Baby Raegan is Here!

Raegan Reilly

July 28, 2014

6 lb 14 oz

19 inches

4:52 pm

BIRTH STORY:

I have never gone into labor on my own before. But to be fair, I haven't waited too long after my due date either. With Ayden, I didn't have a single braxton hicks before my induction. With Gavin, I started having BH contractions about a month before my due date, was 3cm for 2 weeks, and still nothing. With this baby, I started having mild BH contractions at 27 weeks which continued to increase. About 3 weeks before my due date, they turned into mild contractions and the week before I was due, I was having fairly uncomfortable contractions every 10 minutes all day. I was 2/60/-2 at 37 weeks but despite my contractions, never progressed any further. I jogged until I was 32 weeks and then continued walking to the very end. The exercise got the contractions going but they never continued. When I was 38 weeks, I spent 2 days walking around Disney World in the July heat to no avail. My Dr. stripped my membranes at 39 weeks expecting me to go into labor that night. Nope. 

I really wanted to go into spontaneous labor. One, I just want the experience and this probably being the last baby, was obviously my last chance. Two, I wanted to deliver sooner than later since we were moving the middle of August and I wanted to have time to adjust and recover. Three, I was actually still feeling quite good surprisingly. I mean, there were discomforts, but I wasn't miserable. I actually was still sleeping lying down! But my doctor was going out of town around my due date, so he scheduled an induction on the last day he was in town. I was hoping to deliver before that day, but feeling I couldn't wait much longer and wanting to be delivered by my own Dr., I kept my induction date. 

The night before, Mom and Dad came into town and we had a nice dinner and evening. The next morning, Patrick and I arrived at the hospital at 6:30 am. I was put on the monitor and the baby looked great. I was contracting every 6-10 minutes on my own. So, the Dr broke my water at 10 am to see if I could go on my own. The intensity picked up but not the frequency. At noon I decided to get my epidural. The contractions weren't too bad, but I didn't want to miss out like last time! The CRNA did an amazing job and I was comfy in no time. The nurse then started low dose pitocin. Just that small whiff of pit got me into a great pattern: every 3 minutes. At noon I was 3cm. Patrick and I just hung out, read, and watched some TV. Mom and Dad were home with the kids and we kept everyone updated. I was drifting off to sleep and then at 3:30pm, I was woken up by tons of pressure. I called the nurse in and I was 10cm already. I may not go into labor but pit sure does work for me! The baby was still -1 so we decided I would rest and descend until I couldn't take the pressure any more. The pressure kept getting worse and after an hour, I was breathing through the contractions despite the epidural so we called in the doctor for delivery. By then the baby was super low. With the first contraction, her head was delivered and with the second contraction, she was out! It was a pretty quick and easy delivery. She was born at 4:52pm. So, even though I sat in bed for a while, I was really only in active labor for less than 5 hours. Not too bad.

When the Doctor handed her to me, I immediately knew she was so tiny. I knew my belly wasn't as big as with Gavin but I wasn't sure by how much. Having a baby is such an incredible experience. I'd waited so long to see her face and then she was finally staring back at me. She looks like her siblings but has finer features. She's definitely our cutest baby. She had no hair and such skinny little legs. She instantly felt like mine and I felt immediately connected to her. Love is such a strong feeling.

Mom and Dad arrived with the kids shortly after. Ayden and Gavin were so excited to see the baby. They both were so sweet. Ayden wanted to hold her forever and Gavin kept giving her kisses. It was the perfect meeting and they didn't want to leave to go home.

Patrick and I spent the evening cuddling our sweet baby girl. It was another amazing delivery and we are so blessed to add another perfect baby to the family.

 Last picture as a family of four the night before.

 The final belly shot. 

39.4 weeks

The baby had a perfect strip the entire labor. Not even one decel.

 She's here!

 Hello sweet girl!

 Looking much like her siblings here.

6 lb 14 oz. So tiny.

A pound smaller than Ayden.

Almost two pounds smaller than Gavin.

 So excited to meet their new baby sister.

 Gavin is so sweet with her.

 Mimi holding her 10th grandchild.

 Ayden and Gavin loved wearing their big sister and brother shirts.

 She's got the same nose and the Reilly lip like the other kids, just not as pronounced.

Patrick and I could not decide on a name. We discussed it the entire pregnancy and just never really felt like a name fit. We even left the hospital nameless. But the birth certificate people needed a name or they said they would write Baby Girl which would be a pain to change. So, we chose the name Raegan, using the Irish spelling to continue naming our kids Irish names.

 Ayden

Gavin

Raegan