Welcome to our family

My dear little Ephraim,

Welcome to the world! This is your day! The day you were born. April 14, 2015. For a while we thought you would be arriving on the 13^th, but you made it to the 14^th and were born at 12:24 am.

Pregnancy is never easy for me, and this pregnancy had its own real struggles. I felt sick the earliest with you-at 5 weeks. Meriden and Jeffrey were 6 weeks. Shortly after I found out I was pregnant I got sick with a yucky cold. It made the nausea and icky feeling even worse. It lasted a few weeks. Things got better little by little and I somehow made it through 17/18 weeks. This is when we moved to our new house so it was nice to be feeling a little better so I could get moved in. Meriden and Jeffrey and Daddy have had to put up with a grouchy mama. I almost always feel really good in the morning and progressively worse throughout the day until nighttime when I feel really truly awful.

At first I thought you were a girl. When we were hoping to be pregnant with you and I was worrying about it at the 4-plex, sitting in the rocking chair, I felt the presence of a little girl in the room telling me that all would be well. Maybe it was a future little sister? I also didn’t feel any movement from you until about 21 weeks.

At 20 weeks we had our ultra sound and we brought Meriden. She loved seeing you on the TV and kept saying that you were swimming. She often calls you her sister.

At 28/29 weeks I failed my glucose-screening test and then later passed my glucose test. I continued to test my blood sugar to make sure gestational diabetes wouldn’t come up- because I had it with Jefffrey and think I was undiagnosed with Meriden (since she was over 9lbs). Around Daddy’s birthday I was 33 weeks pregnant and I started testing really high blood sugars. I told my OB who referred me to the diabetes clinic and they reminded and taught me how to control it. I’ve been testing my blood sugar and eating healthy since then- about 3 whole months. I was really hoping you’d have normal blood sugars and be born small and healthy.

Around this same time I had bronchitis and was put on Amoxilon. About a month later I had a terrible ear infection on my right side. It was so painful. Once again they put me on Amoxilon. Then, last Friday I had such a bad sinus infection that I stayed in bed almost all day crying from the pain on my right side- head ache, sore jaw and not being able to breathe. So Daddy came home from work early to help me. You were due Saturday (the next day). Daddy sent me to our family dr and who prescribed me with another antibiotic. So you poor baby, while in the womb, have been exposed to 3 antibiotics while in utero.

The last 2 weeks I have been testing really low fasting blood sugars. The lowest has been 57 but on average around 65-70. Last week the diabetes clinic called concerned and encouraged me to be more aware of eating more carbs right before bed.  The numbers were still low.

Yesterday I had my routine visit with the dr. Your heart beat was normal, measuring normal, etc. I told him I had a sinus infection the previous Friday and was on an antibiotic- went and saw the family doctor. I also mentioned my low blood sugar but he seemed unconcerned since I wasn’t feeling symptoms of dizziness or anything. We decided to schedule an induction for Friday, April 17^th, first thing in the morning. I left and stopped at Costco. We had bought 28lbs of asparagus for 3/$1 and we were going to freeze it so I went and bought a food saver to vacuum seal it. While in the car after the doctor called. He said that the perinatologist called that had been looking at my blood sugar numbers and was concerned that because of the low numbers that my placenta was shutting down. He said it would be best to induce me that afternoon or the next morning. I called Daddy and we prayed and talked about it. He called Grandma and she recommended that we go in sooner than later since you were full term and they were worried. I came home and finished packing, arranged babysitting for Meriden and Jeffrey with Autumn and finished the laundry, cleaned the house, etc.  Daddy came home around 2pm and helped me get things ready. He gave me a special priesthood blessing of comfort reassuring me that all would go well with your birth and that you would be born healthy and strong. We’re so lucky to have your Daddy as our righteous priesthood leader in our family. The Doctor called and said the hospital would call to schedule the induction. They never called so I called them and they said they’d call us as soon as they had a room open.

We decided to meet Autumn in Provo. She came down and we gave Meriden and Jeffrey to her at Sam’s Club. Dad and I went to Cubby’s for dinner and he had a burger and I had a salad and we shared some fries. Then we went to the hospital. I felt excited to have you but also really nervous anticipating the amount of pain I knew I was about to be going through.

