Azalie Hope: Birth Story

Zalie Hope’s Birth Story:

March 16, 2015

Typically with the other two girls I have written their birth story down very shortly after they were born.

However, with the third we are pushing to get it done by her first birthday party ….which mind you, is AFTER her actual birthday ;)

Zalie’s pregnancy and birth was different than the others unproblematic which was a blessing. After the unexpected pregnancy announcement, I was fine having a smooth 9 months from there on out. Until we found out the gender I was convinced she was a boy since she was so much different and easier in utero than the others.

I got some morning sickness- but it was much more manageable than the other two. We even made a two week cruise through Italy and the Mediterranean without too many issues. J

Charis and I were both due with little girls, 3 days apart. She was due March 6 and I was due March 9, 2014. Everyone had bets on all the important stats, and most people bet that I would go first since it was my third, and since I had gone a week early with Lainey. I had contractions off and on from about 37 weeks on, and was much farther along with my labor at that point than I ever got with the other two. At 37 weeks the doctor said I could go at any time and she was sure I wouldn’t need to be induced.

At 39 weeks she was amazed I had not gone into labor yet. All along she said this baby was bigger than my other two, probably by at least a pound.

Fast forward- Charis ended up getting induced March 4- two days before her due date. I decided to hold out a little longer, as I really wanted to go without being induced this time and I thought she would come at any time. We did not go to visit Lydia as we thought ours would come as soon as we left city limits….(maybe we should have gone for a visit!!).

I continued to work betting that baby would come at any time. Baby still did not come and at my 40 week apt. they stated that if she didn’t come in the next week, we would have to schedule induction for the week of March 17.

On her due date, March 9 it was beautiful outside!! We took a walk, played outside, and daddy even got a round of golf in before life got crazy with baby. ;)

I started to have issues finding childcare since I had planned on already being on maternity leave, and it was getting difficult to plan for all of the logistics- Charity was coming in town to see BOTH of the nieces and ours wasn’t here yet. So- I called 2 days shy of my 41 week apt. and asked to be induced the next day (Thursday). They scheduled me at 2:00 pm.

I went to work the day before (on Wednesday) and started having very consistent/ hard contractions early afternoon. By late afternoon I left work and ran home to get the hospital bag- hoping to make it there in time. After leaving work, and sitting in the car for 20 minutes- they completely stopped. So- we proceeded with our evening plans and went to AWANA, etc.

The next day since we didn’t have to be there until 2:00 pm- I got up early (around 5 am which was typical towards the end of my pregnancy), had devos, cuddled with Lou, and then we went to Maddox bakery one last time as a family of four, ran some errands, and went to Fareway before going home to grab bags and drop K and L off at grandmas house. When we were at the grocery store the cashier asked “when are you due?” I responded by looking at my clock and saying….hmm “well in about 2 hours”. She looked a bit confused. ;) It was a great day to have a baby! The weather was perfect, about 70 degrees, sunny, and I dug out my flip flops for the trip to the hospital.

2:00 pm Once we got to the hospital, it felt a little bit like déjà vu. We were put in the same room that Lainey was delivered in, and it was at about the exact same time of day as when we went in for Lainey! I was about 4 cm dilated, but not thinned out- I asked them to break my water but she was too high up and it would have been dangerous.

Rather than have Pitocin and be bed ridden, I opted for cytotec so I could walk and hopefully get labor moving on its own some.

Labor officially started at 3:00 pm

3:25 pm- nurse ended up not giving me cytotec as I started having contractions after she checked me... And they were consistent and she thought the cytotec might be too much for me. We waited for them to calm down and they got stronger, every two minutes/ 90 seconds long. Nurse decided to check me again and tried to strip my membranes but couldn't completely.  However I had dropped a station to -1 (was -2 when I came in and was a little more effaced. She said that I was the first patient she had ever had who came in to be induced and was already in labor. Praise God!! She is having the midwife Mary come to check on me and possibly break my water and hopefully we don't need any pitocin!!  She stated "I better go get a table ready, this baby could come pretty quickly!!"

