Welcome, Lexie Sue Benedict! (Birth Story)

June 7th, 2013 started out with a nice relaxing pedicure...

I continued to work full time up until the Friday before my due date.  I woke up that morning and realized I just didn't feel like going to work.  Leann Williams had scheduled us pedicures at the spa for late morning, and I had originally planned to work the morning, and then take just the afternoon off.  Instead, I stayed home, had a good breakfast, bathed and got ready for my first day off in months.

I met Leann at Linda Michael's spa for our pedicures at about 11:00 am.  As the spa gal was massaging my feet she asked how far along I was.  I told her I was due in 4 days and she couldn't believe it.  I felt like I was HUMONGOUS, but apparently not showing as much as most ladies?!  I learned later that there are pressure points in your ankles that can stimulate labor, and you should only get a pedicure late term if you're near your due date.  Hmmm....

Leann and I left the spa and headed to Wheat Montana for some lunch.  Well, a cinnamon roll anyway.  It was National Donut Day, and we definitely couldn't let that pass us by.  While sitting at our table I felt my first real contraction.  I had been having Braxton Hicks (practice, pressure only contractions) for a couple months, but this felt different.  It happened several times during lunch, so I decided I better head home and get some stuff ready in case today was the day!

Chance came home early from work and we got the car seat installed in the car.  Nothing like the last minute!  My contractions continued all afternoon and into the evening, but at about 8:00 pm they started getting more painful, and about 5 minutes apart.  We downloaded a "Contraction Counter" app on the ipad and began timing them.  At about 10:00 I called our midwife, JoAnn, and let her know what was happening.  It was 10:00 on a Friday night, and I could tell she was getting ready for bed.  Good timing, baby girl! :)

She told me that we should continue laboring at home for awhile - she was afraid if we went in to the hospital they would just send me home.  But, she called the hospital anyway and gave them a head's up that we may be coming in!

**At my 39 week prenatal appointment (3 days prior), I was dilated between 1-2cm and 70% effaced.  JoAnn told me that she was sorry, but she thought I would go past my due date.  The next day I passed my mucus plug, and I just got a feeling that it would be happening soon!**

Chance decided to take a nap, and I started packing hospital bags (also not yet done!), and then took a warm bath.  I continued to labor while walking around, taking breaks to lean against a wall, the couch, or get down on the floor if I needed.  At about 1:00 am Chance woke up while I was having a contraction and said, "Woah - that looks serious!  I think we better get going!"  

We climbed into the car, and on the short two mile ride to the hospital I had several contractions!

Last bump pics!  This is at 39 wks, 4 days... 1:00 am, just headed out the door to the hospital.  I had been laboring for about 5 hours at home.  June 8, 2013

When we arrived at the hospital they checked us into triage - I was between 2 and 3 cm, and 100% effaced.  I was having strong, painful contractions every 2 minutes, lasting for around a minute.  Working hard!  They called JoAnn at home, and she said to walk the halls for an hour to see if I progressed before admitting us to a room.

So, we walked... around and around the Labor and Delivery floor, stopping every 1-2 minutes to lean on Chance or a hallway railing and work through a contraction.  I remember going past the nurses station again and again and just being so angry that they could sit and have a normal conversation!  I also remember seeing pictures on the walls of smiling moms and beautiful babies and that end result seeming so far away.  At one point during that hour Hubs and I passed a room with a cracked open door and we could hear a baby crying inside.  He turned to me and said, "That will be us really soon!"  I couldn't even imagine - not in my wildest dreams - how that would sound and feel.

After an hour of walking I had dilated to 4cm, so they admitted us to our room.  It was a beautiful Labor/Delivery/Recovery room, and they had the lights all turned way down low.  We were allowed to labor alone, however we wanted.  A nurse would intermittently check on us, putting the baby monitor on my belly to make sure baby girl was doing okay, too.  I'm so thankful for a supportive husband - there's no way I could have made it through without him!  Toward the end I couldn't really hear what Hubs was telling me to do, but I could mimic what he was doing.  So he started breathing out "Go! Pack! Go!" in the pattern he wanted me to breathe.  I guess this is what you get when you marry a Packers fan!  I have to admit, though, it worked.

Sometime shortly after 7:00 am I felt the need to push, and after pushing through three contractions, baby girl was born at 7:38 am, Saturday, June 8, 2013.  We named her Lexie Sue (after my sister Sue).  She was a tiny little peanut weighing 5 lbs, 11.6 ounces, but tall for that weight at 19 3/4 inches long!  It was instant love.  Hubs looked at me and said, "I never knew something could instantly turn my heart to mush!"

Welcome, sweet, sweet daughter Lexie!

Just seconds old - 5 lbs, 11.6 ounces!

Getting weighed and measured

First family picture - skin to skin and nursing right after birth!

Daddy and his precious baby girl

Little Lexie Sue

The Buckingham family was at Ronan Convention, but we called mom when we knew Lexie was coming.  She left in the middle of the night, and made it to the hospital about 45 minutes after she was born.  We were sorry she didn't make it for the birth, but those first minutes with our new little family alone are my favorite memory.

About an hour later, Grandma and Grandpa Benedict and aunts Chala and Chandee stopped by!

Grandpa Bret Benedict

Chandee, Grandma Annita, Grandpa Bret, Chala

About 3 hours after Lexie was born I got up and showered.  After laying back down, I noticed something wasn't quite right.  We called in the nurse, and after checking, she immediately called in the on-shift Dr.  I was hemorrhaging pretty badly.  They brought in a surgical kit and started to work to stop the bleeding.  I had been feeling so good that they had already removed my I.V, so administering pain meds orally would take too long.  The Dr "manually exfoliated" my uterus, and stitched me all up.  It was definitely scary, and it seemed like twice as painful as labor - I'm still not sure what caused all the bleeding, but I'm so thankful that I was in capable hands!

Getting some much needed snuggles after that experience!  Even through it all, this little baby girl still makes me smile!

We weren't expecting a visit from Grandpa Buckingham, as he was working in Oregon and would have to leave Ronan early to make it back in time for work Monday morning.  But, as we were taking a little nap that evening he showed up and surprised us all!  So happy to see him!

We spent the night Saturday night, and then went home Sunday afternoon.  Mom stayed with us for the first 10 days to help out.  It was so amazing to have her!  Thank you, mom!!!

The majority of the first few days were like this... on the couch with new baby girl - getting to know each other!

Auntie Sue came for a visit right away!  She held Lexie all through the grocery store, not wanting to put her down.  I remember her saying that pushing her in the car seat would be a "waste!"

Auntie Sue and little Sue :)

We spent some time sitting outside and enjoying the fresh Montana air... she only got to stay for a few days, but it was so fun to see my Sis!!!

First Sunday morning - 8 days old!  Sue insisted we take some family pictures- thank you, sis!  We also tried some newborn shots posing Lexie.  They will not be making the blog - there's a reason you should hire a professional for those!!!