Labor, Delivery and Klaire Grace

You gotta love the hats in the hospital! 

Sweet feet.

Klaire Grace Billups

We went into Dr. Clark at 11 am on March 13 for a fluid check and sonogram. When we arrived, he was headed upstairs to perform an emergency c-section on a lady so we went to Chick fil A and returned in 35 minutes for our appt. Isn't that amazing that he can deliver a baby in less than 30 minutes? He did our sonogram and my fluid was at a 7 which allows us to have an induction. We went upstairs and checked into Labor and Delivery around 1 and started the cervix pill around 2pm.  Around 6 pm, we started the pitocin at a low level. The nurses expected Klaire to come around 3 am, so Jared and I were ready and ordered my epidural around midnight, expecting for my hard labor to begin soon after. NOPE! Dr. Clark ended up leaving my pitocin at that same level all night long! At 7 am, I was still at a 3 and completely defeated! The census between doctors and nurses was that if I didn't progress then we would need a c-section asap. I was so unhappy and totally distraught with myself. At this point, the nurses' shift changed and I got a wonderful woman who was not for me having a c-section. She told us that they really hadn't given my body a fair chance to go into hard labor because the pitocin was so low and my water had not yet been broken. Thank you Lord for her! She fought for me to have natural labor and not surgery! I am so grateful! Back to the epidural...we got the first epidural at 12am...yes, I said the first! For some weird reason, the numbness traveled up my body instead of down, paralyzing my chest and arms. I kept telling the nurses that I couldn't breathe and they continually told me that I was in labor and it was normal. Finally, I was gasping for air and they ran in my room like an emergency and checked my vitals and sure enough I could not breathe. The new doctor came in immediately removed the epidural and made a new one. This one went to my lower body and slowly made labor better but not much. My body was just determined for me to feel every moment of this child. As I was starting to push, I thought I was going to die, so I asked if I could please have another burst of epidural and I think I screamed loud enough that I got it asap! It didn't really kick in until Klaire was born and Dr. Clark began to stitch me up. Thank you Lord again, for numbness during any process that involves needles and me! When Karoline was born, I was so drugged up that I felt nada and afterwards I was so loopy that I couldn't even hold her on my own. With Klaire, I felt almost everything and it was amazing! Yes, much more painful! But BEAUTIFUL! Afterwards, I was so alert and already walking around! Klaire began crying before she was even out! All you could see were her eyes and we heard this sweet little cry! How beautiful and sacred is birth! I am so honored that the Lord would give us two sweet girls! My heart was set at peace to know that she was healthy with a good size, cry, heart beat and color! 

I was determined with Klaire to attempt to breastfeed so immediately after she came my mom and the nurse were latching her on. It worked!!!! I couldn't believe it! She did it! She actually nursed without everyone and their dog yanking my goods around! We are now on day 13 and still nursing away! I am thrilled! The first 7 days were filled with the "normal" pain and suffering but now it has subsided and we are functioning at full speed! Thanks a million to Melissa for recommending the soothies that are gel on one side and fabric on the other! They saved my life and gave Jared a good laugh!