Birth Story...2 months later

WARNING: Overshare ahead!

For the record...

It all started on Friday, Sept. 3. I went to my doctor for my weekly checkup. She had been watching my uterus size because it seemed really large. She thought that I might have a Large for Gestational Age baby. I just kept getting bigger so that day she sent me down to the hospital to get an ultrasound that day. I was dilated to a 4.5 and 80% effaced. She though I wouldn't make it through the weekend. I quickly went down to the hospital because when she ordered the ultrasound it was already 3:30 on Friday of Labor Day weekend. The ultrasound tech took some measurements and estimated my baby to be 8 lbs. 12 oz. They called the doctor right then to go over the results to see if she wanted to admit me then. She wanted to wait and let me go into labor on my own (which I agreed) and told me based on the measurements, to prepare myself for the possibility of a C-section.

The weekend came and went.....

I went to my weekly checkup on Wednesday, Sept 8th. I was still dilated to a 4.5 but was now 90% effaced. She could not believe I wasn't having contractions I could feel yet! So we went home to wait....


It was about 10:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 9th and I was making a birthday card for my friend Jamie. I was done with the card and I stood up to put all my supplies away and I noticed the chair seemed a little wet, but I just thought maybe I was a little sweaty (gross I know, sorry!). All kinds of weird things happen when you are pregnant especially at full term and you are as big around as you are tall. (57" around vs. 61" tall) So I finished putting all the stuff away and got in the shower before bed. I had been taking a shower or a bath at least morning and night because I was so uncomfortable. I went to bed and woke up a couple hours later for potty break #1 and noticed I was kind of "sweaty" again. This continues on a few more times throughout the night. When its finally morning I tell West what is going on. By this time, I think that my water has broken, but I am not sure. I heard that it could be a trickle rather than a gush and wonder if this has happened to me.

We called the doctor's after hours number and she called back at about 9:30am. She called West's cell phone. We are not sure why, but she said that I was definitely going to have a baby today and to make our way to the hospital, but we didn't need to hurry. So West and I finish up some odds and ends that we needed to before a few days in the hospital and headed down. We got there about 11:30am checked in and they put me in a room. A nurse came in and did a test to see if my water had really broken. She said it would take an hour for them to know and to just hang tight. I still was not having contractions. At about 1pm they came back and said that my water had broke and I needed to have the baby today. They had put a call in to my doctor and were waiting to know if she wanted them to start me on Pitocen since I still was not having contractions. Dr. Singer got there about 2pm and checked on me and wanted to start the Pitocen. They came in every 20 minutes to up the Pitocen until I was having contractions. At about 4pm I asked for the epidural. I felt like I totally wimped out because I didn't think that my contractions were that strong (compared to everyone's stories) but I was uncomfortable enough I knew I didn't want to go without much longer especially now that they were getting consistently stronger. Later my doctor said that I was actually having "pretty strong" contractions. I am still not sure what she meant by that but I didn't care because it made me feel ok about getting the edipural. The epidural made my blood pressure drop instantly and they immediately put me on oxygen. From that point on, I could have no more ice chips because I had to keep the oxygen on my face. Once I had the epidural, I couldn't not feel a thing. AT ALL. No pressure even during the contractions. I was VERY shaky though and it made me more nervous. I can't remember when she decided I was ready to push but it seems like I only pushed for about 45 minutes. But, I honestly have no clue. I do know that it was around 10pm when she decided I would have to have a C-section. She could feel and see the baby's head and there was no way it was coming out. She didn't see any point in trying to force something that was clearly not going to work. But, I would have to wait for the operating rooms to open because they were both full. I didn't mind one bit because I still could not feel a thing. The anesthesia was starting to wear off I guess because I got really sick to my stomach. The anesthesiologist came back in to give me the anesthetic for the C-section and I told him I was going to puke. He didn't believe me and thought he could talk me out of it. I turned my head and puked all over. They cleaned me up and got West all dressed to go in the operating room. At about 10:50, it was my turn. I was crying and shaky and all wacked out from the anesthetics. I could not feel or control any muscles from my neck down. They started the operation. I started puking again. West was so awesome to hold this little bowl next to my head to puke into. They lifted my baby over the curtain so I could see. I remember feeling guilty because just before I was crying and now I was so out of it I didn't cry when she was born. She was born at 11:25pm. West followed the baby to be cleaned off. She didn't cry right away, but everything was alright. They finished putting me back together and me and the babe went back to the room. I was still so shaky and I felt so outside of myself. I was scared to hold the baby and had to have someone help me. They finished all of the tests on the baby. West's family excused themselves to go home. I wanted to be try to nurse so my family waited outside. She latched on right away! I was so relieved because a lot of my friends had such a hard time breastfeeding. They were ready to move me out of the labor room and up to the room I would stay in for the next few days. West and my family helped move me and the baby and our bags up. I got in the room and it seemed like all of the anesthesia wore off in a matter of seconds. It hurt worse than I had let my contractions get. They were delaying giving me pain meds because they wanted to make sure I wasn't going to throw up anymore because it could do a lot of damage to my incision. They finally gave me some with limited water. My family stayed to make sure I was going to be ok for the night.

Born September 10, 2010 at 11:25pm
8 lbs. 8 oz.
21 inches

That first day Keith, Linda, and Kurt Walker, Jenny Cherriman, James, Jenilee, and Jade Robinson, Justun, Jamie and Henry McCormick came to the hospital.

The next few days were pretty easy going. I hurt to get in and out of the bed but other than that, things seemed good. We had more visitors. The Blazzards, Niitsumas, and Lawrences came. Grandma and Grandpa Robinson, Ruth and Nikki, Grandma Walker, Teri and Mykal Hagler. We still had no name for the baby.

West and I went to the hospital with a list each. None of which were the same. (West's top pick was Dottie which I would have NEVER allowed. My top two were Liv and Sloane. West wouldn't allow Sloan because that is a brand of automatic toilet flushers.) When she came out and we saw her, we know none of either of our names were it. I spent the time in the hospital bouncing names off of West. We sort of narrowed it down to Aidree (not sure how we would spell it) and Talia. Everyone who visited voted for Talia. She even voted for it herself! (Grandma Walker took her blanket off when she asked the question so her arm would pop up.) My dad said that he didn't like Aidree because it reminded him of the movie Rocky when Rocky is yelling at his girlfriend Adrian. Ironically enough, the actress who play Adrian is named Talia Shire.

West and I still weren't 100% on the name. We had to fill out the birth certificate paper so they could discharge us so we settled on it. But, it has grown on us and her. We now think it fits perfectly. Talia LaRue Walker.

We chose it thinking of the Greek name Thalia. She is the muse of comedy, daughter of Zeus, and one of the three graces of beauty and charm. We didn't want the silent "h". We later found out that our spelling is a Hebrew name meaning "lamb". LaRue is after Grandma Walker, Dorothy LaRue.