Saylor's Birth!

I want to blog this while it's still fresh in my mind! A little back story. I was going in for weekly non stress tests from 36 weeks on because I had quite a bit of anxiety during pregnancy. I went in on Wednesday 11/23/16 for my weekly non stress test! My blood pressure was higher than it should have been (I didn't have any blood pressure problems during pregnancy). Saylor wasn't moving around enough so they sent me to ultrasound after monitoring me and the baby for a couple hours. In the ultrasound they did something called a Bio Physical Profile where they check all sorts of things with the baby, placenta, cord, etc. They watched her breathe for about 10 minutes straight, they were looking for tone, they were wanting her to kick or open and close her hand. It took her almost half an hour for her to open and close her hand (keep in mind they are pushing on my belly, jiggling it, making me drink sugary drinks, literally trying everything to get her to respond) . She finally did, so technically she passed the Bio Physical Profile but the ultrasound tech, Doctor and nurses were still concerned so they made an appointment for me to come in for another non stress test 2 days later on 11/25/16 at 2pm.

11/24/16 was Thanksgiving day. We had plans to spend Thanksgiving with Chris' family at the cabin. I was still feeling uneasy because I should be able to constantly feel my baby moving and I wasn't. I would feel little movements here and there but she wasn't as active as she normally was. We had Thanksgiving around 1:30PM. I thought it would be a good idea to drink a whole bottle of Martinelli's to see if I could get her to move with all that sugar. Drank it all. Nothing. I kept telling Chris I would feel better if we could just go to the hospital and make sure she is OK. He agreed. After dinner and spending some time with Chris' family we left. We went straight to the hospital and they started a non stress test. We were there about 90 minutes and Chris texted his stepmom Wendy.

Chris: "Ugh we are gonna be here forever lol" 7:57pm

Wendy: "Why?" 8:01pm

I got up to go to the bathroom. Was coming back out to be hooked up to the monitors. At 8:06pm my water broke. I screamed for Chris to get the nurses as I just stood there. 

They got me back in bed and checked me and I was already 2 cm dilated. I sent Chris home immediately and told him to grab our hospital bags, that was around 8:10pm. At 8:20 PM I texted Chris "C section is in 40 minutes. They said hurry back. Don't worry about car seat until later." 8:25PM "Are you almost back?" My C section was going to be at 9pm. Around 9pm the nurses asked me if I was able to walk to the OR or if I wanted a wheelchair. I told them I could walk. I was walking with one of my nurses and we got into the doorway and she stopped me. I looked down and there was blood all around me. I normally do fine even seeing my blood in a tube, but got super sick seeing it everywhere and passed out in the hallway on the way to the OR. I remember being on the floor confused about what had happed and looking up at one of the nurses and asking if I was going to die (it was a real thought to me at the time). They assured me I wasn't going to die, but I was still scared. They got a wheelchair and wheeled me off to the OR and told Chris to get ready. 

In the OR my nurse was standing in front of me and I was holding on to her while I got a spinal block. After the spinal block I laid down on the operating table. Every so often the anestologist would spray me with ice cold water from my hips up and I would have to tell him when I could and couldn't feel it. Once they were sure I was numb, Chris came into the OR. I had oxygen on my face so it was a little hard to talk loudly. About a minute after Chris came into the OR we heard one of the doctors say "scalpal." and the anestologist told us they had begun the C section. Not too long after that we heard one of the doctors say "Hey there chunker" and then heard our sweet Saylor girl take her first breaths and start to cry. Which made me cry. Chris went over right away to see her and I was able to get a little peek at our beautiful little girl. Chris brought Saylor over to me after she was wrapped and cleaned off a little so I could see her. Love at first sight. I asked the dr before we left the OR if the cord was around her neck. He said it was once, which could explain why she wasn't doing well in the stress tests. I was so happy to know that she was ok and that Chris and I followed the feeling that we needed to go to the hospital that night and not wait for the non stress test on Friday, and glad my water ended up breaking and she was delivered safely. 

As they were finishing stitching me up Chris and Saylor went back to my recovery room where I met them not too long after. She was perfect. Saylor weighed 8 pounds 4 oz and was born at 37 weeks 3 days gestation which makes her a little bit big. She had a few blood sugar problems the first day and her lowest tested blood sugar was 28. So we worked hard to get her blood sugars in the normal range. She was poked so many times and took it like a champ. We are so glad that all her other tests came back normal! 

She had so many visitors that first day and throughout our hospital stay and loved being held by all the people that love her so much!

Our little Turkey's feet!

Minutes old

Mom and baby Saylor

Saylor getting her blood sugar checked! 

Saylor and her cousins Milo and Sloan

Uncle Matt

Not a fan of bath time!

All clean!

Saylor and Daddy!

Grandpa and Nana Shanks

Aunt Annie

Uncle Beau


Aunt Corinne and Uncle Derek

Great Grandma and Grandpa Jensen


Our sweet friend Megan is in her last semester of Nursing school and was working one of the nights we were there and came to visit Saylor!

Her preferred position to sleep in. 

Proud daddy!

Going home outfit! (thanks Megan) 

All ready to go home! 

We are happy to be home and excited for Saylor to meet more of her Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles in the coming weeks! Bring on the visitors! :)