Lacey Elizabeth's Story

I found out that I was pregnant in early August 2003. I was so excited! I didn't really have any morning sickness, and for the most part had a wonderful pregnancy. I had two urinary tract infections, but other than that everything was perfect. At 20 weeks we found out I was having a girl, we decided to name her Lacey. At about six months people started thinking I was almost due, I was having a big baby. In terms of weight gain I was on track, but my husband had been a ten-pound baby, and I weighed nine pounds at birth.

At about 37 weeks, I began to get a rash on my arms and legs. I was itching terribly all over. My doctor said that my liver was depositing salt into my skin, and if it didn't get better he would induce me. A week or so after that my doctor decided it was best to induce me. He set up an appointment for me to go to the hospital on Sunday, March 28th. Was I ever ready to have this baby!

We went to the hospital at 1 p.m. I changed and got situated, and had an IV inserted. The doctors decided to insert this medicine that was in a pill form, and that dissolved to start contractions. I felt crampy, but on the monitor my contractions were too strong, too close together and I wasn't dilating past 2 cm., so they slowly started Pitocin. Finally, around midnight they said they were going to stop my labor so I could get some sleep and we would start the Pitocin a lot faster in the morning. They were going to give me a shot of morphine to sleep.

My husband got comfortable and my mom and aunt started to leave. I received the shot, and a minute later I had the urge to urinate, along with this weird pain in my stomach. I proceeded to tell my husband that it was too late, and that I thought I'd wet the bed. He said it was my water that had broken because the mucus plug was out. I asked him to run and catch my mom and aunt in the parking lot. I pushed the nurse's call button and stood up, only to flood the room and then vomit from the morphine. I was a mess!

After that I went into full-blown labor. I breathed through the contractions, and at about 4 a.m. they said I was dilated to 4-5 cm. and that I could recieve an epidural. Right after the shot I went to sleep!

I woke up at about 7 a.m. I was in no pain and feeling great. My family and friends were there, and I had no worries. Then I started to feel a little pressure, I begged the nurse to check me, and sure enough I was 9 cm. The pressure got a little worse and at 10 a.m. they had me start pushing. By then I was in a lot of pain again. I pushed for three and a half hours straight! I was exausted. At the three-hour mark they said that if I didn't deliver my daughter within a half hour, they would use a vacuum or forceps. I beared down with all my might and pushed through the pain.

At 1:19 p.m., Lacey Elizabeth was born. I heard the doctor say, "No wonder it took so long!" She had her fist by her face... She weighed nine pounds, four ounces, and measured twenty one and a half inches long. She was the biggest and most beautiful baby I have ever seen.

I didn't have the easiest labor, but I would do it all over again in a second, she is more than worth it!