Islay Rae Johnson

I guess it's time for me to update this blog for the month of December and tell you all about the newest member of our family.

Her name is Islay Rae Johnson. You pronounce her name Ice-luh. I know it's a funny spelling but we named her after my dearest friend and that is how she spells it and I'm not going to change it.

Here is her birth story. It may be a little to "honest" for some readers so feel free to not read.

From the beginning our little girl was measuring small. Since we moved to NJ before I could see my doc in UT and we had to wait to see a doc until after our insurance was figured out I didn't get an early ultrasound (which are more reliable for determining due dates.) So we could only go off my LMP date which put me due on the 8th of Dec. My parents bought tickets to come out on the 1st of Dec and were hoping to be here in time for her birth. I talked to my doc in Nov and asked if he would induce me on the 2nd of Dec and he agreed.

As we got closer to the 2nd the doc was less and less convinced of my due date being the 8th and recommended putting off the induction until the 16th. On Nov. 30th I went into the doc and he told me I was only dialated to a 1 but not effaced much at all. He told me he thought I was closer to 36 weeks than 39 weeks and if I went ahead with the induction I had a 20% chance the baby would end up in the NICU. Of course I didn't want to send my baby there but I didn't want to wait until the 16th either. My parents were only going to be in town until the 15th. I asked if I could think about it and call him the next day.

Jas and I went home and I spent the whole night crying. I was so upset. It's really difficult to be told a date when you will get to have your baby and then 2 days before be told it's a no go. I was really torn. I had Jas give me a blessing and I was told to trust my instincts and that I would feel confidence in what I chose. So after many prays, tears and a hot bath Jas and I decided to wait 1 week and do the induction on the 9th instead.

The doc was still not happy with how hard my cervix was so he scheduled me to come in on Wed night to give me something to soften things up. He told me that 1/3 of women who get this drug go into labor on their own and don't need the Pitocin. (I was hoping this would be me.)

They gave me the stuff (I won't even try to spell it) at 8:00pm and then we waited. At first it didn't do anything and I was totally bummed that it didn't seem to be putting me into labor. I'm not sure why but I was expecting instantaneous results, haha. The contractions actually started about an hour after they gave it to me, which isn't bad, and they decided to move me to labor and delivery at midnight. At that time I was a 3 and 60%. Things were looking good and I was doing really good with contractions.

I had decided to have this baby without the epidural and so far I was doing really good. They got me set up in L and D and I settled in for the night. The contractions kept coming (as they do during labor) and my mom, Jason and I were enjoying Stardust on the computer. I was mostly listening to it but I did get to see a couple of scenes in between my awesome breathing. After a few hours of being in L and D I asked Jason if he would check me to see how things were going since my labor with Rori only lasted 4 hours. He did and said I was close to a 5. I labored a little longer then I suggested they go get a nurse to check me so that they would know how I was progressing. By this time the contractions were getting pretty intense and I was pretty sure transition labor was just around the corner. I didn't want to get to delivery and not have the hospital staff ready. So my nurse Kate (who was A Ma Zing!!) come and checked me and said I was about a 7 and called for the doc on call, Dr. Tah come check. He agreed that I was a 7 and called my doc, Dr. Kierce to come in. It was just after 3:00 am when they called him.

It seemed like FOREVER before Dr. Kierce arrived. I had started transition labor just after they called him and it was bad. I had to keep reminding myself that to relax and breath. I never took any child birth classes but I can see why people do. It probably would have helped a ton if I had some specific techniques. But as it was, I didn't and I did the best I could.

Dr. Kierce got there and checked me. He said I was at a 9 and had about another hour. HA! He obviously didn't believe me when I said I dialate fast in the end. He, of course, ended up being wrong as I delivered Islay about 15 min later.

After he checked me the contractions started getting really bad and my breathing wasn't helping me get through them. The nurse suggested I try tightening my abs a little and bearing down just a little. If any of you have had natural child birth you will know what I am talking about when I say there is no such thing as pushing " a little bit." Once I started pushing I wasn't able to stop. With each contraction the urge to push grew more and more intense and the only way for me to get through the pain was to push.

Jason had been sitting on the end of my bed being very supportive but he was supposed to be delivering this baby so I finally told him to go get ready. He got up and went to scrub in. While he was scrubbing in I was in the middle of pushing "a little" and I just kept yelling "I can't stop pushing!" There was also a lot of yelling. I can say that my epidural labors were much quieter. When I think back on my labor with Islay and all the noise I made it is kind of embarrassing.

Anyway, so while Jas was washing his hands in his doctor like fashion, I was screaming that I was going to die and I can't stop pushing. I could feel the baby crowning and I thought for sure I was tearing. I'm sure I sounded kind of whinny to the nurses but I was really worried about tearing (I wasn't numb at all and I didn't want stitches without an epidural. haha)

I seemed to have been chanting the same 3 sentences over and over again.

On the last contraction I heard the nurse say "This is it" The doc say "Amanda, you have to calm down." (I was a bit crazy. haha) and then it happened. I felt my water break, the baby slide out and the most intense pain I have ever felt in my life all at nearly the same time. Dr. Kierce caught the baby and she was born. Jason watched the delivery as he was putting his arms in his gown :( It is something I still feel very guilty about. If I had waited longer before I started pushing, or if I had told him to get ready sooner, or if... the list goes on and on. If I could change one thing about Islay's delivery that would be it. But other than that one thing her delivery was wonderful.

She was born at 4:28am weighing 6lbs 14oz, 19inch long and absolutely perfect. She looks so much like her siblings and has a head full of dark hair. She is such a good baby. She is so content. She does what we call the Wind Up and Give Up and that pretty much describes her when she is unhappy. She really doesn't cry.

We love her already!

I am so proud of myself for doing this labor naturally. I have nothing negative to say about the epidural or anyone who gets one. I don't think they are weak or wimpy. I just really wanted to experience a natural labor. Some people call me crazy and maybe they are right but I will say my recovery this time has been awesome. And like I said, I'm really proud of myself. I never asked for the epidural. I never had to be reminded how much I wanted to do it on my own. There was one point where I said I quit but I was just saying it. I knew it was too late for the drugs and I had no intention of having them anyway. I wanted to do it this way, and I did. I accomplished something that few women have and I am so proud of myself for it.

So welcome to the world and welcome to our family

Islay Rae Johnson. We love you!