4:00 pm- midwife came in to break water and baby had moved back to -2 station and was too high to break water safely. So- she started me on low dose of pitocin, said she would be back in an hour and could probably break my water then, and baby would most likely be here in a couple hours. Dr. Ferrar is in a class, so most likely it will be the midwife who delivers me. :) 

They started me on pitocin, and contractions did not get much stronger, but continued to stay steady. They started to get fairly intense and I asked for an epidural. They came in and gave one to me, however every time I took a breath I felt a sharp twinge go up by right hip. So- I asked them about it and they redid it. However- when they did that, they did not give me nearly enough, and it wore off in about 15 minutes. The midwife asked if I wanted to try again and I told her I did not know if we had enough time and I would live without it. She then said, "If you feel like you need to push, let me know". 

I answered immediately "I need to push". She looked at me skeptically, because when she had checked me before the epidurals I was only at a  4 or 5 cm. However- she checked me again, and I was at a 9 almost 10! That all happened within 30-45 minutes.

They quickly called the doctor who came in, and the got ready for the birth. Mary (midwife) was there for the birth, as well as Austin, Grandma Jane, and Dr. Ferrar delivered. 

Baby born at 8:28 pm. Pushed for a 1/2 hour. Felt everything including ring of fire as epidural wasn't strong enough so it was as close to a "natural" birth as I get. Midwife was in the room the whole time as was the primary one who helped deliver her. She was great!

She has a strong cry and cried nonstop except when mommy (but preferably daddy) was talking to her. Was happy once we started nursing we did skin to skin for an hour after birth (the sacred hour) and she chowed down. Daddy cut umbilical cord.

She weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz, 21 inches long. She smells so baby sweet and like heaven! Her hair is so thick and soft and feel like a little duckling or velour it's so soft!! It is pitch black (darker than Keira's!) but her skin is a little lighter than Keira's. Her facial expressions look like Lainey to me. She has a TON of hair!

About 11:00 sisters came up to meet her. They were very tired, but so excited to meet her and be able to finally let out the big secret...her NAME! We let Keira announce it to the Grandparents as we had kept it a secret from everyone. :)

It is now 2:30 am and we finally have all the IV's out, baths for me and her, and sent her to the nursery for a bit so we can sleep. Since she was born  6 hours ago she has nursed 3 times for at least an hour each time. She is a hungry monkey!! :)

Visitors:
Andrea showers
Cheyenne
Mac Capello
Cassie Mccart
Heather Miller
Natalie Olberding

Faith

Charis and Nate

Grandmas and Grandpas

Saturday- March 15, 2014
Left hospital after 36 hours (sat morning). The day was beautiful- 65 degrees. Went to Grandma Janes and saw baby Lydia for the first time and gma and gpa Gieser came in town to see babies. By evening the weather had changed a ton with a high of 38 degrees tomorrow. By 10:00 Austin went to pick up a prescription for me and it was sleeting and very windy and cold.

In the meantime of bringing a baby home from the hospital and meeting a cousin, we bought and sold a car. We bought a Subaru forester from Mac Capello with awd for a great deal and sold our sonata to Cheyenne for a reasonable price.
It was a productive day!

She was born late Thursday night, we went home Saturday morning, and then went to church on Sunday. On Monday, I took her to her follow up appt. with Dr. Hill, and then in the evening we took Miss Z on her first outing to Chickfila. It was St. Patty's Day- so they had all sorts of special green shakes, facepainting etc. We dressed her in green and got all sorts of comments on how little she was. 

We quickly learned that once you have 3, life does not slow down for you!! ;) 

Azalie Hope Diehm is Hebrew and means flower of hope. I loved the name Azalie because it was different and I loved that it was Hebrew- a tribute to God’s special, chosen people. I loved the name Hope as the time I was pregnant with her (and our time in history in general) seemed to be so full of bad things and it at times seemed like there was no hope. Her name is a reminder to me that there is HOPE…and it is in God, He is in control and the one and only provider in our lives of peace and Hope. J

Despite her being unexpected and showing up at 40 weeks and 4 days, we are BEYOND thankful for her and would not trade her for the world. She completes our family and is loved by all!! We continue to pray that she loves God and is used by HIM! J