractions and send me home. He called my FIL and his cousin Tracy and they met me at the hospital with Anne.

In L&D, the nurse checked me and said I was 90% effaced, 5 cm dilated and we were having a baby. Tracy called Hubby, who missed the opportunity to catch an earlier flight, so he was not scheduled to arrive until 2 p.m.

They wheel me down, settle me in a room, start all the IV's, etc. I asked for the epidural around 10 a.m. My MIL had arrived and she and Anne kept me company while I sucked ice chips and we let labor progress. Around 1:45, my water broke. At 2:15, Hubby arrived. They called the doctor, but she was delivering another baby. Doctor arrived at 4 p.m. At 4:17 p.m., after about 5-6 good pushes, Miss Jocelyn was here!

She weighs in at 5 lb 12 oz, 18.75 inches. Born at 35 wk, 4 days. She is rather big for being 32 days early.

I was released on Friday. J had to stay until Monday evening. On Friday, she had some temperature instability and showed signs of sleep apnea. Pediatrician ordered a sleep study for Sat night. But on Sat, the blood test revealed a need for time in an isolette under a photo lamp. So that was Sat night, pushing the sleep study to Sunday. Her color improved dramatically, her blood test came back clear. So on to he sleep study, which started about 4 p.m. Sunday. I could not hold her during this time. It ended around 10 a.m. Monday. But, again, she showed signs of temperature instability during the sleep study, so her pediatrician said she may not go home on Monday. I was crushed.

The nurses in the nursery - we were not in NICU, fortunately - were amazing. Her nurse on Sunday and Monday was Rachel, an amazingly empathetic and professional person. Before the sleep study, since J had been in an isolette for 12+ hours, she put screens in a corner and suggested some skin on skin bonding. It was amazing. Then on Monday, after hearing that J may not go home, she decided to track her temp every hour and so at 5 p.m., after J's temp was above 98 deg F every hour for 10 hrs, she called the pediatrician and he released J. We were able to take her home at 6 p.m.

I have had intermittent feelings of guilt, wondering if my running was too much and if I had caused myself to go into pre-term labor. I have asked many people - my ob, J's ped, my friends, other women runners, etc. - about it and the consensus is that it was not the running. To the contrary, her lungs and heart are healthy and strong because of my running. For being born early, she is a good size. She is starting to put back the 12 oz she lost in the hospital. I take her to the ped for a check up / weigh in tomorrow. I am anxious to see how she is. She is eating well and sleeping well. Her temp continues to hold steady.

I am absolutely in love with my little peanut girl. She looks so much like her brother did.