We checked into labor and delivery at 6:30pm. It was going to be a long night. Rebecca was our nurse. She did all the questions they have to ask, took my vitals and checked my dilation. The Dr. earlier had said I was a 3 and she said I was a 1+. I’ve never hurt so bad being checked before but she said that my cervix was very soft preparing for birth and the baby’s head was really high which made it so she had to reach really hard and high to see what it was. It was pretty disappointing that I was less than the dr and said. She said the opening of the cervix was 3 but where baby’s head was a 1. She called the dr and he officially started me on Pitocin. It was 7:30 when they started the drip at a 4. The monitor was showing your heart beat just fine and the other monitor was showing my contractions. I had thought I was having contractions prior to the Pitocin about 20 minutes apart but the monitor showed them more frequently. Within minutes of the Pitocin I was feeling them 3-4 minutes apart. Dad set up the room for peace. He diffused Serenity, put on some peaceful music and spoke soft words of encouragement that I had previously prepared- words Aunt Krystal had given me and some of my favorite lyrics to hymns and scriptures. Dad massaged my hips and rubbed my back putting counter pressure on me. He was engaged and completed in tune of my needs the entire time. I felt peace in my heart though I knew what pain was coming.

My best friend from college, Carianne King Feller, is a nurse at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, where we were, but she was going to be working the next morning and not that night. She did stop by to say hi which was so sweet. She stayed for about 30 minutes and we chatted for a bit and she answered more questions that I had. I was really starting to hurt so it was probably good when she left.

The nurse came in about 1 ½ hours later, about 9pm and checked me again. I was at a 2. I surprised and thought things were going slowly. She upped the Pitocin to an 8 and then the contractions got even more intense. It was kind of weird how they started to hurt, lessened –kind of like my body was acclimating to the pain and then once she turned it up, it started hurting again.

At 10:30pm  I decided to get the epidural. I had the thought, I’ve been in pain and discomfort for 9 months, why not get the epidural now? It’s time.

The anesthesiologist came in. They have you roll on your side in a tight ball so they can really see your spine. Dad watched. I never see the needle or anything. He first does a small shot that numbs where he puts the needle in and then he puts the needle in. I guess it’s really long. Compared to the contractions I was feeling, it wasn’t hardly any pain at all. Within 10 minutes I was numb… but only on my right side. I told the nurse and she said to push the button for more of the medicine.  It didn’t help.  He had said the side that you’re lying on will get the most medicine so I tried lying on my left. I still felt the contractions on that side. When he was done it was 11pm.

The nurse put a catheter in me and checked me, she said I was a 3. I thought, I must be such a baby that I could only make it to a 3… what I didn’t realize is things were about to be moving fast and it was best I got it when I did.

The doctor came in about 11:30pm and he checked me and broke my water. He said I was at a 5. Either him and the nurse have very different measurements or I had progressed very quickly. Like 2 cm in 5 minutes. No matter. I was progressing.

I was still hurting on my left side. Dr. Anderson said to push the button again, which I did but still didn’t help. I was having to really have to relax through each contraction since it still hurt so bad on the left. Dad was still rubbing me and helping me to relax. Finally the anesthesiologist came back in. Dad said he gave me a full dose again of the medication and probably around 11pm I was finally not feeling the pain on the left side.

This is when things got a little scary. Every time a contraction would come your heart rate would drop. The nurse was worried. The doctor came in and said to turn off the Pitocin completely. She also said that it was better when I was on my right side because your heartbeat didn’t react as bad. Dad could really sense the tension in the room of what was happening with your heartbeat. I could hear the worry from the nurse but I felt deep in my heart that everything was fine. I’m sure it was the Holy Ghost. The nurse checked me again and said I was at a 7. They started prepping the room for birth. The doctor came in and was getting everything ready. They put my legs in the stirrups. I insisted that they bring the mirror over so I could watch. A nurse that works with the babies was there by my side. She said to push. I did and you crowned. She said, don’t push- in fact don’t even sneeze. Doctor Anderson was still getting ready.  At 11:20ish he said give me one big push, I did. Your head was out. Even though I was watching I didn’t notice, but Dad said the cord was wrapped around your neck- loosely which is why the contractions were making your heartbeat go up. He took it off and suctioned your nose. He said give a small push and then a big push, I did and you were completely out. He rested you on my belly and Dad cut the cord. Blood form the cord splashed on Dad’s shirt. I don’t even remember birthing the placenta and after birth. Doctor said I had first degree tears from my vagina towards my rectum. He stitched me up. They turned the Pitocin back on to help me clamp down. Doctor was still worried because my bleeding was heavy so he put something to help me clamp down up my rectum.

Dad went with the nurses to evaluate you. They suctioned you and gave you oxygen because you were a little blue. You were crying.

They weighed you 7lbs8oz, 20 ½ inches. You were getting pink. I was shaking. They had me do skin to skin. Eventually the room cleared out and Dad and I just admired you but I was still really shaking. You were beautiful. You looked so perfect and sweet.